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Originally Posted by raycan
Isn't it crazy that every student has the wisdom to see that we need our shops, BUT they are being cut out at every turn. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, CAN YOU HEAR THIS???
I have been an Industrial Arts/Technology teacher here in NJ for 27 years, and have watched shop after shop close down, and for no good reason. We are a relatively young team (3rd year), and got involved because, among other things, saw it as a way to emphasize the importance of our shop programs (while we still had a few left!).
All of you students, mentors, and advisors need to become proponents for shop programs in your communities. Attend a board of Ed. meeting in your town, and let them know how you feel. It's way more important than doing it here, where you are essentially "preaching to the choir".
Best of Luck this year from Team 1228- A-MERCK-IN-Indians
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I completely agree - I'd do almost anything to go to a school with a shop.
The most hands-on our school gets is using a computer mouse on a virus infested dell. Our district spends millions (yes, millions) on computers every other year and most of them aren't even usable. We have class sets of 30 laptops at our school that are only used twice a year for CIM testing. At least 40% of the computers avalible in the library have so much spyware on them that you can't even use word or surf the net.
The worst part is there's no other option - last summer i TRIED to switch districts just so i could go to a school with wood shops, metal shops, welding classes, and actual hands-on courses but because of district policy (and not wanting to release the state money granted to them for me attending) they wouldn't let me go. The only way is if i pay the state's $5000+ to switch, OR move to the other district (which I still might do)
Our team is lucky enough to have multiple mentors from the local Xerox, so we are able to meet there and our mentors are able to use the shop tools in the model shop to make parts we need.
Anyways, thats our situation