A high school CTE director drives a busload of students two hours each way to spend a day at a CDL school. Why?
Because somewhere along the way, he figured out something most people building career pathways for young people miss — and it changes how you should think about every trade school you've ever seen.
Josh had a chat with Linus Parr, who runs the Career and Technical Education programs at Newberry High School. They recorded outside — first time we've ever done that — while Newberry's students were on the MTDS yards trying out heavy equipment, climbing poles, and getting hands-on with trades some of them had never even heard of.
They also discuss:
→ Why ninth graders should get to try things — even if they hate it
→ The "reverse field trip" model Newberry is pioneering
→ Why the classroom doesn't need to be in the school building
→ A 10-year millage that just changed CTE in the eastern UP
If you're a parent, an educator, a school counselor — or a young person trying to figure out what comes next — this one's worth your time.