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Get Schooled: New Finance Course Preps Teens for Real WorldBy Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, January 13, 2012
When our country’s economy plummeted into peril in 2008, I think many of us realized we didn’t understand some basic principles of economics and personal finance. I would argue that many people would have vastly reduced debt today if they had some form of personal finance education in high school. I remember hearing stories about how, at the height of the housing boom, people were approved for “no income, no asset” loans for $400,000 or higher. It’s easy to say, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” but it’s hard to resist the temptation to have what you want and pay for it later. Lawmakers in Virginia decided the key to a healthy financial future is education, and the General Assembly approved a new required course for all high school students, starting with the current freshmen class. Virginia high schoolers must now complete “Economics and Personal Finance” before graduation. Students began taking the required course this past fall. “Everybody realized that before college, students needed to have a better grasp of finance and how what they spend affects the world economy,” said Sandy Hespe, an adult education coordinator for York County who oversees career and technical programming. The course can be taught by teachers from multiple disciplines, including history, social studies, economics, math or business. Teachers have received professional development by taking workshops at nearby colleges and working with various financial institutions, including banks, to make sure the information they’re delivering is up-to-date. What’s most intriguing about the courses is that teachers have an opportunity to make the coursework relevant and in many cases, really fun. Classroom discussions are engaging, because everyone wants to imagine what career path they’ll choose, what car they’ll drive and where they’ll live when they enter the post-grad world. I wonder how many people would have changed their majors if, in high school, they had to sit down and create a “life goals timeline,” as York County’s students will for their class. The exercise will hopefully show students that they have to consider what their salary requirements would be to have the lifestyle they fantasize about. In the course, students learn the basics about the money issues they’ll someday face: deciding whether to lease or buy a car, how to invest money, how to save money, completing taxes and starting a business. They also learn basic workplace skills, completing mock interviews, demonstrating customer service and showing strong work ethics through attendance and participation. Students in both divisions participated this past fall in the Stock Market Challenge, sponsored by Bayport Credit Union at the Hampton Convention Center. Teams pretended to be stock market brokers for the day, starting with an initial investment of $500,000. At the end of 15 to 20 minutes of buying and selling on the floor, the team with the best profit won. In Jamestown High School teacher Charlotte Stowers’ classroom, students have had lively discussions about what to expect when signing an apartment lease and paying water bills (not surprisingly, many students thought water should be free). One week, she had her students make a budget, documenting how much money they had coming in and what they spent it on. “I love teaching it because it has to do with what our lives are about and what we do every day,” she said. At Warhill High School, where the course was piloted last year, Betty Nash created a store in her classroom. Each student had a part to play in the store, and at the end of the semester, they were able to cash in their fake money to purchase items from the classroom shop. Teachers in York County have made fake credit and debit cards to teach students about taking on debt with interest. Right now, students are required to take and pass the course before graduation, but there is not required test. Still, teachers are finding ways to see if their lessons are sticking. In Williamsburg-James City County high schools, students will be tested on their newfound knowledge by taking the WISE Financial Literacy test next week. In York County, students will cap the course by taking workplace readiness assessments. Gov. Bob McDonnell also recently announced a new statewide Governor's Challenge that will test students' new money smarts. “What I’m hoping is that, with those competencies, they will know more than they knew before. We’ve got to do a better job preparing our kids for the world,” Hespe said. Discussion Focuses on Federal Government in Education The League of Women Voters will host Steven Staples, a professor of education at The College of William and Mary and the former York County Schools superintendent, to discuss the role of the federal government in public education on Jan. 19. Staples will present, “No Child Left Behind: Strengths, Weaknesses and the Future” at 3:30 p.m. in the Schell Room of the Williamsburg Public Library. Following the presentation, there will be a moderated discussion. York County Science Fair is Jan. 19 The York County School Division Science Fair will be held Jan. 19 at the Grafton School Complex. Student registration and set-up begins at 4 p.m. at Grafton Middle School. Junior division projects will be displayed in the middle school atrium and senior division projects will be displayed in the middle school cafeteria. Grafton High School Athletic Boosters will sell concessions. Judging will begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude at 7:15 p.m. All student exhibits will be open for public viewing from 7:15 to 8 p.m. The awards ceremony will be held in the Grafton High Auditorium at 8 p.m., and exhibits will be dismantled starting at 9 p.m. Music Club Plans Grant Auditions The Williamsburg Music Club has planned its 2012 Grants Auditions for music scholarships to take place on March 10 at Ewell Hall at the College of William and Mary. The deadline for applications is Jan. 13. Eligible applicants must be residents, students of a resident teacher or attend school in Williamsburg, James City County or York County. Members of the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra in good standing may also apply. For full details, click here. Chinese College Student Visits Rawls Byrd Rawls Byrd Elementary School students received a lesson in Chinese culture recently when Rong Wang, a Chinese student studying at the College of William and Mary, visited their classrooms. Wang served bubble tea, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. Bubble tea contains small chewy balls made of tapioca starch, called “pearls” in Chinese. She also demonstrated the art of calligraphy by writing each student’s name and interpreting the characters’ qualities and personality characteristics. Rong is a member of the Foreign Lands Ambassador Group (FLAG), which invites international students to share their cultures with local elementary school students. Rong’s visit was coordinated by Library/Media Specialist and FLAG liaison Viky Pedigo. |
Education reporter Amber Lester looks beyond the budgets and test scores to see how students in the Historic Triangle are being shaped into lifelong learners. From student accomplishments to creative lesson plans, Amber keeps you up-to-date on education matters. Contact her at amber@wydaily.com. Recent PostsWYD BlogsBlogs and Sites We Like |
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Comments
It concerns me greatly that the school system will be laying off teachers in the near future, and that the system will likely preserve teachers like this rather than using it as an opportunity to retain or hire teachers who want to teach.
The vast majority of my child's teachers have been excellent. I sincerely wish we could pay them more to keep and motivate them. But the system appears broken in regard to clearing the dead wood.
In the recent past, my daughter had one other teacher just like this one: this time we brought it to the attention of the school administration. A few weeks later, my child was one of the few students subjected to that teacher to pass the District Benchmark Assessment tests, so my daughter's observations about the teacher's performance were more than justified. The DBA disaster got the administration' s attention! The result was to take all the students from the "sit on a chair and do nothing" teacher and pile them onto another teacher who was an excellent educator. When the mass of students who failed the first test were retested after having proper educational instruction, they passed. The outcome was that the "retired on the job teacher" remains on the payroll, filling a position that is paid by our tax dollars, and the really good teacher was burdened with overcrowded classes and double the workload.
I sincerely wish the school policies would allow the students themselves to evaluate the teachers, and that those evaluations would be taken seriously. Kids know who is good and who is bad, and will tell you the truth.
I helped a creative FACS teacher devise the cooking component of her class to meet her criteria of appealing dishes and snacks, with a max prep time of 30 min., using fresh vegetables,frui ts, or grains which might be unfamiliar,and cost less than a bag of potato chips. Students loved discovering new, healthy ways to eat and took pride in their new, life-long skills.
Bravo! This educator is...'cited to see and realize that this once lacking problem is being brought to our social forefront, but even better, things are being set up to change and...ACT!!