“About eight years ago we were working with colleagues that were well versed in the Science of Reading, and we studied it collegially as teacher teams and administrators,” she details.“We have built from the ground up, an early literacy and literacy program, steeped in the belief system of the Science of Reading and we’re very proud of that work.” For the older students, West Geauga is forging innovative pathways, blending academics with real-world career opportunities. “We have a fairly large group of our students at the high school taking college courses with the College Credit Plus (CPP) programming. We’re located close to Lakeland Community College, and we also have those classes within our high school, where we’re able to utilize some of our staff to teach them,” reports Karen Pavlat, Treasurer and CFO. The district has also embraced Excel TECC, a CTE program that offers students career-focused opportunities. “We have 25% of our kids that participate in this programming, that is anything from horticulture to cosmetology, computers, marketing,” Pavlat conveys. These programs are bolstered by strong community partnerships with institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and other local entities. Situated near a major metropolitan area, West Geauga leverages its location to develop valuable partnerships with local businesses, as Markwardt portrays, “On the one hand, we can work with our chamber of commerce, we can access the mom and pop shops and the local businesses, because we do have some pretty thriving businesses in the area. But then we also have families in our district, who are the CEOs of major, in some cases, global, enterprises.” These partnerships not only provide employment opportunities for students but also facilitate enriching experiences such as internships in advanced fields. Dr. Markwardt points to specific success stories, including ISSQUARED, a global cybersecurity firm with a presence in West Geauga, and Forge Biologics, a biotech company founded by a member of the 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx