Why - From Andrew's Perspective
Invest in and Empower our Teachers
I had a wonderful experience in High School and teachers that made a huge impact on me. I was never great at school, I got bored quickly and had a short attention span, and my teachers recognized that. My Vietnam Vet history teacher was a storyteller and could make even the most boring subject riveting. My Mechanic Shop teacher would check up on grades in other classes and if you were struggling, you didn’t get to do shop. Instead, he would sit with you and work on the subject that you were struggling with. Because of my wonderful teachers I ended up taking AP classes and graduating with a 4.27 GPA. It wasn’t because I was smart or gifted, it was because my teachers cared and incentivized me and I worked hard. The teachers we entrust our kids with are special people that have devoted their lives to our children and we in turn should be empowering them for efficiency and success.
Grow the Career Technical Education (CTE) Program
The core subjects, English, math, science and social studies are imperative for a young person’s development, but I would argue that electives such as languages, music, culinary, agriculture, construction and welding are just as important. Not everyone is going to go to college, that’s just a fact. Only 39% of 18–24-year-olds in the U.S. are enrolled in college. Consequently 61% of students need to be prepared for life immediately after High School. I am a huge proponent of the CTE program in our district, but I understand that the current NJUHS Board is considering shifting both Nevada Union and Bear River to a daily 6 period schedule because the current 4x8 schedule is too costly to run. This change will decimate the electives and teachers will be let go. The 61% of children that need these programs will be underserved and the teachers that serve them will be without jobs. Cutting the class schedule may be the easiest, but there are many other ways to save money efficiently.
Create a standard for Excellence that makes Nevada County a great place to live
California is currently ranked 37th in the nation for HS education, Bear River is ranked #905, Nevada Union is #1047 in the state - we are in the bottom 1/3rd of the nation. At BR and NU, only 68% and 41% of students respectively met or exceeded the standard for English Literacy and only 37% and 20% respectively met or exceeded the standard for Math. As proud Californians we cannot be okay with these numbers - we must strive for excellence and hold a high standard.
We simply cannot be ok with the status quo; we must break the old school mold so future generations have the tools they need to succeed.