Required Reading
Education and economic development...
"No, I do not recommend our middle managers live in Greeley/Evans if they have children in school. The surrounding cities have competitive schools, and we encourage settlement in those communities." So said a local executive some time ago to one of the community leaders who came calling to enlist community support.
Read the whole thing.
Price Controls Come to Health Care
This is the solution they came up with in Denver? Government price controls?
Voc-Ed Making a Comeback
Some of the traditional trades provide some of the best post-graduation job opportunities. There's a fascinating story in the Greeley Tribune today about the return of vocational education.
But as schools are realizing, not every student goes on to college. Greeley-Evans School District 6 knows it needs to better prepare students for today's workforce with desirable skills, which includes bringing back vocational and technical classes.
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Vocational classes started to disappear in the mid-1980s as the public school system revamped what middle and high school students were taught in an effort to make them better prepared for college. But the change left out the students who choose not to take the path to college."It was when so many believed that only successful people went to college," Harr said. "Every student was told to have a good living, have a nice house, go to a four-year college. College or bust. Now we understand, a lot of kids don't go to college."
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It's critical to know what kind of skills local employers are seeking. The district, along with Aims Community College, have met with businesses about career and technical courses and has created partnerships. For example, local car dealerships sponsor Aims' automotive services course.
Read the whole thing.
Erie Creates Economic Development Position
From the NCBR:
March 28, 2008 -- ERIE -- The town of Erie's board of trustees has approved funding a part-time director for the Erie Economic Development Council.
The not-so-funny irony is that Fort Collins, a city of 130,000, only hired an economic advisor in 2006. (Erie's population is around 17,000).
Berthoud, Wellington and Pierce Elections
Berthoud's election is tomorrow.
Wellington's election for town board is tomorrow.
So is Pierce's.
Education Partnership
David May's column in the business section of the Coloradoan covers the ongoing partnership between the business community and our public school system.
