Extended Tailgate: Charlie Myers, vo-tech teacher
Why vo-tech?
I remember being bombarded in high school about how you can only be successful if you go to college.So naturally I wanted to go and become successful.I was enrolled in Machine Shop at our Voc-Tech, with plans on getting an engineering degree.I wanted to design machines that made machines.I took college prep classes, but in my senior year our high school implemented a week-on/week-off schedule for Voc-Tech:Basic math, basic English, no foreign languages, no physics, no chemistry.I had to leave the Voc-Tech program.I took college prep classes and graduated, but could not afford college.My family’s financial status was basically lower-middle class; food stamps and welfare.College tuition was totally out of the question.So instead, I started an entry-level job in a cabinet making shop.Soon after, I took on a few framing side jobs, and found a passion! I created a plan to start my own framing company.I loved going to work.There was so much to learn.I read all kinds of books about carpentry and dozens of industry trade magazines. So why did I change my plan and become a teacher?I realized that teaching was the part of the job I liked the most.I really looked forward to helping new hires learn the ropes.I spent my lunch break showing them how to lay out walls or square a foundation.We’d get together after work and I would show them how to calculate and layout rafters.I looked into the requirements for becoming a Construction Teacher, and attended college at night.After earning my degree, I began teaching in an urban school system.I’m able to relate, because I know about the financial circumstances a lot of the students are facing, and it makes a big difference to my students.
Tell us about Skills USA:
My students have had a lot of success in Skills USA competitions.(The Skills USA RI link: skillsusari.org and the National Webpage link skillsusa.org).Our students have won many medals, and I’m extremely proud of every single one that makes it to competition.They put it all on the line and work for months in preparation.Many students come in at 6:30 a.m. or stay until 5:00 p.m., all around their work or sports schedules.When we do have a State winner, I attend the National Competition with them in June.Words cannot do it justice.The main floor is the area of nine football fields!It’s a massive celebration of the hard work that the students put in to get there.I always return with my batteries charged up and new ideas for my curriculum.
Does vo-tech still have a stigma attached to it?
That’s from an earlier era when I attended the Voc-Tech program.The technical course offerings were challenging but the academics were not, which severely limited choices upon graduation. But things couldn’t be more different now!Graduates from the Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center have gone on to the most prestigious colleges across the country, such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Georgetown;as well as locally at URI, New England Tech, and Johnson & Wales. Our students earned scholarships which helped them obtain degrees at each of these institutions.The statistics for the Career and Tech model are staggering.According to Education weekly “Nationally, 90% of the students enrolled in a Career and Tech graduate on time”.Voc-Tech students who continue on to a four-year college are almost twice as likely to graduate on time as traditional education students, which is a tremendously positive change.Prospective students often have to convince their parents to let them come here, but our Parent Night and Open House events allow us to showcase options that their children will earn because they attend this school.We really are a school of choice, where students discover what excites and interests them.Many students have attended internships, participated in job shadowing, and ultimately obtained full time work because of doors that we’ve helped open.We have graduates in every facet of Construction; from Electricians, Plumbers and Drywallers, to Plasterers, HVAC and Contractors.Conversely, some have realized that the hands-on element was not for them and pursued other related careers such as Teaching, Architecture, or a variety of Engineering disciplines.For each of these students, their background in construction helped them to identify their career path and succeed in pursuing it.
What kind of experiences do they get?
We start off with SAFETY and that theme continues through the entire course.Paying attention pays off with a longer, more prosperous career. Students complete projects in the shop to learn Roof Framing, Floor Framing, Basic Stairs and asphalt roofing basics.We have worked on a variety of smaller projects such as brick planters and sheds but we’re involved in larger scale items, too. It’s my goal to get them out of the classroom and onto a job site as often as possible because there are just so many more learning opportunities.Currently, we’re working on a Habitat for Humanity House (our second such collaboration).We’re handling the shed plane, vinyl siding, some air sealing, and finish work.
Qualified students earn NCCER apprenticeship hours (which can transfer to colleges for credits), OSHA 10 and SP2 Safety, ICC Certificates (the first statewide Building Code Class) for up to four Code Certificates; and we are working statewide to be the first program in the country to offer students a Lead Paint class, where they can earn their Renovator & Remodeler License.The students also learn about Green Construction, allowing us to become the first program in Rhode Island to build an Energy Star home.We built a home to Earth Advantage Standards and we are planning a new partnership with the City of Woonsocket to plan, develop and construct the first student-built, Net-Zero home in our State. I’m a licensed Building Performance Analyst, so I bring building sciences and principles into our curriculum and disprove the myth that building an energy efficient home means upping the construction cost factor. It is an educated means of understanding how to build a better home that will last longer and be healthier for the customer.And of course, we can and do prove that.
What’s the most satisfying part of the job?
Well, first let me say: I love my job.I love working with my students. I get to see them grow both with their construction skills and as young adults during the three years we have together.I get to see “light bulb moments” when they comprehend what I’ve been teaching.We have fun together, too:Softball games against the Auto students and teachers; bowling night during February vacation; and various fundraising events.Students show me their prom pictures, tell me about their first car, and come back to say hello long after they’ve completed the program.We have a graduation night just for the Career and Tech where our students get their diplomas and scholarships.The teachers get to present additional awards and gifts.I always take a photo of each graduating class and hang it in my classroom.I call it my Wall of Fame.
And the most frustrating?
There are frustrating things in every job.But I think a major cause for concern is the current fair funding formula in Rhode Island.It’s creating major problems for urban communities.And I’m in a position where I’ve been on all sides of this argument.When I was working in construction and paying my taxes, I felt that all districts were funded just fine, and I didn’t want my suburban taxes being raised to fund inner city students.Hey, teaching them is the same, here or there, right?I was wrong.I have seen the how severe poverty and language barriers impact the costs of education in urban school districts more so than in wealthier suburban ones.There are more students needing additional help in urban districts.Higher poverty rates are just the tip of the iceberg, but the need for more help is a very, very real part of life.Many urban districts have had major budgeting leading to near bankruptcy, particularly in my district.The subsequent cuts to the school department have been massive, which necessitated cuts to education.Our school cut teachers, programs, maintenance materials and staff.While students in wealthier districts were receiving tablets at the start of the school year, we were starting off wondering whether we would have toilet paper and soap in the bathrooms (no joke there).
Tell us about young adults and the trades:
I think we’re in real trouble as a society.I don’t see anything that gives young people a look at the trades in school systems anymore.When this is combined with the “college is the only path to success” model we have as a society, we are in real trouble.We have a generation of students that give up hope of taking care of themselves or a family because they know they cannot go to college, which is typically billed as the primary means of success.All of the other academic areas have a K-12 curriculum where students begin, and then each year build on the previous skills, culminating with students being accepted into college. We need to alter the “college or failure” approach. Schools are graded on how many students go on to college (expressed as a percent of graduates accepted to college); and which institutions they attend.When I was in school, everyone took a couple of Industrial Arts classes – – wood shop, metal shop, technical drawing , to mention a few – – where we all worked with our hands and heads to make a project.These courses have been largely eliminated in favor of additional academic classes in order to raise test scores.However, many fail to account for the critical skills developed during a practical hands-on project; all of which help students achieve academically. Inter-spacial reasoning, measuring, and reading comprehension are part & parcel of the hands-on working with tools and drawings. These classes helped answer the questions of “Where will I ever need/use ….Geometry, Algebra, English” and others. It’s rapidly diminishing now, since many systems have largely done away with Industrial Arts programs in the middle and high schools.Students rarely get the chance to experience the satisfaction and pride of finishing a project.They never ignite that spark of interest in working in a trade.We’re in trouble as a society when computers generate designs, but no one is there to fabricate them.
Are students fighting to get into Career and Tech?
In a word: Yes!The best examples are students that were home schooled, only attending public institutions strictly for the Construction program.I’ve had six students who have done exactly that.While their parents might have held the view that Career and Tech is not for the college-bound,students are coming here for experience to aid them in Architecture and Engineering Classes (among others).Open House helps everyone understand what we offer and how it can help them excel in almost any career track.
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