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Greater Springfield Moving Forward - Education

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By Bridgette Outten, Staff Writer Updated 8:51 AM Monday, May 17, 2010

When it comes to preparing tomorrow’s work force, area educators have the task of preparing students for jobs in the community and for ones that may not even exist yet.

But local officials say they are not only up to the challenge, they would like input from the community.

Education and work force development is one category on the Greater Springfield Moving Forward initiative questionnaire that asks residents for suggestions about ways to improve the area.

“We want feedback from the community, ideas on what they think make sense to go along with what’s already going on,” said attorney Jim Peifer, chairman of Greater Springfield Moving Forward.

As for what’s already going on, administrators can report partnerships and programs designed to guide students earlier and earlier toward lucrative career paths.

Springfield City Schools Superintendent David Estrop said the district is educating students to be competitive with not just their counterparts in Ohio, but in cities such as New York, Chicago, Tokyo and Paris as well.

“It’s a global economy,” Estrop said. “It’s global competition.”

The district is home to about 8,000 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. City schools most recent ranking by the state was “Continuous Improvement,” which is equivalent to about the grade of “C,” Estrop said.

At the helm of Springfield City Schools for less than a year, Estrop said his goal is to get the district to an Excellent ranking, within five years. He was successful in improving his last district in Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland.

When examining local programs and policies in place to enhance the workforce, there is an interconnectedness that reaches Springfield-Clark Technology Center, Clark State Community College and Wittenberg University, as well as Sinclair Community College and Wright State University.

There is a thread that touches Opportunities for Industrialization Center (OIC) of Clark County and the WorkPlus Employment Center.

It is a community of options.

When Lori Ritzenthaler’s students graduate from the Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center, they are well on their way to becoming certified dental associates.

Provided that they pass a state certification, the students — after four years of high school — could enter the work force.

“Some of our seniors are actually already working,” said Ritzenthaler, who is also a 1979 CTC graduate. “And when the others graduate, they can go straight into the work force.”

And three students will be receiving scholarships to attend Sinclair Community College’s dental hygiene program, where they will have a solid start.

CTC is also known for its construction programs, where students have built homes for disabled residents in the community.

The hands-on training students — in fields that include arts and communications, hospitality and tourism, transportation, information technology and more — is one more local option to help develop the work force of the future.

'We can’t educate the students by ourselves’

These days, educating students is less about memorization, Springfield City Schools Superintendent David Estrop said.

“What we’re teaching them can no longer be memorization of fact,” Estrop explained. “It has to be how you get to the process and use the information. There is a critical difference.”

Changing technology and tougher competition means that educators have to meet increasing demands of preparing students.

Starting in the fall, students at Springfield High School will select one of five new revamped academies — Preparatory, Exploratory, STEM, International Arts & Communication and Health & Human Services.

“With the five new academies, you will see that three of them are very closely aligned with potential job growth,” Estrop said.

The Exploratory and Preparatory academies are more for students who are still discovering their passions, he added.

High school staff members are reaching out to local business owners and organizations to sponsor more hands-on experience as well.

Through a new “credit-flex” policy, students can also get course credit for some of the time spent “outside of school walls as these organizations help students connect with real-world effort,” Estrop said.

Community input and assistance is critical, the superintendent said.

“We can’t educate the students by ourselves,” he said. “It’s going to take the help of the parents and the community at large.

“Here’s the very good news for us,” Estrop continued. “Based on my experience so far, the people of Springfield are ready to help.”

Philosophy of access

Clark State Community College’s approach to work force development is two-pronged, said President Karen Rafinski.

“First, we want to get those jobs that are out there and active now and get solid, reliable employees to fill those jobs,” she said. “And we’re also looking to the future because the greater Springfield area is going to be diversifying its employment base.

“Gone are the days where Navistar will dominate the work force,” Rafinski added.

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