Cagle talks with CCA students
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who is a GOP candidate for governor, lands at the Floyd County Schools College and Career Academy.
State Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle made a campaign stop in Rome on Monday, finding himself chatting with a group of Floyd County Schools College and Career Academy students about their interests, goals and what they’ve come to experience at the school.
“All of you have a bright, bright future,” he said, calling them “agents of change.”
Cagle, who is a Republican candidate running for governor, stood before the group of 15 students seated at a meeting table to hear directly from those attending one of the state’s 40-plus CCAs, which he has been a strong advocate for. Students spoke to the feeling that they have a step ahead. Gaining experiences that without the academy they would never have had the opportunity to have at their age.
It’s an opportunity that Cagle, who developed Georgia’s College and Career Academy Network, has pledged to spread to all of students in the state. He has set a goal for every student to have access to a CCA by 2020.
Education should not be a one-size-fits-all model, Cagle said, and CCAs allow kids to be proactive with their own education and helping to secure job opportunities, as students’ skills align with the industry needs.
Meeting the 2020 goal would mean rapid expansion, Cagle said. Something he feels can be ignited by co-located and regional-based CCAs, specifically in rural areas. This could mean creating a dedicated space for high school students at a technical college, affording them the CCA benefits and exploratory experiences without the development of an independent facility, he continued.
Cagle said it would be ideal for communities to have their own academy. However, this isn’t as realistic in rural areas with low enrollment and not enough high schools to commit to the financial investment of offering 30 career pathways and the resources required to sustain them.
But, this shouldn’t be allowed to hinder the
spread of CCA access to these areas, Cagle said.
Students nodded or spoke to affirm for Cagle that they enjoyed being at the CCA more than the classrooms at their own schools. The students also said they like their teachers, prompting him to see if they were enticed by promises of extra credit for backing their educators.