Letter to the editor: new Minuteman building opens doors for programming

(Editor’s note: the most recent Lincoln Squirrel article on Minuteman High School can be found here.)

To the editor:

Anyone who doubts the Commonwealth’s commitment to vocational, technical and agricultural education should look closely at the Baker administration’s $85 million proposal to fund capital projects, expand programming and provide financial incentives for vocational-technical schools and community colleges to cooperate. Industry leaders across the state are working with these innovative high schools and community colleges to align curriculum and offer practical learning experiences to help the future workforce.

At the forefront of these efforts to improve vocational-technical education in Massachusetts is Minuteman High School in Lexington. Minuteman is on the verge of funding and building a long-overdue new campus. A new school lies at the heart of the school’s mission to provide 21st-century vocational and technical education with pathways to higher learning, entry into the workforce and career advancement.

Minuteman is proposing a smaller, high-tech school with 16 career and technical education programs grouped into two Career Academies. The campus is designed to better serve students, the businesses that will ultimately employ them and the taxpayers that support the school. What is proposed at Minuteman is a robust educational model that focuses both on student educational goals and local workforce needs.

In order to fully utilize its new campus, Minuteman is exploring collaborations with state colleges and universities, including the University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge. These discussions could result in early college or dual enrollment programs where high school students earn college-level credits or programs where Minuteman High School students earning college degrees. Another possibility is the creation of an Agricultural Academy. All of these innovations and more are possible with a new campus.

The outcome of the debate over construction of a Minuteman High School is critical for both the students served by the district and by business seeking qualified and enthusiastic employees. Fortunately, the district now appears headed toward a successful outcome, including a series of town approvals authorizing the capital financing of the project.

The new Minuteman campus will have a positive impact from several perspectives: creation of new jobs, development of a sustainable workforce, and creation of an educated, diverse and talented pool of workers. Minuteman’s success is our success and it will help ensure the region’s educational and economic vitality.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Stulin (Needham), chair of the Minuteman School Committee

Ford Spalding (Dover), chair of the Minuteman School Building Committee

Christopher Bateman (Lexington), president of the Minuteman Futures Foundation, Inc., a private, nonprofit organization established to support Minuteman High School

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.