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Minooka Junior High to pilot nine-week, career-focused technology course after student-led selection
Summary
Principal Finkelstein described a student-driven redesign of the junior-high technology course: after surveys and advisory-panel work, 76% of students chose a 'local industry' course option; the district plans a nine-week, standards-aligned course emphasizing financial literacy, industry clusters and community partnerships, targeting fall 2026 rollout.
Principal Mr. Finkelstein presented a proposal to redesign the Minooka Junior High technology course based on student surveys and advisory-panel input. He said the district surveyed students and convened seventh- and eighth-grade student advisory panels that pitched three options; 76% of students selected a "local industry" pathway focused on regional career clusters.
"Overwhelmingly, 76% of our students identified local industry as the choice that they wanted to move forward with," Finkelstein said. He described a nine-week course for seventh and eighth graders that would begin with financial literacy and proceed through career-cluster exploration (health sciences, technology, engineering, business/marketing, agriculture) and culminate in interest-based projects.
Finkelstein said the course will align vertically with high-school career-and-technical-education offerings and leverage community partnerships and guest speakers to give students hands-on, locally relevant experiences. The team plans to build curriculum immediately with teachers and offer the first course in fall 2026, with follow-on levels the next year.
Board members expressed support and noted the proposal ties to college-and-career-readiness standards (PACE). No formal vote to adopt the course was recorded during this meeting; staff will continue curriculum development and alignment.
