Praise for 'schools within schools'

Article Last Updated: 03/01/2006 7:35 AM PST
By T.S. Mills-Faraudo, STAFF WRITER -- Insidebayarea.com

CALIFORNIA SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Jack O'Connell, speaks Tuesday morning at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame. About 900 educators gathered to discuss skills improvement and career development
(John Green - Staff)

BURLINGAME — A focus on careers in high schools will help prepare students for the competitive world they face after graduating, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell told about 900 educators Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.

O'Connell spoke during breakfast at the California Partnership Academies' three-day conference, which started Sunday.

The three-year academies for grades 10-12 are one avenue toward making all students in the state's public school's successful, O'Connell said at the event sponsored by the California Department of Education.

"The workplace is much more demanding today than it ever has been before. The world is rapidly changing," he said. "That's why it's important that our students have a higher level of skills."

The academies — schools within schools — incorporate academics with a career-focused education that includes business partnerships, mentoring and internships.

There are 290 of these programs in California, four of which are in San Mateo County, and each has its own theme. For example, Carlmont High School in Belmont has a business-technology theme while Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton has a computer focus.

The state provides schools with grants for these programs, while the schools and businesses involved with the academies kick in matching funds.

Employers involved in the program serve on a committee that oversee the program, help develop the curriculum, provide speakers for academy classes, host field trips, provide mentors and offer summer and part-time jobs for students.

Typically, students enrolled

in the academies are at risk of not succeeding in a school's traditional programs. They may have irregular attendance, apast record of underachievement or they come from an economically disadvantaged family.

O'Connell said the academies are helping to close the achievement gap.

"You demand results. You hold yourself accountable. You hold high standards," he said, directing his comments to educators involved with the academies.

Seven alumni of the academies also spoke Tuesday morning.

Elizabeth Cruz, whose parents are immigrants from Mexico, went through the Teaching and Learning Careers Academy at Liberty High School in Brentwood.

After joining the academy,

she said her GPA jumped from 2.3 to 3.5.

Now a student at Saint Mary's College, Cruz said she's the first in her family to go to college.

But it wasn't easy for her because she didn't have a lot of guidance from her parents.

"I learned to take ownership of my school experience at a very young age," she said. "I always made sure I had mentors."

Staff writer T.S. Mills-Faraudo covers education. She can be reached at (650) 348-4338 or tmills@sanmateocountytimes.com.