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Published Monday, October 27, 2008 in Local

Excellence in Education tour visits CEC

By Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour

The Newnan Times-Herald

About 80 business, education, civic and government leaders from around Georgia stopped at Central Educational Center in Newnan Tuesday to see first-hand how the nationally recognized charter school operates.

"This is not your dad's technical school," CEO Mark Whitlock told the crowd.

Led by CEC student volunteers, groups of visitors on the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education's annual bus trip toured the labs and classrooms of the school's automotive, dental assisting, robotics, video production and culinary arts programs.

Coweta Schools Superintendent Blake Bass asked participants to keep in mind that CEC is not as much a high school as it is a concept that allows the Coweta County School System to join with businesses and West Central Technical College in "one arena where we can create seamlessness of education."

The career academy in conjunction with those businesses and WCTC offers dual enrollment and work-based learning that allows high school students to earn college credits at the same time they earn credits toward high school graduation. The students receive trade-specific training that improves their chances to get a decent-paying job when they graduate.

Dr. Skip Sullivan, WCTC president, said because college classes are on the same campus, it's often difficult to tell the difference between the high school and college students in the classroom. In addition, many high school grads return to finish their two-year degree requirements. The students learn early on that the right type of education lands them the right job.

"We are about workforce development, workforce development, workforce development," Sullivan said.

He explained for many, education comes down to whether they would "rather have an MBA or a J-O-B," and CEC is addressing that need with 99 percent of its graduates.

"We've got our own version of No Child Left Behind," Whitlock agreed. "It's called all grads are employable."

Barry Benson of software company Argos Systems noted that future grads will not only be expected to be workforce-ready, but also to do more.

Consultant Dave Heilesen of Southern Educational Systems introduced one of CEC's upcoming projects, Remote Automation Manufacturing Project (RAMP). Heilesen explained RAMP will allow instructors at the Kia training facility to link via real-time camera with the work students do in CEC's classrooms and other classrooms across the state. The project was spearheaded by Moultrie Technical College, and will bring automation training to high school students.

"Automation will drive all our industries very quickly or else they'll fail," he said.

Bus tour participants were impressed early on.

"I had no expectations it would have this type of diversity," said Vincent Watkins of The Watkins Group, a consultant who works with educators, school systems and students.

Ann Otwell, a middle school teacher with Douglas County School System, said it was exciting for her to get a preview of what Douglasville's planned career academy, College Career Institute, will look like. It, like other career academies across the nation, have been modeled after CEC.

"It's going to be wonderful," she said. "I can't wait to go back and share this with my students. This is exactly what our at-risk students need."

Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association, said the students' hands-on experiences clearly connect to the work they'll do.

SuBrena Graham, a territory manager with Georgia Chamber of Commerce, said she was impressed with how students who may not be considered "academic" in the traditional high school sense are empowered through CEC's partnerships with businesses, industries and the college.

"Whatever it is that you're good at, it's brings it out here," she said.

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