New Tech High School needs community's support

K-12 education nationwide has not kept pace with changing demands of the workplace, higher education, the military or government. This failure impacts economic development, social justice, quality of life, and most important, the future of too many children who fail to thrive in tired, traditional school systems.

In the spring of 2008, I visited a new concept school called New Technology High School in California as part of a task force from the South Bend Community School Corp. I summarized our visit in the following notes addressed to other task force members.

"We have completed our tour of the two schools in the Napa/Sacramento area, and it is fair to say that we were impressed. For a long time, the business community has lamented the disconnect between what the work world would like to see in high school graduates and what is actually being produced. I think that for the first time in my 30-plus years of being in a position to assess and hire people, we witnessed an educational culture that puts content and soft skills into real-world context for kids.

"At Daman, we used to complain like most of the business community, without offering any significant guidance. However in 1997, we literally deconstructed (blew up) our business model. With great pain and trepidation, we set about re-inventing ourselves to focus on our real mission: helping our customers be successful. There were many leaps of faith required on the path to meeting that goal. We know firsthand what radical change means to an organization. We also know that profound improvement requires profound change and courage.

"Through our journey, we learned some things that helped move us from the chorus of complainers to a new understanding of 'what might be possible if ...'

"Our change required teaching our people skills not being taught in our schools. We also learned about the 'process of learning,' while using conventional methods. The sum of these experiences laid the foundation for a white paper we published in 2004, 'Harvesting the Energy of Leadership and Innovation Within Our Educational System.' The white paper established a benchmark for what might be, without knowing what form this new educational process would take.

"In the last two days, we have seen the methodology and the results of a system that is a validated solution. What you are going to experience (at New Technology High School) is the embodiment of what the future of education can be, and it's unlike anything you have seen. We have little doubt that you all will come away equally impressed and convinced about the impact this program can have on our kids, community and competitiveness.

"It is my sincere hope that New Technology High School systems are implemented throughout the country. They are systems capable of preparing our children to have a profound impact on the way some organizations are working now, and more will work in the future. These workplaces require skill sets that traditional schools are not equipped to deliver. Skill sets that the military, hospitals and manufacturing are looking for in high school graduates. NTHS unlocks the natural passion kids develop for learning when personal responsibility, critical thinking, personal leadership, community service and teamwork are wrapped around content."