State office approves charter program
Libby and Troy public schools made Montana history last week, when the state Board of Public Education approved the schools’ charter program application for combined vocational education.
The program, Lincoln County Charter School of Innovation, is intended to provide a jump-start to students desiring a vocational education.
“The vision of the Lincoln County Charter School of Innovation program is to better prepare all students in Lincoln County to be college and career ready,” district representatives wrote in an executive summary of the program. “The mission of the Lincoln County Charter School of Innovation program will be to ensure career pathways with hands-on technical experience and advance opportunities to participating juniors and seniors. Lincoln County school districts, businesses, post-secondary education and other pertinent entities will collaborate to offer hands-on, career focused, educational opportunities for students in Libby, Troy and Eureka.”
The schools are partnering with the Lincoln County Campus of Flathead Valley Community College, which will provide participating students with the opportunity to earn college credits and to receive certifications in their respective fields for their coursework in the charter program.
The inspiration for the program, Libby superintendent Craig Barringer said, came in part from a presentation by representatives of Hecla Mining at a workshop immediately prior to the beginning of the school year. During the presentation, Hecla vice president Luke Russel spoke to the assembled educators about the skills the company looks for when recruiting and hiring new employees. The district officials took the lessons to heart and started devising a program by which they could better prepare Lincoln County’s students for the future workforce.
Libby, Francom said, has an exceptional vocational facility that sits essentially empty. Troy and Eureka have students with the aptitude and desire to learn those skills. By pooling resources the districts can afford to open the Libby facility and offer a broader scope of vocational education to students who prefer a vocational path to the traditional four-year college education.
“Mr. John Love will start the program in the fall of 2016,” Barringer said. “He will have 16 students, eight from Libby and eight from Troy. The first semester their focus will be on welding, automotive and electronics. The program will be a half-day program. If juniors in the program stay in the program for two years they will leave our school with a Tier 1 welding certificate. That means they can walk right into the job market, or continue their education at the next level. Our goal is to offer college credit for automotive classes by the fall of 2017.”
Barringer said the process of gaining approval has been rigorous, but credited curriculum director Kaide Dodson with finding the best way to structure the program.
“The variance to standards for charter programs or schools has been in Montana Law for quite some time,” he said. “Kaide Dodson was actually the person that heard about the variance and thought it would fit our program here in Lincoln County. She wrote the bulk of the application for this. This program will provide some of the flexibility we need in order for the classes to work for the Troy students coming over.”
Barringer said the program has received overwhelming support, from both the communities and government agencies.
“We have had outstanding support from both communities, Troy and Libby,” he said. “As we have progressed we have had more agencies and businesses approach us about being included in the vocational program. This spring we have met with the legislative committees, Board of Public Education committee on variances, and now the full Board of Public Education. Every step along the way we have been encouraged and applauded for our efforts in trying to offer education that will make kids more college and job ready.”