By Vasiliy @Adobe Stock
Originally posted Feb 20th, 2024.
Away from the Maddening Crowd
According to the WSJ, vocational and technical training is making a comeback in America’s educational system. Or at least in a part of New England where one of the bigger problems is, “you can’t get there from here.” St. George, which takes it’s from the river area which encompasses the historic area of mountains, seacoast, lakes, tidal streams, and inlets. The town of St. George juts into the icy Atlantic south of Rockland, Maine, attracting artists, writers, and naturalists. No surprise here that for generations the economy has revolved around lobstering in this rugged coastline.
A Screwdriver in Every Hand
Parents from St. George, which includes the villages of Port Clyde and Tenants Harbor, are desperate to make their trades program a success, explains the WSJ,
They view lobster fishing as under threat from federal environmental regulations and the potential construction of offshore wind turbines. If the lobster industry collapses, St. George parents want their children to have other career options. And they want to keep their town alive.
Bring “Shop” Back
Unlike most other districts, St. George does not wait till kids are in high school “to incorporate career and technical training into the curriculum.” Here’s what Sierra Dawn McClain discovered on her recent visit to watch 4th graders “design complex three-dimensional objects on Tinkercad, a basic engineering software system.”
Middle-schoolers made insulation for a miniature satellite. Kindergartners and first-graders sporting safety goggles and tool belts enthusiastically hammered at wooden boxes they’d designed.
Eighth-grader William “B.J.” Hallowell is among those who have benefited from the program. His poor performance in school made a U-turn as soon as he was introduced to the trades. His yard is now cluttered with tractors and snowmobiles he’s taking apart, and he dreams of becoming an engineer. His family says he’s happier and calmer and his grades have improved. “Since he started doing hands-on learning, he’s a totally different kid,” his mom, Veronica, said.
Bryson Mattox, 17, said after St. George created its trade program he went from being bored and “coasting” in school to feeling “energized.” Bryson’s sentiment reflects national trends. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, vocational training is associated with higher levels of student engagement and reduced high-school dropout rates. Though still a high-school senior, Bryson has his own laser-cutting business; he makes signs, mugs, puzzles and cheese boards. He already has an offer to work at Lyman-Morse, a custom boat builder in nearby Thomaston, after graduation.
To enhance technical training, many students opt to take electives at Rockland’s Mid-Coast School of Technology.
Bobby Deetjen, the director, said students entering from St. George are better prepared than their peers: “They’re coming preloaded.” The parents and teachers I spoke with said hands-on technical education has been good even for college-bound students. They’re not merely filling out a bubble on a standardized math test; they’re using math to build robots.
Other school districts would like to copy a similar model. As Ms. McClain explains, there is more than meets the eye. Some other factors make St. George uncommon:
- The district has Superintendent Mike Felton, whom parents and teachers describe as “a fearless leader” with “infectious energy.” A law-school graduate, he has proved adept at navigating the state education bureaucracy and securing funding. He also talks like a salesman, which wins people to his cause. “If we ain’t dreamin’ big, we’re doing a disservice to our students,” he says.
- It also helps that the district is small and parents are unusually engaged. With only 291 enrolled students, the St. George Municipal School Unit is a manageable size for experimenting with new programs. Local businesses have supported the program by taking on high-school interns, hosting field trips, sending representatives to speak in classes, and volunteering to teach workshops.
- George is the sort of town where people don’t lock their front doors. Neighbors’ willingness to lay aside political differences to work together is what makes the trade program work. It may also be what enabled the community to create an independent, locally controlled public school district in the first place.
A Unique Culture
Many residents credit Mr. Felton. Instead, Felton praises the people of St. George for their grit and determination to make it all possible:
“You don’t get much more independent than a Yankee fisherman.”
