Real-world experiences offer intrinsic motivation for students

hen it comes to the Environmental Conservation program at Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES, students learn as much from their instructors out-of-doors as in.

Class time is divided between the classroom/lab and the garages, lumber mill and worksite out back, with instructors Adam Cancio, Craig Newkirk, and Ryan England favoring a practical, hands-on style of teaching. All are members of the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES Teachers Association.

Internships and other work-based learning opportunities are a cornerstone of students’ Career and Technical Education at HFM BOCES.

During a recent classroom visit, England was walking students through a math lesson that focused on payroll taxes, while Cancio was reviewing the art of cleanly felling a tree, and Newkirk was taking a group of students through the paces of detaching the shovel from a backhoe.

England and many of his colleagues all came from the private sector, and they brought with them industry-specific know-how that is helping them create a roadmap for students who want to find jobs in well-paying, high-demand fields like forestry, logging, surveying, hydroponics, heavy equipment operation and aquaculture.

Historically, attracting professionals to CTE teaching has not always been easy because they make, on average, twice as much in the private sector as they do teaching.

“We try to be as competitive as possible with pay, but we have lost instructors because of the pay differential,” said Nancy Turnbull, president of the HFM BOCES TA.

CTE teacher shortages across the state have limited the number of students programs can accommodate, leading to frustration for both students and the employers who would like to hire them.

Fortunately, this year’s state budget includes big wins for CTE programs like this one.

First, the BOCES salary cap will increase from $30,000 to $60,000, helping make CTE teacher salaries more competitive and ultimately attracting more professionals to the field.

The enacted budget also includes changes to BOCES and Special Services Aid. Special Services Aid will rise from $3,900 to $4,100 per student and will no longer be limited to grades 10 through 12, ensuring that more students gain access to these important learning opportunities.

The CTE program at HFM BOCES prepares students for a wide variety of in-demand occupations, including medical assisting, cybersecurity, graphic design, engineering, IT, emergency services, culinary arts, and auto repair — all while integrating the necessary math, ELA and science credits for high school graduation. Students are also paired with local employers for internships that often lead to jobs right out of high school. The facility enrolls 550 students from 15 component districts.

“This is the purpose of BOCES — to be able to give students more opportunities by sharing services in a cost-effective way,” said Michael DiMezza, principal at HFM BOCES.

Prior to this school year, Lauren Wohlgemuth was a nurse. This is her first year teaching at BOCES. “Teaching was the real highlight of nursing, making people understand their care and helping influence the next generation of nurses,” said Wohlgemuth. HFM BOCES’ medical assisting curriculum combines classwork with clinical rotations at nearby medical centers. “It’s fun to see how lighted up they are when they return from their internships,” Wohlgemuth said. “They see that patient care is a team effort.”

In the digital multimedia program, students are consistently trying out their skills with the public. “I try to push them out of their comfort zone, offer them some intrinsic motivation,” said Karen Garrison, digital multimedia instructor. “Then it’s not just me telling them they’re good; they’re getting accolades from customers.”

Typically, all of these programs have waitlists, because like so many BOCES across the state, HFM BOCES doesn’t have enough capacity for all the students who want to enroll.

Educators are grateful for the funding changes because now they will be able to register more students. “The advocacy that’s been behind this has been huge,” Turnbull said. “We’re so happy to see it finally become reality.”

See more at nysut.org/CTE.