U.S. Department of Education’s Frank Brogan lauds Future Ready Institutes as “incredible and significant.”
Future Ready Institutes in Hamilton County Schools have been in our high schools for a little over a year, but word has spread to Washington, D. C. about how these programs are preparing teens for success after graduation. This week, Frank Brogan, U.S. Department of Education assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education, visited the Future Ready Institutes at Tyner Academy to see students and teachers at work.
Future teachers in the UTC Institute of Teaching and Learning were busy developing individualized education plans (IEPs) for hypothetical students as Brogan visited their class. ZaRiah Clay, Jayla Lounds, and Jasmine Jackson, students in the teaching program, had a laser-focus on how to structure accommodations for a student to help the child complete academic assignments. The visiting dignitaries were impressed by the work students were doing and the opportunities they were receiving in the institute.
“The students in this program are doing things that I did not do until I was well into my college program,” said Brogan. “Instead of just thinking about a topic, these students are actually doing the work, and that is incredible and significant to the future of students in our schools.”
The students understand the opportunity they have to get a head start on a career as a teacher and for some that drew them to Tyner and the Future Ready Institute. Kaylea Moore, a student who lives in the Brainerd High attendance area, made the decision to enroll in the program to begin to work on her career goals.
“I have wanted to be a teacher all my life,” Moore said. “This was an amazing opportunity for me and an easy decision for me to be a part of the institute.”
Brogan also toured the EPB Institute of Technology and Networking and talked with students about their goals in the technology field. He was also impressed with local businesses and industry getting involved in the programs, and the EPB directed revamping of the program lab.
“When I see an EPB getting involved in meaningful ways, it is exciting and shows we are on the right track with programs like you have here at Tyner,” said Brogan. “What makes this so cool is that you don’t have to wait until college to take something you are interested in for a career. I wish this were available when I was in school.”
Danielle Mullins, Institute of Health Sciences teacher at Tyner, changed careers to get involved in the Future Ready Institutes. She was a former athletic trainer in the health care field but saw the possibilities of the future in the institutes.
“I love it here at Tyner because these kids are passionate about these programs and what they are learning,” said Mullins. “I come to class excited about what I get to do with the kids each day, and I get to see the excitement on their faces as they learn something new.”
Photo: Frank Brogan, U.S. Department of Education assistant secretary, talks about careers in technology with Joseph Swanson, a sophomore in the EPB Institute of Technology.