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School board to look at career training for high school students

William Ferchland
Trevor Clark / Tahoe Daily Tribune / Andy Mora, left, and his son Matt work on a house in the Tahoe Keys on Saturday. High school students may begin receiving training for jobs such as these if the school board decides Tuesday to pursue funding for training programs.
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The first step toward bringing high school students career training in such fields as construction, transportation, agriculture and tourism could occur Tuesday.

That’s when a vote among Lake Tahoe Unified School District board members will take place on the intent to participate in career technical education by pursuing multi-million dollar grants to help construct or update buildings to house the program.

State grants are available for the program but matching funds from school districts are required.



Angela Swanson, the board member who has the most knowledge on the program, could not be reached for comment. Other board members had a vague understanding of career technical education except it will vault the campus into the 21st century.

“It really can update our high school significantly,” said longtime board member Wendy David.



Sue Novasel also touted the program, saying it’s good for all students. Novasel, a board trustee with Lake Tahoe Unified, said students interested in careers right out of high school or those heading to college could benefit.

Novasel said she was unsure how the program would differ from the school’s vocational education program and looked forward to the presentation during the board meeting.

She heard of one student in a different school district who was involved with career technical education and got into Harvard.

“I think it’s important to offer that to all the kids,” she said.

Earlier this year the California Board of Education approved the framework on how to deliver instruction on the program.

“Career technical education can make learning come alive for students by making what they learn at school relevant to the real world,” O’Connell said. “California’s standards for career technical education are widely admired for their rigor and quality. Now we are giving schools an excellent blueprint for how to integrate those rigorous standards into the classroom and develop the relationships to make career technical education successful for 21st century learning.”

A few years ago California adopted the standards for career technical education.

The standards, written for grades seven through twelve, specify learning goals in 58 career pathways organized around 15 industry sectors, according to the California Department of Education.

South Tahoe High School Principal Ivone Larson and other staff members of the school visited Stockton Unified School District’s program for ideas.

According to one study this year by the California Center for College and Career, revealed more than 33,000 students participating in Career Partnership Academies were outperforming students statewide when it came to passing the California High School Exit Exam, a requirement for graduation.

The board will discuss and likely vote on the initial stages of the program during its 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday at district offices, 1021 Al Tahoe Blvd.


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