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SPENCER/EAST BROOKFIELD – At a recent School Committee meeting, Superintendent Paul Haughey spoke about the possibility of adding an agricultural vocational program for students in central Massachusetts.
Known as the Massachusetts Career Technical Education Chapter 74 Program, it aims to provide students with the necessary skills and credentials to expand job opportunities if they enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
Students would receive at least 900 hours of immersive learning as well as co-operative education opportunities at local employment sites.
The superintendent said local districts are collaborating with the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) on compiling data for a future grant application.
The first step is for students and parents who are interested to fill out a survey found on the homepage of the district’s website.
The potential program would be a hybrid with enrollment at a student’s district high school.
The four “alternate pathways,” according to Haughey, are Agricultural Mechanics, Animal Science & Veterinary Science, Environmental Science and Technology and Horticulture.
In his superintendent’s report, Haughey expressed frustration with mandates from the state that are unfunded.
Haughey said he has been in frequent contact with representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). One initiative DESE is prioritizing is an accelerated academy partnership, which Haughey said involves “support for student growth and achievement…an opportunity to be more focused and purposeful in practice in like and unlike neighboring school districts.”
He said DESE is putting expectations on 80 districts in the Commonwealth for this initiative.
But with a reduction in Title 1 funds of about $30,000, Spencer East Brookfield is likely to have fewer instructional coaches and tutors in the fall.
Other financial constraints make time and effort difficult to volunteer to participate, he said.
“It is nice to have partnerships, but we can only work with what we have,” Haughey said. ”We can’t be responsive to unfunded mandates and I’ve made that clear to the (DESE) deputy commissioner.”
He added, “So if reports are not filed in a timely manner, that’s the way it has got to be.”
Haughey said he had urged the deputy commissioner to provide financial resources if DESE expected schools to volunteer to take part in this new partnership.
School Committee member Heather Messier asked if it would be a waste of time to participate.
“It’s great to have resources brought in but if you don’t have staff to deliver what those are, then it is a waste of time for everyone and money,” she said.
Haughey said there is a benefit to collaboration, but he would not know to what degree it is possible until exact state budget numbers are finalized.
