School representatives for the Ben Barber Career Tech Academy announced at the October 27 School Board Meeting their plans to become an independent high school where students can take all their classes and graduate. This plan, which will be voted for at the November 17 meeting, involves an application process of students who are highly interested in a specific career pathway such as culinary arts, auto-tech or health science.
“We’re looking for kids who already have a career path and who know what they want to do,” Media Tech teacher Dee McCown said. “We want to have an opportunity for them, and it’ll be a great opportunity.”
In the first few months of 2009, a team of six Ben Barber staffers formed the Restructuring Committee and travelled throughout the southern states to study other technical high schools and develop this new plan, researching the curriculum, philosophies and mission of other “tech highs.” The team included Mrs. McCown and Engineering Graphics teacher Michael O’Neil.
“When we saw these other schools,” Mr. O’Neil said, “we could better recognize what we wanted and where we wanted to go.”
This direction will have dedicated students spending their entire junior and senior years at Ben Barber, according to the presentation at the board meeting. The students will take in-depth career tech classes, receive laptops to use, participate in internships and design special projects. Ben Barber would not have organizations such as band or athletics, but every activity would now give students the ability to letter and earn special certifications.
“Students will be better prepared to go to a higher education and into the workforce,” Mr. O’Neil said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
Students who do not wish to strictly attend Ben Barber can stay at their own campus and continue to attend career tech courses. To accommodate for these changes, the school will most likely expand its campus. Teachers involved show excitement for the changes to come.
“I’m really looking forward to starting something completely new and different for career tech in Mansfield,” Mrs. McCown said.
