Aviation Program Taking Off in McKinney

McKinney High School Junior Kolby Barsy soared skyward on Sunday, October 7 to complete McKinney ISD’s first student solo flight. Barsy, a student in the McKinney ISD Aviation program, earned certification that will permit him to log solo hours in pursuit of his private pilot’s license.

Although accompanied by an instructor, Barsy had control of the single engine aircraft from his takeoff at Addison Airport to his successful landing at Mesquite Metro. Once on the ground in Mesquite, the instructor exited the aircraft, and Barsy executed three solo additional takeoff and landing maneuvers.

The McKinney ISD Aviation program began last year at each of McKinney’s three high school campuses. With a dual emphasis on aircraft maintenance and piloting, the well-rounded program has attracted a growing number of students -- just over 200 enrolled in aviation classes for 2012-13, more than doubling first year enrollment.

CTE Mission Statement and Goals

McKinney ISD’s Career & Technical Education Program (CTE) exists to serve all students by helping them discover their own unique strengths and interests. Our mission is to provide students with business/industry experience. Students are exposed to a unique combination of classroom instruction and placements in technical work environments where they can acquire new information, concepts, techniques and procedures related to their specific career interests.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) must prepare all students to continue to learn in institutions of higher learning, and provide quality training and opportunities for entry-level (or above) employment. McKinney ISD’s Career and Technical programs are committed to providing rigorous instruction that integrates academics in relevant and innovative ways to keep students interested and excited about their educational goals.

McKinney ISD’s CTE program will implement the Achieve Texas initiative which uses federally defined Career Clusters and Pathways as the foundation for arranging instructional programs. Career clusters offer a guidance tool for helping students plan their educational experience based on their career goals. Career pathway models represent a recommended sequence of courses based on a student’s personal interests and career goals, and are a way of reorganizing learning around clusters of study that will prepare students to graduate ready to live and work in a competitive global economy.

The goals of McKinney ISD CTE program are:

• to help students (and their parents) make wise education choices, based on the belief that schools should combine rigorous academics with relevant career education so that students see the “usefulness” of what they are learning,
• for each program area MISD will strive to provide students with as many opportunities as possible to earn college credit through local and/or state articulation agreements and dual credit courses,
• to develop and embrace partnerships with local businesses to provide students with advice and offer opportunities to participate in work-based learning partnerships and job shadowing experiences
• to provide opportunities for students to earn state and national industry standard certifications and licenses. Each program area will provide certification opportunities where appropriate. Program career clusters are formatted for 4-year career paths
• curriculum will be based both on industry accepted standards and best practices,
• students will be instructed in the essential skills of job application, dependability, promptness, initiative, loyalty, honesty, integrity, responsibility, and the ability to work and get along with others

Contacts in Career & Technical Education
Director of Career & Technical Education & Special Projects, Tamy Smalskas, 469-302-4134
Career & Technical Education Department Office Professional, Missie Pearce, 469-302-4111

Public Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs
Click here to download the notice in English. (PDF)
Click here to download in the notice Spanish. (PDF)

MISD CTE Career Clusters:

• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
• Business Management & Administration
• Education & Training
• Finance
• Health Science
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
• Marketing
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
• Transportation, Distribution and Logistics

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