Keeping it real: a Toledo public school prepares students for college and career

In this article, author Jennifer Dubin offers a look into the innovations taking place in the Toledo Technology Academy (TTA), a career-tech school within the public school system in Toledo, Ohio. TTA teaches students in grades 7 through 12 using a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum, in addition to the traditional academic subjects of English, history, science, and math. When graduates from TTA leave, they have a career portfolio, which can include certifications attesting to technical expertise as well as letters of recommendation from teachers and companies that had hired them for school-sponsored internships. The student's portfolio showcases knowledge and skills to a prospective employer, or can be submitted to a college admissions office along with the standard application. Dubin notes that the school's emphasis on engineering technology makes sense in a region of the country known for its manufacturing base and ties to the auto industry. Economic growth in Toledo is requiring businesses to hire well-trained employees in skilled trades and engineering. To keep such workers from leaving the area and prevent "brain drain" is largely why TTA was created in the first place. This kind of connection between local businesses and the school community is exactly what the governing board of TTA envisioned. Industry partners volunteer to share their knowledge and expertise so that teachers can expose students to the latest technologies and tweak the curriculum, and partners provide internships for seniors. The careers that TTA alumni pursue often involve engineering and technology, but also include nursing school and early childhood education programs.