The industrial technology program at Cook County Middle and High School provides vital preparation for students going into technical careers. On July 19, 2012, industrial technology teacher Sam West presented the school board with highlights of the middle and high school curriculum and what he thinks the department needs to prepare students adequately.
“Career and Technical Education, or CTE, is the beginning of a viable career track for many secondary students,” West wrote in an overview of the curriculum. “CTE at the secondary level can steer students with a predilection, gift, or aptitude for trade work toward two-year associates degrees, trade certifications, and skilled labor that pays a high return both financially and in terms of job satisfaction.”
Cook County offers students training in woodworking, construction, welding, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD), and Computer Numerical Control (CNC), which runs router, lathe, and mill equipment. West said he wants to prepare students for what they will encounter in post-secondary education.
The current industrial technology area has a computer lab where students work on CADD and a general purpose room with a small welding enclave where they do everything else. “The existing layout/footprint has led to overcrowding, inefficiency, and a difficult classroom environment,” West wrote. They lose time moving equipment and supplies in and out for various classes every day, and they are lacking needed storage space.
The crowding impacts safety and limits curricular options, West told the board. “We need open floor space, with room to build and work. We need open lines of sight to monitor students safety,” he said. “More space and properly dedicated space means safe traffic patterns and safe operation of machines, proper ventilation, and more kids working safely more of the time.”
The department currently has 3,000 square feet, and West recommended adding an additional 3,000-5,000 square feet.
With the school planning to sell its west wing to the county for the construction of a community center, the school may have some capital to use for the recommended expansion. The industrial arts department was once much larger and had much more equipment before it was downsized when the school was expanded in 1997.
“Let’s not build for today,” said school board member Deb White. “Let’s build for what we’re going to need in two years, in five years.” With the community center project in the works, the opportunity to expand is here, she said. “It’s not going to happen again.”
Summer work
Principal Gwen Carman reported she has been “talking shop” with teachers throughout the summer. “Teachers are in and out all the time, doing work on their own time,” she said. Her monthly report to the school board stated, “Many come through the office daily as they spend time in their classrooms cleaning and organizing.” She said they also spend time at home planning curriculum and preparing materials.
New faculty
Six new teachers will be joining the Cook County Schools faculty this fall. Several current teachers came in on their own time to help with the interviewing. Principal Gwen Carman reported that the hiring decisions were difficult because the applicant pool was so good.
Superintendent Beth Schwarz said the interview team was asked to consider more than salary levels and coaching ability in their hiring recommendations. The candidates who were interviewed were asked to demonstrate their teaching by giving a lesson or an example of how they would approach the first day of class during the interview.
In a separate phone interview, Superintendent Schwarz said the district is going to have considerable turnover with expected teacher retirements in the next several years. They deliberately hired teachers with significant education and/ or experience in order to be prepared for these retirements. She said she believes they hired the best, strongest candidates in the pool. They will all be on probationary status for at least the first year of their employment.
Kassie Felts will be teaching early childhood special education half-time. Former ISD 166 employee Natalie Shaw will be returning from Birch Grove Community School to teach first grade. Todd Toulouse will be teaching middle school math and science, and Sarah Malkovich will be teaching middle school science, health, communications and reading. David Liechty, who has “significant experience” in juvenile corrections and autism, according to Schwarz, will be teaching secondary social studies, and Tim Dennison will be teaching secondary math.
The number of faculty has been reduced by two full-time positions from last year. The average salary of the teachers that retired, resigned, or whose jobs were not renewed was $54,566, and the average salary of the new faculty members is $50,174. The savings from staff reductions and lower salaries is $139,746. The board approved advertising for an educational consultant position for $19,800 plus two single health policies (cheaper than one family policy), however, to replace some of the extra things retired teacher Marc Tavernier did—overseeing continuing education and assisting with the school’s computer system. The person in this new position will be asked to do other things as well, such as substitute teach, monitor attendance, and proctor tests.
School board members needed
Two school board seats will be up for election this year, and neither board member in those seats will be running for re-election. Candidates are being sought for the east Grand Marais position held by Terry Collins and the Maple Hill/Gunflint Trail position held by Leonard Sobanja. One interested person, Sissy Lunde of Maple Hill, took advantage of a portion of the meeting that had been set aside for people interested in being on the board to talk with board members about what it’s like to be on the school board.
School board member Mary Sanders said they get training from the Minnesota School Board Association. She estimated she spends about 20 hours a month doing school board work, but this varies depending on how many committees and which committees board members are on.
“This particular board is pretty well versed in what we each bring to the board,” school board member Deb White said. “We trust each other. …We’re a fun group!” She said they have to be aware of the use of public dollars as well as the atmosphere the district creates for the students. The most important thing is to provide a quality education, she said.
The district pays regular school board members $2,100 a year and the chair $2,600 a year.
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