New York is redesigning what it means to graduate from high school, and the City School District of Albany is proud to lead the way in fostering important conversations amongst leaders in education, business and workforce development to ensure that students are set up for success and have the competencies they need to thrive in college, careers and civic life.
On Thursday, Albany High School hosted an as part of the district's Leadership Week activities. All district administrators, teachers and school support staff from throughout the district, and students from Albany High took part in a morning-long program that included panel discussions and breakout sessions.
"We have an opportunity to build an education-to-employment ecosystem for Albany," said Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter. "One that connects pre-K through high school, higher education, workforce development and employment.
"One that develops talent here. Creates opportunity here. And gives more of our young people a reason to build their lives and careers here."
The program included two panel discussions: one featuring business, higher education and workforce leaders discussing the skills and competencies they see as crucial for the workplace, and one featuring Albany High graduates reflecting on how their own experiences as students in the district prepared them for the college and career pathways they have followed as adults.
Brian Williams, executive director of the Capital Region Workforce Development Board, moderated both panel discussions.
The program concluded with eight small-group sessions that centered on deeper discussions around these topics, facilitated by local business partners.
During his welcome address to kick off the event, the superintendent highlighted the exciting changes on the horizon with , a state initiative that is shifting from a system heavily defined by standardized examinations toward one that emphasizes demonstrated proficiency, real-world application and competencies demonstrated through work-based learning, career and technical education (CTE), capstone projects, internships and other experiences that connect classroom learning to workforce needs.
At the center of NY Inspires is the , which identifies six capabilities students should demonstrate by graduation: being academically prepared, a creative innovator, a critical thinker, an effective communicator, a global citizen, and a reflective and future-focused individual.
"The state is moving toward a system in which students will increasingly demonstrate proficiency — not simply accumulate credits or pass examinations," Hochreiter said. "New York is envisioning authentic learning experiences and new ways for students to demonstrate what they know and can do.
"That creates enormous possibilities."
With that shift on the way in the years to come, our district is expanding opportunities to collaborate with business, higher education and regional leaders to help prepare students with the communication, problem-solving, resiliency, technical knowledge and applied skills required in the workplace.
Throughout the event, participants shared experiences, questions, ideas and perspectives that will set a foundation for working to establish stronger education-to-employment pathways so students graduate ready to leverage their knowledge as they prepare to begin their professional lives.
"We invited you here because we don't want to make assumptions about what tomorrow's workforce needs," the superintendent said. "We want to listen, learn and build it with you."
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our guest panelists and breakout moderators:
- Ben Bishop, vice president of Human Resources, Market 32/Price Chopper Supermarkets
- Dr. Scott Ferguson, chief economic development officer, SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech and a representative of the Capital Region Higher Education Alliance
- Matt Grattan, director of workforce innovation, Center for Economic Growth
- Christine McLear, workforce development senior lead, GlobalFoundries
- Ceylane Meyers-Ruff, senior deputy commissioner for education policy, New York State Education Department
- Dana Politis, deputy commissioner for workforce development, New York State Department of Labor
- Dr. Matthew Shaftel, president, Russell Sage College and co-chair of the Capital Region Higher Education Alliance
- Jeff Williams, technology director, Advanced Material Systems, GE Aerospace Research Center
- Denise Zieske, assistant vice chancellor for workforce development, State University of New York
- Jahkeen Hoke, CEO and founder, 4th Family Inc., Albany High Class of 2006
- Crickett Thomas-O'Dell, statewide pre-apprentice program director, Workforce Development Institute, Albany High Class of 1976
- Maria Walker, deputy chief (ret.), Albany Fire Department, EMT instructor, Hudson Valley ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø College, Albany High Class of 1986
- Darin Cook, director of staff development, Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing and Heating
- Doug Ford, vice president of public relations and senior advisor, Curtis Lumber
- Joleen Hanlon, education manager, Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York
- Christine Horne, president, Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York
- Loriann Kondracki, resource manager, Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York
- Brian McKenna, program manager, New York workforce development, National Grid
- Steven Micelli, superintendent of technical training, Capital District Transportation Authority
- Robert O'Connell, assistant to the president/organizer, Teamsters Local 294
- Dr. Beth Offenbacker, senior project manager, workforce development and training team, NYSERDA
- Amber Rangel, director, New York workforce development, National Grid
We are grateful to all of our partners for their expertise and their support!