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Election 2014: Hutchinson Tours Greenwood Schools, Talks With Educators [Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.](Times Record (Fort Smith, AR) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 22--GREENWOOD -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson said he sees positive developments in workforce education and opportunities to build on his computer science plan, during a tour at Greenwood schools on Wednesday. Hutchinson faces Democrat Mike Ross, Green Party candidate Joshua Drake and Libertarian Frank Gilbert to succeed Gov. Mike Beebe, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. Early voting began Monday for the Nov. 4 election. Elements of Hutchinson's proposed education plan include a pledge to have computer science classes that include encoding in every Arkansas high school within four years, and creating public school programs that not only prepare student for college, but for the workforce. During a brief tour of the Greenwood campus, Hutchinson saw the junior high technology center and construction technology and agriculture mechanics facilities, speaking with administrators, faculty and students. When Hutchinson asked Aaron Gamble, junior high assistant principal, what percent of students he thought would take a computer sign encoding course, Gamble said he couldn't say without more information about a proposed curriculum. Gamble explained some students, primary college-bound students, will often progress through their highest level math courses, while others seeking to satisfy the four-credit requirement for math might take alternative math courses. While college-bound students might have continued interest in higher-level math, Gamble said encoding might be of greater interest to students looking for a fourth math credit. Hutchinson also learned about the district's Environmental and Spatial Technologies program, a project-based program driven by student ideas instead of assignments, that provides opportunities to benefit the school and community. "I don't give assignments; they pursue their interests," EAST teacher Diana Rhea told Hutchinson. Rhea said she describes herself as a facilitator. After viewing some recent EAST projects, Hutchinson asked at what point Greenwood schools start to push technology in the curriculum. Suzy Hamilton, assistant superintendent of Greenwood Public Schools, told Hutchinson that basic skills are introduced in kindergarten and keyboarding is introduced in second grade. In the construction technologies and agricultural mechanics facilities, Hutchinson was provided with a look at the sophisticated wood- and metal-working machinery available to students for carpentry, electrical, welding and other workforce pursuits. Jerry Efurd, high school principal, told Hutchinson although a stigma is still attached to workforce education or career technology programs, technology is changing that. Roy Cox, agricultural mechanics instructor, also pointed out that the college-bound and workforce education programs aren't exclusive, with students coming through his in more than 35 years of teaching who go on to become doctors, lawyers, veterinarians or go into fields such as welding. At the end of the tour, Hutchinson said he was pleased to see positive developments toward career technology in the Greenwood district and its partnership with universities in offering concurrent credit courses, and said he sees opportunities to build on his encoding initiative. Hutchinson's visit to the school district was the kickoff to his campaign's "Asa Plan Tour" to "highlight his six-point plant to create jobs, grow our economy and emphasize computer science in every Arkansas high school," according to a news release. Later Wednesday, Hutchinson also made stops in Fort Smith and Van Buren, with more stops scheduled Thursday in northwest Arkansas. ___ (c)2014 Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) Visit Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) at www.swtimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |