September 4, 2009

We’re back in full swing, and how fun it has been to have our high-school students back and to see a group of our adult education students celebrate success! (It’s also great to have all of our staff back—we really do miss you in the summer!)

On the high-school side, the last three weeks have been busy, busy, busy with student orientation sessions, classes starting, and getting everyone settled in. I want to share a comment I heard at a recent Logan Co. Chamber of Commerce Board Meeting. One of the members, whose nephew is attending OHP this year, made a point to tell me how impressed her sister (the young man’s mother) was with our orientation/registration night. She appreciated how smoothly everything flowed and how helpful everyone was. I know many of our staff assisted with making those orientation/registration evenings as convenient and efficient for students and families as possible—and you were obviously successful!

On Thursday evening, our Adult Education Nancy J. Knight School of Nursing conducted its 27th graduation ceremony. The ceremony was moved to a new venue this year—Marysville High School—because we had outgrown our own facility. Good problem to have! Among our Bellefontaine daytime and evening programs, our Marysville satellite class, and our Urbana satellite class, we had 67 practical nursing students complete this rigorous nursing program and proudly accept diplomas. As I walked from the packed parking lot into Marysville’s Alumni Hall, I saw everything from little girls in frilly dresses and little boys in shirts and ties (which I’m sure weren’t their idea!) to the elderly on walkers filing in to support the graduates. One of the things that makes this ceremony so rewarding every year is the excitement and pride on the faces and in the voices of family members and loved ones. What a tremendous example these adult students set!

As we talk about “back to school,” I’m reminded of how many course approvals I’ve signed recently for staff members returning to school! I think it’s wonderful that so many of you are practicing what you preach—the importance of lifelong learning—and seeking to better your skills. I know it’s tough as an adult student to juggle family, job, and just life along with school. I wish you all the best and trust your classes will give you new perspectives and new skills!

I’ve been off campus for a day and a half this week working with the Ohio Association of Career-Technical Superintendents to prepare our proposal to legislators for corrections to career-technical education in the Corrections Bill for HB1 (state budget). It’s going to be a very time-consuming process. But, as we’ve discussed in our meetings thus far, the next biennium budget will likely set the career-technical funding formula for the next 15-20 years. So it’s time well invested. How can you help? Be prepared to have your students show off their skills and share their future plans as we have legislators visit us. Be prepared to share written “success stories” of your students past and present. Continue to hold yourself and your students to high standards of teaching and learning. And work diligently to utilize resources efficiently and effectively—always be analyzing the “return on investment.” The overall “pie” of the state budget has shrunken and needs to be sliced up among many state agencies. But I’m optimistic—I’m confident—we and our stakeholders will demonstrate the tremendous value we add to workforce development in Ohio.

Have a great, extended holiday weekend—and try to rest at least as much as you labor this Labor Day!