Major areas of what?

SEPTEMBER 29, 2008

“Major areas of interest” – which generated all that hubbub two years ago, and this really big list – may no longer be a major area of interest.

Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan raised the issue this afternoon during a workshop on the BOE’s draft strategic plan (which doesn't mention "major areas of interest.") In hindsight, she said, asking high school students to declare majors “sounds like a mistake.”

“Maybe we gave them too many choices,” she said. “I have no problem saying we tried it and it didn’t work.”

Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith responded: “We could revisit that probably.”

Lucy Hadi, DOE’s chancellor of workforce education, said the state’s recent moves on career and technical education shifted the spotlight. This fall, there are 460 career academies in 66 counties, she told the board. “I think we really have moved past major areas of interest," she said.

Posted by Tony Marrero at 4:28:52 pm on September 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments |

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

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