OTSEGO LOCAL SCHOOLS
Superintendent's Weekly Update - December 14, 2018
I hope everyone had a great week. A few of us were able to meet with First Solar this week about the many opportunities that they have for our graduates. It was a phenomenal experience and an eye-opening one. The opportunities they have for graduating seniors and anyone for that matter is special. We will be bringing them out to talk to our Juniors and Seniors sometime in March. We will also have them speak to our community at night.
I would like to share an article and statistics that was sent to me by a colleague. There are many paths for our graduates and as educators and parents, we need to help our students navigate through the many options.
Current Career and Workplace Statistics
- Over 50% of students are not working a job or career in their major course of study. Source: CareerBuilder
- An estimated 20 to 50% of students enter a post-secondary education experience without declaring a major course of study. Source: Gordon
- Over 80% of students change their major course of study at least 1 to 3 times with an average cost of over $10,000 per change. Source: National Center of Education Statistics
- Over 30% of students drop out of college within the first two years. Source: National Student Clearinghouse and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development
- Finally, for over the past 20 years, employers continue to say that graduates coming out of college, university or technical schools have continued to lack the soft skills to be able to be successful within their company or organization. Source: PayScale
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-kid-stacey-kallelis
“Apprenticeships, the trades, alternate pathways…so many opportunities, that’s great…but not my kid.”
I am guilty. I admit that before I truly understood all of the options available to students, I was part of the problem. See, I don’t even have children yet (although…my first is arriving in March!), and when I dreamt of my imaginary children’s future, I pegged them for big-name, 4-year or even advanced degree wielding kids. So before my children even had a chance to define themselves and their interests, I was setting a standard, and maybe an unfair one. Albeit I have not lived through this with children of my own yet, I have seen the internal struggle some students face to please their parents when making these big life decisions, and often the parents do not even know they are doing this.
I remember growing up, I never had to be grounded or punished in the traditional sense. All it took was knowing that parents and authority figures in my life were disappointed in me and I was crushed. Add in the new age of obsessive sharing and social media addiction, and this pressure to impress is amplified.
I have a unique position. When explaining my job to friends, family, those in my network, everyone shares their excitement for the work that we are doing. “That’s amazing” and “Wow that is such a great opportunity for your students” are the common reactions.
I see students come through my door who know exactly what they want to do, they have post-secondary plans and specific career goals. These students often have fantastic support systems and have been exposed to many opportunities throughout their lives. I also see many students that know they either cannot afford, or have no desire to go into debt for a degree they aren’t even sure they will ever use. Admittedly, these have become some of my favorite students to work with. These are the students whose lives will be changed by our Work Based Learning Program. These are the students that just need someone in their corner telling them that attending a local college or university while working to gain experience (and often incurring little to no debt), rather than following in their friends’ footsteps is not just “ok,” but an amazing plan.
A specific student of mine comes to mind when I think of alternate plans – this young lady is amazing. Her resume was beyond impressive, her GPA was top notch, and everyone put the pressure on her to figure out what university she would be attending. But you see, this student had no desire to buy into the "big box" university – she just wanted to start a life with no debt. Her plan was well thought out and showed immense maturity, so I hopped on board and helped her in any way that I could. I connected her with a fantastic company in town for a position related to her career goal and she is attending a 2-year program free of charge with plans to potentially transfer for her bachelor’s degree following. I’d be willing to bet she will find an employer to pay for it. I recently received the most touching email from her updating me on the happenings in her exciting young career. She ended with this:
“You really were the lifesaver I needed my senior year and for the future.”My job is to help students discover their passions, build their network, and gain experience to use once they graduate high school. My job is not to judge their pathway. Four year degree? Awesome! Associates or certificate program? You go kiddo! Straight to your dream career? Woo hoo! As long as these students have a pathway to achieve their goals, I will always be in their corner. Especially when we live in a country with $1.5 trillion in student loan debt and with young adults never even using the degree they are in debt for (Forbes, 2018).
My hope is that parents continue to be more accepting of the different options available to students. Know what pathways exist. Do your research before harping on the brand name on the diploma. I can guarantee you that, in the end, experience will always prevail over the name on your degree. Help your students discover what drives them, then put a plan into place with internships, mock interviews, job shadows, etc. to support them in achieving their goal. There is likely more than one path to the final destination.
Yes, your kid.
Student loan debt crisis: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2018/06/13/student-loan-debt-statistics-2018/#43c9426b7310
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Holiday Concert time is here! Come out and get in the holiday spirit with our JH and HS students.
High School
Holiday Choir Concert - December 17th, 7pm HS Auditorium
Junior High
Holiday Junior High Choir Concert - December 19th, 7 pm HS Auditorium
GO KNIGHTS!
Adam Koch
Edward C. Byers Jr. Awards for Exceptionalism and Heroism
Master Chief Edward C. Byers Jr. is starting two awards for our students in Grades 6th through 12th. Please take a look at the attached video and letter from Master Chief Byers. Please use the nomination form in the letter to nominate our students. You may turn in nomination forms to the Central Office any time before April 1st. We will mail them to Master Chief Byers. The awards night is May 9th and Master Chief Byers will be in attendance to hand out the awards.
Message from Master Chief Byers
Career Discussion Opportunity
Otsego Community -
We are excited to offer new and innovative experiences for our junior high and high school students. We are inviting professionals such as yourself to come interact with our students as an opportunity to engage them in real-world work experiences through the eyes of an expert. This will be a forty minute experience for our students in which you can present information that would be beneficial as they begin to explore their careeroptions. Things to consider during the presentation would be educational requirements, expectations as they enter the workforce, experiences they can anticipate in your career field. What we are aiming for are real conversations between working adults and our students. We are so excited to share our students with you so that you might be able to inspire a few and not only educate students about their career interests but to also maybe inspire them to follow your career path! We want to give our students an idea of what your job entails, but also to tell them how you got to where you are. What the future job market looks like? What certifications and credentials are needed? I have included below a list of suggested essential questions that can be used to guide your discussions but please do not think that you are limited to these. The groups will be smaller in size. Sample questions that may be asked by students: Describe your typical workday and workweek. Is it 40 hours? More? What skills are most important to you in your work? What interests did you have which led you to this field of work? What education, training, certification, licensure, advanced degrees or credentials do you need to do your work? What employment path did you take that led you to where you are now? What is the employment outlook for your line of work? What challenges do you face in your work? We have put a calendar together for you to choose a date that works best for you. You may choose to talk to Junior High Students (grades 6-8) or High School Students (grades 9-12). Simply click on the building below that you would like to share your experiences with and select a date that fits in your schedule. You will enter in the front of the High School and someone from the office will walk you down to the room. Junior High Success Period Presenter Sign Up Link
Weston Library Events
ATHLETICS
Meet the Team Night is December 15th at Halftime of the Boys Game.
Junior High and High School Sporting Events
Friday, December 14
6:00 - JV/V GBK @ Fostoria
Saturday, December 15
9:00 - JH WR @ Liberty Center
10:00 - 7th/8th GBK (H) Bryan
1:00 - JV/V GBK (H) Delta
6:00 - JV/V BBK (H) Delta *No Freshman Game
Monday, December 17
4:15 - 7th/8th GBK (H) Swanton
Tuesday, December 18
4:15 - 7th/8th GBK @ Rossford *All Saints Catholic School
4:15 - 7th/8th WR (H) Swanton
4:45 - 9th BBK (H) Genoa
6:00 - JV/V BBK (H) Genoa
Wednesday, December 19
4:15 - JH WR @ Fostoria
Thursday, December 20
4:15 - 7th/8th BBK (H) Rossford
6:00 - JV/V GBK (H) Elmwood
Friday, December 21
4:45 - 9th BBK @ Elmwood
6:00 - JV/V BBK @ Elmwood
Saturday, December 22
10:00 - JV WR @ Anthony Wayne
6:00 - JV/V GBK @ Rossford
Weston Ball Commissioner
COMMUNITY EVENTS SECTION
The Washington Township Fire Department will be hosting Santa Claus coming to Tontogany on December 19th at 7:00PM. There will be an opportunity for everyone to talk with Santa Claus and receive a treat bag.
The Nutcracker - All Jazzed Up - Dec 14-16, BGCS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 530 W. POE RD, BG OH Tickets can be purchased on line at nutcrackerjazzed.com or purchased at the door before each show !!
Questions, Concerns, Comments, or Rumors
Sponsors
Otsego Board of Education
President: Elizabeth Gorski jegorski@frontier.com
Vice President: Judy Snyder jasnyder715@gmail.com
Board Member: James Harter jameslharter@gmail.com
Board Member: Mark Tolles mdt814@cs.com
Board Member: Brad Anderson banderson.otsego@gmail.com
Adam Koch, Superintendent
Email: akoch@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Location: 18505 Tontogany Creek Road, Bowling Green, OH, United States
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @AdamKoch_Otsego
Lisa Austin, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent/EMIS Coordinator
Email: laustin@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Lauri Dunham, Special Education Director
Email: ldunham@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Stephen Bihary, School Psychologist
Email: sbihary@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Luke Swartz, Technology Director
Email: lswartz@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KBaughman723
Mike Wiley, Assistant Elementary Principal
Email: mwiley@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @PrincpalWiley
Kevin O'Shea, High School Principal
Email: koshea@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KosheaOHS
Jon Rife, Junior High Principal
Email: jrife@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @OJHS_Principal
Tom Ferdig, High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Grades 6-12
Email: tferdig@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Eva Vasher, Director of Transportation and Custodial
Email: evasher@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Jeanne Jeffers, Director of Food Service
Email: jjeffers@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @Otsego_Cafe
Rick Haskins, Director of Maintenance
Email: rhaskins@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381