Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buffalo superintendent says district offers 28 state-approved CTE programs with college credit and credentials
Summary
Superintendent Pascal Mbuenga and the district's technical education director discussed Buffalo City School District's 28 state-approved career and technical education programs, which they said offer college credit and industry credentials and described the July-to-December enrollment pathway for middle-school students.
Pascal Mbuenga, superintendent of the Buffalo City School District, said on BPS Connections that the district offers 28 state-approved career and technical education programs designed to prepare students for well-paying jobs or further study.
"I am proud to announce that we have 28 programs, 28 state ed approved programs," said Ralph Harris, the district's technical education director, listing offerings from building trades to animation, computing, business administration and nursing. "All those approved programs, all 28 of them have a credit for college attached to them."
The programs, Harris said, also include industry credentials that enable students who choose to enter the workforce upon graduation to secure jobs more quickly. "Many of those programs have credentials attached to them," he added, saying credentials and college credit are features required by the state education authority.
Mbuenga framed the programs as an option alongside traditional four-year college pathways. "Traditionally, we always wanted our students, all of them, to go to university or colleges. But I'm glad that we have some options," he said, noting that students who do not attend college can still obtain credentials that lead to well-paying jobs.
Harris explained how students are introduced to CTE choices: in seventh and eighth grades, home and careers and technology teachers provide a two-unit program that exposes students to the CTE offerings and connects them to potential career interests. "In eighth grade, every eighth grader is applying to go to the high school of choice," Harris said. "In that application process, which begins in October and lasts until December, the student is able to make a choice of 5 schools." He said students can select among the 28 program options during that process.
Mbuenga closed the segment by urging families to consult the district website for more information. "For more information on our CTE programs, please go to our website at buffaloschools.org," he said.
The interview was a brief overview focused on program availability, college-credit articulation and the district's enrollment timeline; it did not include detailed data on enrollment capacity, program completion rates, labor-market placement or specific credentialing partners, which were not specified in the conversation.
