Expanding Career-Focused, Hands-On Learning in Our Schools

Over the past few years, the trends in American public education have been towards less high-stakes testing and an increase in emphasis on the best ways to teach young people the skills they need for success in a 21st century workforce. 

While the pandemic years slowed down these movements, programs are now well underway that focus on experiential learning and partner directly with industry to produce high school graduates that are prepared to do the challenging jobs of today and those projected in the years to come.

On a recent episode of her podcast, Union Talk, American Federation of Teachers President, Randi Weingarten, led an in-depth discussion of a first-of its-kind partnership in New York State between Micron Technology and some upstate New York school districts. Joining Randi on the podcast were New York State United Teachers President, Melinda Person and United Federation of Teachers President, Michael Mulgrew. You can listen to the full podcast on the Union Talk podcast website by clicking the link below:

https://www.aft.org/uniontalk

Mulgrew, Person and Weingarten spoke not only about the state partnership with Micron Technology, but, in general, about the increase in cooperation that is starting to develop between educators, industry and government to make sure that what is being taught in public schools is educating and inspiring students to be successful in careers that are vital in today’s economy.

Oftentimes, public education is trapped behind conventions and practices that do not reflect the needs of young people in the modern world. This Union Talk podcast consists of a discussion of a new direction for public education, one that has the potential to raise the overall status of public education across the country by increasing the value of public school instruction in connection with the future success for students.