To: Michael Green
From: Asha Riley
Date: December 7, 2022
Re: Teaching and Learning Report
As you are aware, our teacher for the ECE program resigned from the position only days before the fall classes started. Her reason for abandoning her contract was to seek full-time employment (our position being only part-time was not enough income). Without qualified applicants and only days before classes began, we had to pull the position and work on a backup plan. This turn of events has been very disappointing.
The high school principal and I were determined to find a way to at least offer first-semester classes in the program. After asking teachers to give up preps and take on larger classes, Dr. Pearson was able to work magic with the schedule. He pulled Mrs. Fontyn from PE/Health classes she was slated to teach and reassigned her to teach ECE for the first semester. This, however, was only a temporary solution. The schedule and class sizes at the HS require a full-time PE/Health teacher. She needed to return to full-time PE/Health classes and was unavailable to teach ECE second semester.
In order to create a long-term solution, I have been in contact with the director of Cascadia Technical Academy with an idea that may benefit Woodland students and students in the surrounding region. My goal for several years has been to create an educator pathway at Woodland High School that supports students toward becoming future Woodland teachers.
We are fortunate to have two critical components: approved course frameworks that have articulated agreements with Lower Columbia College ensuring dual credit opportunity and a para apprenticeship agreement in which our para educators can access a teaching degree at reduced tuition. This makes us a perfect host for a larger-scale program. We don’t have enough students to facilitate a full-time employee teaching the courses. However, if we could recruit more students by including students from other high schools in the area, we would be able to run more classes and hire a more attractive full-time position.
In order to host students from other schools, it makes the most sense to follow the model that Cascadia Tech offers, in which students leave their host school for half a day to attend a pathway program at Cascadia Tech.
I asked Cascadia Technical Academy to consider establishing a satellite program at Woodland High School, specifically to host this Early Childhood and Careers in Education pathway. Joan Houston, Cascadia Tech Director, is very supportive and has begun working to make it happen. I believe she has received permission from their governing council of Superintendents and is developing marketing materials that could be used to advertise at other high schools in the region.
The concept looks very promising. While this plan is still in its early stages, if successful, our students would participate in the program on-site but as Cascadia Tech students for 2.5 hours. The other 2.5 hours of the day would be dedicated to students who arrive at WHS from other neighboring high schools. This solution could provide Woodland High School with a stable program taught by a highly qualified candidate because it offers full-time employment.