Making a Brighter Tomorrow, Today

That eighth grader in art class today might be working as a graphic designer at Kroger not too long from now. And that 10th grader studying chemistry might be hoping to land a job with Procter & Gamble.

For some, making the leap from student to professional can be a challenge. But Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) is working harder than ever to accommodate students with college-prep level work and career-readiness initiatives that span from interviewing techniques to job shadowing and business etiquette to shape tomorrow’s Cincinnati leaders today.

After gathering information from teachers, parents, students, college administrators and employers, CPS is putting a massive effort into its My Tomorrow program.

"We heard you loud and clear," says Laura Mitchell, deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction for CPS. "We’re focused on creating a home-grown workforce. In order to be a thriving, successful city, we need to have a successful and thriving school district."

CPS is strengthening programs in each content area, including reading, math, social studies and science. And, to keep students engaged and give them tools for success, CPS is increasing the use of technology.

"Starting in seventh and eighth grades, each student will have a tablet to use at school to create and publish work, and to access online curriculum," says Mitchell. "Content drives the initiative and there are rigorous standards. Students will need to demonstrate knowledge through leadership, learning and cooperative group work that will allow them to be successful in groups later in life and in the work place."

Mitchell adds that the district wants its teachers to "help students think critically, to take information and turn it into knowledge. Students should be able to synthesize information, make judgments and turn the knowledge into something they can apply in real life."

All seventh and eighth grade students will have a 45-minute advisory-period once per week to receive one-on-one assistance from teachers and community professionals in the school to help students identify career interests.

An online platform called Playbook – which will be offered through one-to-one technology devices given to each student – will help students identify learning styles and strengths, and will allow teachers, students and their parents to have ready access to attendance records, student achievement, grades, assignments and more.

Students will also have access to more advanced courses. "We’ve expanded our complement of Dual Enrollment for students to get both high school and college credits," says Mitchell, "and we’ve expanded our Advanced Placement courses."

CPS has also hired teachers with experience in teaching in a blended-learning model. This allows the schools to offer more AP courses, such as advanced psychology, where one or two students per school might take the digital AP course, but also receive weekly in-person instruction.

The district is also building out practical elements such as internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing and even helping students get industry credentials.

A few tomorrows from now, one of those students could be helping mentor another crop of CPS leaders. That’s a tomorrow that Cincinnati Public is starting today.

If you’re interested in being a volunteer in the classroom or offering a job shadowing, internship or apprenticeship opportunity for CPS students, email mytomm@cps-k12.org.