School closing shop programs

[cabnet636]

thanks for all the support from those who responded on the cabinetmaking forum,, cabinetmaking in southcarolina will not go out on a low note!!. this is my statement to the board
On January 24, 2012, a group of business owners will attend the Richland County School District 2 board meeting, this meeting will be held at Spring Valley High school on Sparkleberry in northeast columbia at 6:00 the public session will start at 7:00. it is my understanding students will also attend and present petitions concerning the actions described below.

The group includes James Mcgrew (mcgrewwoodwork.com) mike Ballew (Centerline Cabinetry Elgin), Izzie Martin (Izzies Woodworks) Mike Steck (owner Alpine Sales Distrubution) and Buddy Easler (retired owner Mid State Distribution) along with others, this group has recieved support from the Architectural Woodwork Institute and the Carolinas chapter of the Architectural Woodwork Instititute along with letters from members of national forums concerning manufacturing and cabinetmaking. this support has been obtained in three days since we were made aware of the information described below.

On January 10 2012 a presentation was made before the Richland dist 2 board by Principle Suber (item 12.2 pdf of minutes attached) this is the presentation listed in the minutes.

12.2 Report: CATE Program at Richland Northeast High School

Richland Northeast High School Principal Sabrina Suber presented a proposal to the Board for

adding two new CATE Programs (Health Science and Culinary Arts) to Richland Northeast.

Mrs. Suber stated that based on the results of career interest surveys of the students at Richland

Northeast High, these programs will not only provide the entry into outstanding career pathways,

but will provide opportunities for the students to experience highly engaging and exciting

courses. Jack Carter, Executive Director of Operations, stated they are looking at two spaces at
Richland Northeast and the cost for both classrooms to include equipment would be around

$1.5M.

This presentation by Ms Suber made no mention of the course of action taken by Richland Northeast High School after the Jan !0 board meeting, during the following week, on Jan 18th 2012 letters were recieved by the teachers of the industrial based cabinetry and auto body programs. these letters informed the teachers to notifiy the students that the programs will no longer be offered in richland district 2 for the 2012 - 2013 school year and replaced with health sciences and culinary arts. as well the teachers were advised to seek jobs elsewhere. Ms Suber stated her reason for the firing of teachers and abolishment of the programs is "Reduction in force" her justification of this damaging action was to "implement programs requested by the students" which brings into issue who is running the school. i was notified by one of the teachers to stop with my assistance as a CATE advisor in preparing curiculum information for the implementation of digital technology in woodworking and cabinetry. I perform this service as a volunteer to the CATE program. further i have found no support for the action as it has been inacted with out careful and professional standards for implementation.

Ms Subers sole proposal is based on a student survey that may not have fully explained what the entire course of action was to be and may have mislead the students taking the survey, it further appears to me the school is managed by an element of "Job fear" by the current principle. with the information currently available it may be possible that Ms Suber has mislead the richland district 2 board as to the full intent of her motives. i have met Ms Suber once at a CATE (career and technology) breakfast and other than a handshake of introduction have had no other interaction with her on any issue.

This morning the State Newspaper Quoted "Chip Jackson" as issueing a Challenge to promote interest in the program, This is leadership and i thank him, given the oppurtunity we will. the newspaper has also quoted Sabrina Suber as saying “The second year it declines and then the third year it really declines,” she said. Last year, six students completed the four-year auto body program and four students completed all four courses of the cabinetmaking program" I question whether this is this an accurate assesment when compared against the high dropout rate and relationship to other programs of a comprable nature in status. all programs at richland northeast are not created nor treated equal, the root of the problem may be at other levels in the management of the school, Further Ms subers plans to eliminate these programs began before these surveys were issued and compiled, other than visits to the classrooms with contractors she has declined all meetings with the teachers on the sublect of viability and needs of the programs, further request of materials and safty equipment as required by school safety inspectors has not been responded to after request to Dr. Joe Watson, it is unclear as to whether Dr. Watson has followed thru on behalf of his teachers on these request.

Again i thank Mr. Jackson Yet with meetings with the Principle constantly cancelled, and a lack of concern for the safety of the students in the classroom, this falls on Deaf ears at scholol administration levels

Read more here: Woodworkers to protest loss of high-school program - Local / Metro - TheState.com

These programs are of the most requested at the high school level and richland northeast is no exception, we have found school districts in the united states that took this course of action and have now had to reimplement the industrial technology programs after this terrible mistake at great expense to thier districts. An education is not something we do to be in vouge with a trend, it is the backbone of preparation by us all to provide oppurtunity for our children.

I intend to encourage the implementation of additional programs, i attended the University of South Carolina school of institional management as a result of my help from the Dent Jr high school shop program and the Wilson vocational school at Spring Valley Graduating in 1974, i went on to own Restraunts and Hospitality Businesses in addition have built over 200 facilitys many in the columbia area we dine in today. my woodworking career has led me to be qualified by the Architectural Woodwork Institute resulting in providing Cabinetry and architectural millwork most recently for the Williams Brice football stadium and the World Series Trophy cases located in Coach Tanners Offices, my portfolio incleds 26 years of work in South Carolina. My wife is a Professional Hair dresser and we totaly reliant on or chosen professions.

This action by Ms Suber appears at the outset to be ill advised and serves no purpose of a good intent however guided in her motives. the sole this country is far from surrendering our industrial base to foreign interest. this action appears to be based on a lack of experience and we are unsure as to what the board of richland 2 was exposed to. we feel a mistake has been made without professional consideration of the entire consequences on richland county students, thier future, local business and the industrial base of our country. I have been in the cabinetmaking , industrial and commercial fabrication business for 27 years in columbia and this has not been with mistakes and having to rethinking my actions. I respectfully ask this board to table all actions and any context of this proposal untill futher study by all involved.

My hope and prayer is that this is the case with first the Richland County School district Two Board and second with Principle Suber.

James McGrew
Cabinetmakers


http://http://www.thestate.com/2012/...t-loss-of.html

[txcncman]

Too bad they are not adding more math, science, and English classes. I wonder if they will ever CNC kitchen equipment.

[Mike 1948]

It is truly sad to see the "mechanical" type of classroom teaching disappearing from the landscape. As I fast approach retirement age and look back, I would not be in the position I am now without those high school shop type classes.
I was not geared for college in the 60's, not that I wasn't intelligent enough, I was probably bored. English, history, and math did not interest me. But then there the shop classes which included drafting, woodworking, auto mechanics Etc. That is where I learned applicable math, how to use hand tools and assemble components. With these classes I excelled, and they gave me a chance to keep my grades at, while not a great level overall, were high enough to "graduate" high school. After graduating high school I bounced around a year till joining the United States Navy.
Those mechanical type skills helped me grasp the duties assigned to me throughout my 4 years spent serving my country.
After leaving the Navy I went onto Technical College and then employment in the Mechanical Design field. After 16 years I decided to start my own design company and have been self employed for the last 19 years.
I feel high school classes are a "exposure" type of environment. It is the education systems responsibility to show the young men and women what is available. It is not necessary to complete a 4 year class, god knows we had no 4 year contiguous shop classes in the 60's. But it is necessary to get the exposure to the mechanical type classes. If only 4 of 5 complete the total 4 years. so be it, look at how many were exposed to it in the first year or two. Those completing the first couple of years will now have something no one can take away from them and they will be comfortable in that environment.
Not all students want to be Chefs or nursing assistants, and you all know how good of employee we were right out of high school, NOT!!
For many students a mechanical type of job was what fits their personality. This included my two adult sons. One is a journeyman plumber and one is a maintenance mechanic for a local manufacturer. I don't know what would have happened without those high school shop classes preparing them.
Sorry for rambling on, but I also do feel that the Shop type classes are just as important as any culinary class, god knows I love food! If a young person never experiences the classes, how can he or she know if they enjoy it, or want to spend more time learning that skill?
Speaking of Nursing assistants, bring them on, I will probably need one or two in a couple of years.
Please disregard grammar errors

Good luck Jim

Mike

[cabnet636]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q_eXX6DFa4&list=HL1327503488&feature=mh_lolz]Richland Northeast District 2 abolishes manufacturing programs - YouTube

[cabnet636]

i got a dose of some of my republican friends views last night and may rethink some of my own, this was difficult for me the smoke and mirrors used in this process is really apparrent to me now. i will post more later as we will go back. i posted some comments on the you tube video the support from this forum, industry and the local parents was 100% yet there is still a good old boy network to deal with in southcarolina

this is the direct emails for the board if you contact them do so for all of them, Richland School District Two - Board biographies

this is the emails for Dr. joe Watson and Sabrina Suber the principle and director initiating this action

http://www.richland2.org/schools/RNH....aspx?id=28041

this is some local coverage

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q_eX...eature=mh_lolz"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

[txcncman]

I really sympathize with your position that these types of mechanical programs are needed. At the same time, I question if this place is a good venue to state your case. Funding of school programs is a lot more complicated that just "WE want it!". As you indicate, there is the "good ole' boy network" to consider. Also, different people have different views and foresight on what is a wise path to take and how to spend the money most effectively. Let's say there is $100,000.00 to spend. For that money you can train 20 kids in the machine shop or 50 kids in the kitchen. Out of it, the machine shop kids will make $60k per year to put into the economy and the kitchen kids will make $40k. $60k times 20 is $1.2 million. $40 times 50 is $2 million. I agree that boosting manufacturing skills is the better long term investment. A machinist is more likely to be able to build a house than a chef. But most of these people and most of us won't be around in 20 years to care. We just have to get through the rest of our careers and then we can be done with it.

So, my question becomes, what are YOU doing to train machinists? I am attempting to build a private school, here where I live, to do just that. Why do YOU need to depend on the government, by way of the public education system, to make sure YOUR business stays profitable? Sure, the government should serve us, the taxpayers. But the reality of it is that the government rarely if ever serves us, the taxpayers.