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Initiative aims to ensure Education Matters

New program to encourage students to stay in school, graduate

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Busines leaders urged to get involved in schools

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: September 16, 2009

HICKORY - A new program created in part by the Champions of Education was debuted to the community at its forum Tuesday morning.

Education Matters in Catawba County, a new program designed to encourage students to graduate from high school, was officially unveiled.

"We need to say it is no longer an option to drop out of high school," said Garrett Hinshaw, president of Catawba Valley Community College, one of the partners of the initiative.

Dropouts reduce annual earnings in North Carolina by $7.5 billion.

"I can think of a lot of things we could have done with that money," Hinshaw said, alluding to the budget cuts that were made this year due to the economic crisis.

Education Matters is designed to help nurture students in school, but to also help businesses create an environment that states a clear message to the community: a high school education is the minimum of what is acceptable for a job. The program is being developed for the graduates of 2012. Other sponsors include the three school systems in Catawba County, the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce and several businesses in the area.

High school students, beginning with the class of 2012, would develop a portfolio.

"It will demonstrate employability, curricula integration and 21st century work skills integration," Hinshaw said.

CVCC is also making a guarantee. Students graduating from the college in 2012 will have at least a minimum set of tech skills and critical thinking skills.

"If not, we'll bring them back in, free of charge, and retrain them," Hinshaw said.

Businesses are encouraged to take steps, as well. The Education Matters program has three levels, demonstrating commitment to education. The minimum certification level, bronze, asks employers to prefer not to hire anyone without a GED or high school diploma. Gold certification requires all new hires at a business, effective in 2012, to have a minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent. It also requires businesses to encourage employees to participate in educational opportunities as a tutor, mentor, volunteer or other capacity.

"Those children in the third-, fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms will be sitting in your employee chairs 15 or 20 years from now," Hinshaw said at the forum. "You can't look at the superintendents and say 'you aren't doing a good job.' We all have to come up with solutions. This has to start with the community."