The ACTE digital audience included top officials from career education systems from around the country and they got to see a 48-minute “Education Revolution” video done by Butler Tech highlighting some of the high school students and their work in career skills programs from the school system.
U.S. Senator Rob Portman, R-Cincinnati, introduced the video, telling the ACTE audience of more than 110 career-education officials about the leadership role Butler Tech, which is one of Ohio’s largest career school districts, is already playing in modernizing options offered to area teens.
“You’re going to be impressed, as I have been” said Portman, who is co-chair of the U.S. Senate’s CTE Committee and has toured Butler Tech’s Bioscience Center in West Chester Twp.
Butler Tech has drawn wide attention in recent years for a series of first-time experiments tried among Ohio’s 88-county career school systems.
These include include its “5th Day Experience” begun last school year in which students can use Friday’s to either continue their studies or visit companies in industries they are interested in or to work at jobs in the private sector.
Jon Graft, superintendent of Butler Tech, told the viewers any “stigma” still connected to career education being a low-skill option for teens who can’t compete in other traditional, college-prep oriented pathways is both outdated and inaccurate.
“It’s amazing after you watch this (video) tour that someone would still have this thought that career tech education is somewhat less than,” said Graft.
“For those who are hearing this message today, the best way to break this stigma that career tech has had over the years is to really begin sharing the message … and I also think the best story tellers are our students.”
“With the results we are seeing with our students and the progress they are obtaining … whether they are going directly into the workforce or the military or heading off into college – or actually obtaining their associate’s (college) degree before they leave (Butler Tech), it’s just a matter of time for them to begin sharing with the community all the great things happening in career education.”
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