Superintendent

Superintendent

Sunday, February 17, 2013

And the heat is on. . .

Yes, I mean that! It's Sunday at 5 p.m. and I just finished all the work I can do here. The network is down, so I cannot access my doc pass files. But the heat IS on, which I wasn't expecting, since we set the new HVAC system to a conservative mode on the weekends when the building is empty.

Today I also had a scholarship meeting with the Marilyn Brandt family. She and daughter Kim, chief counsel for health care reform for the Senate in Washington, D.C., enjoyed a tour of our new school and then finalized details for the adult education scholarship. The $1000 Robert Brandt Scholarship for the high school was established almost three years ago, and plans are now set to begin an annual $1000 adult education scholarship in 2014. Vantage appreciates the Brandt family's priorirty to increase the scholarship funds shared with Vantage students of all ages. The funds are managed by the Paulding County Area Foundation.

The other reason I am in the office on a Sunday, is to finish writing my testimony for Governor Kasich's joint Workforce Committee. I have been asked to testify, as well as arrange for testimony, from a few area employers. Testimony will include instructor Larry Ray, Precision Machining, Jared Orzolek, FWT, and Jim Miller, Miller Precision Manufacturing, Inc. We will address the Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. at Apollo Career Center in Lima. Following testimony, a former student, Trent Metzger, now a welder and quality control inspector at FWT in Hicksville, and a few current Vantage students, will speak with Ohio's Senators and House Representatives informally over dessert.
Instructor Mike Miller, Ag Mechanics, and Vantage alumnus also, will attend and answer questions afterward as well. I wish I could have included so many people, however, both Vantage and Apollo will only be represented by 10 people between the two institutions.

I am looking forward to testifying to this particular Committee, because it is Vantage's chance to relay good news and solid practices and performance data to our state legislature. Ten senators and 15 representatives, as well as staffers, will be present. Following the testimony, I will attend the Governor's State of the State address at the Lima Civic Center. Accompanying me will be Treasurer Lori Davis and Adult Education Director Pete Prichard. Our thanks go out to House Rep Lynn Wachtmann for notifying me of the opportunity to testify and for lining us up with three tickets to the Governor's address.

Thus, I am in on a Sunday, because the building is a bit too noisy and busy to draft testimony on a normal school day! Finished the testimony but can't access my photos of students working in manfacturing labs, which I need to complete it. So "the heat is on" as I will be on pins and needles until tomorrow, when I hope the network is connected again. I wanted to finish it today, so I could do other work tomorrow and time my testimony. But tomorrow is another day, and Today Matters. . .I made the most of it that I could today.