American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten recently authored an article for American Educator magazine entitled, “Transforming Education” (read it here) where she states that President Joe Biden and school districts across the country are taking CTE (career and technical education) “off the sidelines and making it a priority in high schools.”

CTE programs prepare students for careers in carpentry, auto repair, healthcare, transportation, culinary and hospitality, graphic design, advanced manufacturing, and many more. Weingarten writes that CTE programs engage students, lift attendance, and expand workforce training programs.  She states that “CTE is a game changer,” students want it, and educators want it.

One of the CTE examples shared by Weingarten from her visits to schools across the country is that of New York City’s Harbor School maritime career program.  The school offers career pathways in marine science, technology, or policy.  Students learn to captain boats, build submersible robots, participate in oyster restoration, and prepare for careers protecting our waterways.

Reading this example, I thought of Hartford’s Brainard Airport and the opportunity for an aerospace CTE program at HPS, while many Hartford politicians, like John Fonfara, see it as an obstacle to a source of future retirement income.

The Bristol Technical Education Center operates CT Aerotech at Brainard, a two-year mechanic and maintenance technology program that enables students to develop skills that meet the license requirements of the FAA for airport mechanics and technicians.

Learn2FlyCT and Premier Flight Center LLC. operate individual accredited flight training programs at Brainard leading to careers as sport, private, and commercial pilots.

Despite the many career pathways currently offered to HPS students, never has the idea been broached whereby HPS would seek out a partnership with Brainard Airport businesses and schools to provide a CTE program in aerospace technologies.  While the district has spent nearly a million dollars on technology for students in seven schools to participate in video game contests, there is not one flight simulator available to Hartford students.

The national non-profit Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), which offers school districts a STEM aviation curriculum, quoted the Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook report in stating that “in the next 20 years, the world will need more than 600,000 new pilots and almost 700,000 new technicians.”

Meanwhile, HPS has in-place aerospace structures in their own backyard which they have refused to leverage for the betterment of student career opportunities.  The superintendent of HPS once broached the subject of transforming education at HPS, all the while ignoring a transformative educational resource that is currently producing 21st century career professionals only minutes away from where she parks her car.

But then again, this is the same superintendent who stated, “I don’t see that,” when teachers and state data were speaking of and showing an increase in bad (and criminal) behaviors by Hartford students.  Just a suggestion for the new BOE, let’s make sure the next superintendent has vision.