A CLOSER LOOK
State senator tours BOCES center in Saratoga Springs
State Sen. James Tedisco, R- Glenville, toured the F. Donald Myers Education Center in Saratoga Springs on Monday.
Members of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Skills USA, both student organizations, led the tour and provided information about the career and technical education programs they are enrolled in. Students in the Exceptional Learners Division made presentations about their Boys Town Merit projects.
“I think this program is a building block. When you are standing on a building block you have an advantage over a lot of other young people,” Tedisco said. “This is a program that gives them that information, that education, to be ready for industry.”
Tedisco, a former special education teacher, guidance counselor, athletic director and coach, said “preparation is what education is about. This is real preparation.”
WSWHE BOCES Superintendent James Dexter told the senator that all CTE programs, as well as most Exceptional Learners programs include internships, or job shadowing, which provides students with real world experience, and exposure to prospective employers or continuing education opportunities.
Environmental Conservation & Forestry Program Instructor Dennis Flynn spoke about FFA, the national convention his students recently returned from, and articulation agreements.
Flynn said the forestry programhas an articulation agreement with Paul Smiths College. Students can finish this program with five college credits at Paul Smiths. Nine of the WSWHE students who completed the forestry program after the 2016-17 school year are attending Paul Smiths this year.
During the visit, the senator had a chance to see a Regents math class in action. Shayne Bishop, an instructor in the Exceptional Learners Division, showed how he works with students to engage them in activities that make algebra and geometry exciting. He pointed the senator’s attention out the window to the garden plot the class has. Bishop asked students to calculate howmuch volume they would need to lay 3 inches of the compost that they procured from the horticulture program.
“We like to connect the real world with some of the algebra and geometry that we are working on,” Bishop said. “This is just one class of many.”
After seeing how quickly the students made their calculations, Tedisco joked, “I wish we could solve the problems in the Senate that fast.”
The senator commented throughout the tour that when he meets local businesses, they frequently comment that there are many good jobs to be had, but not enough skilled workers to fill them.
Dexter said, “we are fortunate to have great relationships with industry partners.”
At the end of the tour, Senator Tedisco said, “the kids did a great job, you are all doing a great job. Now we, the Senate and the Assembly, need to do our job andmake sure the funding comes through to keep supporting these programs.”