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Watertown joins Lab Collaborative; plans to bring Lab students into high‑school CTE pathways
Summary
Superintendent and Lab Collaborative executive director described the new membership and plans to enroll Lab students in Watertown CTE classes beginning next fall; the district also outlined CTE enrollment and program development.
Watertown Public Schools’ recent membership in the Lab Collaborative will include an initial plan to enroll Lab students in Watertown’s career and technical education (CTE) programs starting in fall 2025, administrators said at the Jan. 6 School Committee meeting.
Superintendent Didi (name as presented) reviewed Lab’s mission and the collaborative model, and invited Pam Gerard, executive director of the Lab Collaborative, to the meeting. Administrators said the Lab model places special‑education and transition programs inside member districts’ schools so students participate in school life while receiving specialized services. Watertown’s first step is to partner with Lab so Lab students can use Watertown’s CTE offerings, with an initial cohort expected to be seven to eight students and the potential to expand in subsequent years.
CTE update: Laura Alderson, district CTE coordinator, reported on current chapter 74 programs (state‑approved CTE pathways) and elective enrollment. Chapter 74 pathways include pre‑engineering, medical assisting and digital media communication. Current chapter 74 enrollment was small in some pathways (for example, three students in each grade for pre‑engineering in the chapter 74 slot), but elective sections that meet in the same classrooms have larger rosters; Alderson said the district offers about 50 elective seats across CTE classes in addition to chapter 74 pathway seats.
Alderson said the district is preparing applications to add early education and care as a chapter 74 program for the new high school and is exploring a carpentry pathway. She described an in‑class construction project already under way (students building a three‑room structure inside a classroom as part of hands‑on instruction) and said faculty are planning to ensure schedule alignment in the new high school so CTE students can combine academic and vocational time more flexibly.
Why it matters: Bringing Lab students into Watertown’s CTE classes will create inclusive vocational opportunities for students with specialized needs and help the district expand pathways as the new high school opens. Administrators said the membership also expands professional development and programming options across member districts.
Next steps: District leaders will finalize logistics to have Lab students participate in CTE in fall 2025, prepare necessary space (for example in the Phillips building/robotics lab), and align high‑school scheduling to support CTE and potential cooperative placements. The superintendent noted Watertown increased referrals to Lab since joining and expects growth as the partnership matures.
