Valley First In State With Computer Training Course

MENTONE -ÊOne of the major challenges schools face today is preparing students with skills that will prepare them for the world of work.

Using the Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Program, Tippecanoe Valley Schools Director of Technology Brad Hagg hopes to provide students with some of the computer skills they will need.

Monday, Hagg presented the school board with information on the program. Two of his six students taking the course this semester also were present to answer questions.

AATP is a program that Microsoft offers to secondary and post-secondary educational institutions that provides training to students to qualify for Microsoft product certification.

According to information Hagg provided, a student with the training could earn as much as $32,000 to $40,000 for up to six months of experience.

A board member asked the two students if they think the computer skills they are learning were applicable to their lives.

TVHS senior Maria Corteas said, "I think it's very applicable. When we near 2000, whatever field you go into, you're going to use computers."

She said with only six students in the class, she gets the one-on-one assistance she needs if she doesn't understand part of the program.

TVHS senior Evan Boggs said he felt the program was set up well so that they "grow" as they go along through the program. He said he thought the program was very applicable especially if a student wants to go into networking.

Hagg said, "We're the first high school in the state to do it." He said there are four Indiana colleges with the program and only 100 high schools in the nation with the program.

In other business, Tippecanoe Valley Superintendent Karen Boling said the official student enrollment as of Sept. 17 is 2,279 students, up 33 students from 1998-99.

"We're real pleased with that," Boling said.

The school board also discussed their publications contract with Kidder & Company regarding the cost of the publications.

Six years ago, Kidder & Co. began producing a corporation newsletter for the school entitled "View of the Valley." Initially, the newsletter was published four times a year. Three years ago, after a survey which the public said they enjoyed the newsletter, the school board increased the number of publications to five times a year.

Board member Mark Wise said he had questions on how much money was spent for the newsletters.

He said an eight-page newsletter costs more than $5,000 a year for five issues. Mailed, they are 82 cents apiece.

"The money we spent might be well spent but I would like to see some value for the students with that," Wise said.

Several years ago, a printing press was purchased for the school. Though they had paper and labor problems, he said there are many classes that could help put a newsletter together.

"I would rather spend the money, even a little more money, and have the students gain something from that," he said.

Boling said she will meet with the people who would be responsible at the high school to put a newsletter together in-house and present the board with more information at next month's Nov. 8 meeting.

Board member Tom Weaver said he agrees with Wise's idea but said he wants to make sure the standard is up to what it could be. Weaver said the publication they have now is still a good publication and he doesn't want Kidder & Co. to think the board was questioning the newsletter's quality.

Representative Bill Ruppel presented the Tippecanoe Valley School Board with a new flag on behalf of the state representatives. The flag will be displayed in the new public meeting room in Mentone Elementary School.

He told the board there are a number of issues being brought before the legislature which would take away local educational control. Ruppel said he was opposed to educational control being taken away from local school boards.

"My office, my staff are willing to work with the school board and the administration to let you know what's going on," he said.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved appointment of Jeff France as School Safety Specialist.

• Accepted a donation of computers from R.R. Donnelley & Sons.

• Accepted a grant award from Dekko Foundation in the amount of $62,012 for CAD Lab and Graphic Arts Lab at the high school.

• Approved an out-of-state trip for high school senior students to Washington D.C. with tentative dates March 29 to April 2, 2000.

• Approved an out-of-state trip to the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky. Oct. 25 to 30, 1999.

• Approved the renewal of a lease contract with Kosciusko County Head Start for use of Mentone classroom.