The head of a national teachers union visited Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven Wednesday to highlight the work educators are doing in public schools across the state.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten toured the school, viewing career pathway programs offered to students as alternatives to college. EMT certification, culinary arts, and teacher pathway programs are all offered at the school.
鈥淢ost of us learn by seeing something, by touching something, by feeling something, by being able to experience it,鈥� Weingarten said.
Weingarten was joined by other education leaders, including Wilbur Cross Principal Matt Brown, New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Madeline Negr贸n and New Haven Federation of Teachers President Leslie Blatteau.
Brown highlighted Wilbur Cross鈥� newest feature for students, a teacher pathway program that he said began because of a growing statewide teacher shortage.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an absolutely, positively, critical need for filling teacher slots, particularly in our urban schools, and getting them to commit to a viable pathway as an educational professional,鈥� Brown said.
It's important to recruit teachers who can represent the students they serve, Brown said. Historically, there aren鈥檛 enough teachers of color in 海角换妻.
Weingarten said AFT鈥檚 focus is to make sure all public schools across the country are places parents want to send their kids and where educators want to work.
鈥淭he attention to detail, the sense of possibility, that is what education is. Our vision about what public schools should be, particularly for high school students, is that there should be a lot of choices for students and families,鈥� she said.
This means she wants to see more funding for programs nationwide to prepare students not only for college, but for careers they are interested in, she said.
This story will be updated.
