S.C. Superintendent of Education Mick Zais visited the Academy for Technology and Academics in Conway Friday and got a snapshot of how the school is preparing students to be college- and career-ready.
Zais toured some classes and talked with schools officials about the preparation students need to enter high-demand career fields. He said many jobs often don’t require a four-year college stint but pay very well, such as HVAC mechanics, who earn around $60,000.
Zais, who spent 10 years as president of Newberry College, said it is critical to tailor academics to the technical skills needed for the workplace. Even for those who are college-bound, he said four-year institutions don’t expect an extensive knowledge of literature, but they do expect a basic knowledge of standard English, grammar, vocabulary and fundamental writing skills for forming a business letter.
Horry County Schools Superintendent Cindy Elsberry said the district is putting more focus on nonfiction reading rather than literary reading. She said district administrators recently learned that the reading level required to read an electrician’s handbook is higher than that for a four-year college degree.
ATA offers a variety of academic courses, including all that are required for graduation, as well as Advanced Placement, honors and dual-credit, college-level courses. The school also has 12 majors and is home to the Connect program, which helps over-aged ninth-graders to graduate on time.
The school is doing more to tie in academic subjects with career preparation, ATA Principal David Stoudenmire said, and the school has strong industry partnerships. He said the school encourages students to get state and national certifications beyond earning their diploma. Last year, 99.7 percent of the school’s graduates were employed in or continuing their education in their chosen field.
While Zais said guidance counselors urge students to go to four-year colleges, Elsberry pointed out that the American dream includes a college education, and said parents need to be educated to other available options, such as certificate programs, for their children. She said the area, with its tourism-based economy, also doesn’t provide a lot of technical jobs here at home.
“Some of our brightest and best leave the area for high-tech jobs because those aren’t offered here,” she said.
Zais toured the school, visiting areas such as the cosmetology salon, the virtual course lab and digital arts, and met students along the way. Zais discussed his own military career with Devan Boyd, a third-year Connect student, who said he is meeting with a recruiter next week.
“It was an honor [to meet the superintendent],” Boyd said. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been so nervous.”
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