Schools Rethink Job Training, For Dalio Proposal

A seed bank for entrepreneurs. An introductory neuroscience class. A pre-college degree program. A cash bonus for new hires.

Those were just a few of the ideas to come out of an hour-long, 13-person brainstorming session — by top mayoral staff, district administrators and school board members — that took place Monday afternoon at the school district’s headquarters, as New Haven readies to compete for grants to try lowering the high school drop-out and youth unemployment rates.

Administrators plan to submit their top funding priorities later this month in response to a ​“request for information” from the Partnership for Connecticut, the $300 million public-private partnership — funded by state government, hedge-fund billionaire Ray Dalio’s foundation and other donors — that’s been criticized for its exemption from transparency and ethics laws.

The discussion also reflected a larger national shift in education’s goals. Across the country, school districts that had aimed to send every student to college are rethinking vocational training’s place in the curriculum.

“There has to be a balance, because not all kids want to go off to college right away,” Tracey said after the meeting. ​“Many of them are not able to get a Promise scholarship. A lot of kids are left out. What can we do to provide them with opportunities? Because they all belong to us. They’re all our kids.”

According to the latest state data, 80 percent of New Haven’s high-schoolers earn a diploma within four years. But of those, only 59.6 percent decide to go on to college right away.

To prepare the rest of those students to enter the workforce, especially as the city’s medical and manufacturing sectors continue to grow, New Haven’s public schools are building out their job-training programs.

High schoolers can now sign up for union apprenticeships at Hillhouse High School, restauranteur competitions at Wilbur Cross High School, three-week internships at New Haven Academy, and career certifications from Gateway Community College.

They can also get job training through outside programs at Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology, New Haven Workforce Alliance or Eli Whitney Technical School.

At Monday’s meeting, administrators shared their ideas for making that career readiness a regular part of the school day, rather than just an after-school add-on.

They talked about models like the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center in Providence, R.I., where there’s no set class schedule, as students split their time between workplace internships and independent studies.

They stressed that academics were still essential, but they said New Haven’s high schools could do more to contextualize a day’s lessons for how they’d matter on a job site. 

“Do we have a way of reimagining school for these young people? They’re sitting behind a desk, and it’s not working for them. How else can we make schooling important and meaningful for these youngsters?” Tracey asked. ​“Outside four walls, what can school look like for them? Do they have to be there in that seat?”

Tracey suggested rewards for each step that teens take toward a career, just like New Haven Promise’s ultimate reward of a college scholarship for maintaining high grades, good attendance, and a discipline-free record.

Typhanie Jackson, the director of student services, suggested expanding a medical training program at sites like Yale-New Haven Hospital and RegalCare beyond the current group of about 30 special-education students who are transitioning into post-graduate careers — if the grants could pay for a coordinator to connect students and employers.

Kermit Carolina, the supervisor of the school’s youth, family and community engagement programs, suggested using the money like a venture capital fund that could get students’ business proposals off the ground, even if it’s just for a barbershop or moving company.

Keisha Redd-Hannans, the assistant superintendent for instructional leadership, suggested modeling a program on Hamden Engineering Careers Academy that allows students to graduate with an associate’s degree.

“We really have the opportunity, in that we’re a university town,” Redd-Hannans said. ​“Some of those kids may not go to college, but we can set them up with the skills they need to be successful, to connect them with internships throughout the city.”

At its next meeting, the Board of Education plans to set up a committee that can take the lead on the next steps with the Partnership for Connecticut, especially as the district puts its proposals together.

The Partnership for Connecticut is accepting ideas from any member of the public on its website until Jan. 24.