Hundreds of Alexandria eighth and ninth graders got a taste of the next few years on Wednesday night (Dec. 11).
The first-ever Alexandria City Public Schools Pathways Expo toured kids and their families around Alexandria City High School’s technical education academies program.
School Board Member Chris Harris says that it’s a “transformational” program.
“It’s all about just trying something to figure out what’s your niche,” Harris said. “This is a transformational program if we can make make it work. Of course there are growing pains. They have to transition and try to build some things out as we move through a learning process. It’s a great thing. I’m excited we’re doing it. I think Alexander City Public Schools is no better place to try it out.”
The six focused academies were rolled out this year. Run by principals and deans, they are the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy (STEM); the Business and Government Academy; Education, Liberal Arts, and Human Services Academy; the Visual, Performing and Applied Arts Academy; the Global Studies Academy and the General Studies Academy.
Senior Rriel Talley said she got interested in studying finance in the Business and Government Academy after a rash of impulse spending.
“Personally, I like to call myself a jack of all trades,” Talley said. “I wanted to be financially literate because, when I was a freshman, I had an issue with impulse spending. I was like, ‘You know what? I don’t know a lot about savings, the law, taxes. I might as well give it a shot.'”
The school system says that the academies provide a clear pathway toward graduation/certification in a particular field for its more than 4,000 students.
“If we can create an opportunity where kids can come to school and explore, they can experiment,” said ACHS Executive Principal Alexander Duncan III. “If kids can start tapping into different interests and explore those interests, not just in clubs and activities, but in curriculum, in classes… they could probably get to where they’re going to go in terms of their career way sooner.”
At one booth, Alexandria Firefighter Marcel Boyd told kids that he had the best job in the world.
“It’s the most exciting job,” Boyd said. “Every day we do something that makes a difference in someone’s life.”
Lisa Coons, the Virginia superintendent of Public Instruction, traveled from Richmond to attend the expo. It was her second visit to Alexandria within a month.
“As the Board just approved our academic career planning for middle school and high school, we’re excited to provide examples of school divisions that are really doing great work, and be able to spread that work across the Commonwealth,” Coons said.
