School District of New Berlin Staff Takes a Field Trip

During a professional learning day Oct. 10, 170 School District of New Berlin secondary educators, counselors, administrators and district leaders boarded buses to one of six locations to learn more about the changing worlds of postsecondary education and work to inform their efforts to prepare students for postsecondary success.

“The District has implemented many new programs to increase opportunities for students to better understand the changing worlds of postsecondary education and employment,” Superintendent Joe Garza said. “We have, however, only been able to take a few staff members along each time to minimize the amount of time we take them away from their students. This event was intended to ensure that every secondary educator had this opportunity on a day where school was not in session.”

Staff members were able to choose to learn about research & development as well as manufacturing processes at Denali Ingredients in New Berlin; how to foster the entrepreneurial thinking skills needed to compete in the 21st century innovation economy at The Commons in Ward 4; or how technology is changing healthcare at the Aurora West Allis Medical Center. Others learned what employers are looking for when hiring across departments at Direct Supply in Milwaukee; and how postsecondary educators are adjusting their learning environments to meet the needs of the projected workforce at Waukesha County Technical College and Carroll University.

All participants reflected on their experiences in small groups in the afternoon and discussed how it could affect their instructional practice not only in their discipline but also in their new role as Academic and Career Planning advisors. Nearly all SDNB secondary teacher delivers Academic and Career Planning lessons during the district’s advisory period throughout the school year.

Wisconsin’s Education for Employment legislation, which includes Academic and Career Planning, encourages stronger relationships between K12, higher education institutes and industry. Many educators, however, have not been purposefully trained on how to foster these relationships. It is not a focus of today’s teacher and/or administrator preparation programs. Consequently, schools across the state are trying new things and learning from each other.

“We are committed to helping every student graduate as informed consumers of postsecondary education and training in alignment with their personal, academic, social and career goals,” Garza said. “That requires we help them explore options they might not otherwise be aware of.”

Takeaways from the event included the impact technology is having on the world of work; the number of careers that pay well but might not require a bachelor’s degree; how many companies are willing to help their employees pay for college tuition: and the importance that demonstrating positive dispositions such as collaboration and critical thinking can have on one’s ability to sustain employment in the changing workforce.

“Events such as these are a critical aspect of professional development in the School District of New Berlin,” Garza added. “It is difficult to adequately prepare students for the environments they will navigate if we aren’t able to experience them ourselves. We are thankful for the community partners willing to host our team.”