A Vision for Morton West??

During recent spirited discussions, Berwyn CARES members have been contemplating college prep vs. job training at Morton West. Do our demographics dictate that we offer a different kind of high school experience than wealthier communities? Are some students destined for college while others are destined for jobs? We ended up talking about the very definition of a "good education". Does a "good education" prepare you for college? for a job? Or does a "good education" prepare you to think critically, solve problems, collaborate with others in your community REGARDLESS of whether you apply those skills to law school or carpentry? Why do we continue to segregate kids rather than bring them together to inspire and challenge eachother?

The proponents of career and technical training (CTE) envision a curriculum that fuses career and college readiness, inviting students to see what the adult world looks like and to discover what roles they can take in it.

And while it may seem like CTE is just another educational buzzword (albeit a hot one, Arne Duncan recently gave a speech on it), there are schools that are doing some amazing things with this kind of fusion.

Here is a short video about High Tech High. WATCH IT!! The CEO of this amazing school has some fascinating things to say about high school.

The recent blizzard and High Tech High make me want to pack up and move to San Diego.

But then again, who's to say we couldn't create a school like this in Berwyn?

Now Chicago winters? That is a harder problem to solve!