A Tourtellotte Communications Academy

1. The TMHS Teacher-Proposed Initiative A Tourtellotte Communications Academy

2. The Initiative: Create a magnet school with a focus on communications within the confines of the current high school.

3. Why should the Board of Education consider this proposal? The TMHS Communications Academy Proposal was initiated with the intentions to: • Remain competitive in both academia and providing practical, real-life experiences in a world where traditional high school tracks, though still relevant, are becoming obsolete • Ensure graduates are prepared, experienced, and knowledgeable in a competitive and dependable field. • Other “Quiet Corner” schools’ plans include: • Killingly Vo-Ag • A continuously expanding Ellis Tech • A soon-to-be refurbished Putnam High School, that may soon be partnering with the Day Kimball High School. • Draw students to Tourtellotte. Bottom Line: To not only ensure the future of our high school, but to also prosper, it is important to implement a magnet school within the high school.

4. Why Communications? Most people would think communicating is a basic function in the human experience, yet fear of public speaking consistently ranks in the top ten fears of people. Through such an academy, students will gain confidence in their ability to communicate even the most complex information in a professional manner using a variety of media.

5. Employers Desire Communications Skills In a 2013 survey of major employers in the United Statespotential employers identified communication skills as highly desirable in job candidates. • 93 % of all those surveyed say that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidate’s] undergraduate major.” • More than 75% of employers say they want more emphasis on 5 key areas including: critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings. • Employers endorse several educational practices as potentially helpful in preparing college students for workplace success.  These include practices that require students to a) conduct research and use evidence-based analysis; b) gain in-depth knowledge in the major and analytic, problem solving and communication skills; and c) apply their learning in real-world settings Source: It Takes More than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success. 2013. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities and Hart Research Associates.

6. Employers rate the importance of candidate skills/qualities: Scale 1 to 5 – 5 meaning most desirable • Source: Job Outlook 2012, National Association of Colleges and Employers

7. Students Will Learn Lifelong Skills While students in this program will have the opportunity to study video production, radio broadcasting, public speaking, print and internet publication, creative writing, business writing, sports broadcasting, mass media, social media, and more, they will learn skills that will transfer positively into wide-ranging career paths.

8. Potential Career Paths Are Diverse journalist/broadcast journalist public relations specialist purchasing agent sales manager sales representative disk jockey video editor advertising media specialist writer freelance writer investigative reporter lawyer market research analyst medical services college professor employment research director military officer political consultant survey worker film critic film editor film producer film researcher historian lecturer photojournalist proofreader reporter AND MORE… copywriter news editor radio/TV broadcaster radio/TV director radio/TV producer management consultant station manager station owner technical writer teacher buyer credit analyst fund raiser manager law enforcement hospitality government

9. Potential Benefits include • Districts whose students decide to attend the Tourtellotte Communications Academy would have to pay the tuition of those students. • The State of Connecticut would also pay $7000 per outside district student who chooses to attend a magnet academy. • Resources within the school would grow exponentially with an influx of new students. ****NOTE: We just recently found out through the State that we are out of the area that would qualify as a Shef Magnet School. While this does not disqualify us from becoming a magnet school, we would have to get legislation passed allowing us to be put in such a classification. New London recently received such a classification. Contact with Senator Don Williams’ office is being made to see what our options may be for magnet classification

10. What Can We Offer? • The good news is that some of what we would need is already in place, but classes would have to be tweaked and some new ones would have to be created. Potential Courses Include: Web Design and Implementation (Technology) Radio Production Marketing* Photojournalism Social Media Statistics Business and Technical Writing* (English) Advertising Design: Foreign Language Computer Literacy for Communication Arts Introduction to Photography *Communications Capstone • Video Production I • Video Production II • Journalism I • Radio Practicum • Communication Law and Ethics Video Journalism ISports PracticumPublic Speaking*Mass Media and Society   • PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING* • Introduction to Creative Writing

11. Equipment Needs Radio Station – some equipment for a webcast-based station is already being pursued via grants, but district funding may be needed. Plans call for the station to be placed in the current lounge across from the main office. The station would be staffed by up to four students participating in radio practicums each period of the day and after school. Sports and other events could be broadcast live by student broadcasters using remote capabilities. Television Studio – some software and equipment for ENG type recording and video editing is already being pursued via grants, but district funding may be needed. Plans call for the studio to consist of a multiple camera production capability with video and audio mixing capability, chroma-key, character generation, etc… The studio would be used in a video production class and for video and sports practicums that would record events for cable and webcasting at later dates.

12. Where do we go from here? • If the Board allows us to move forward with planning and potential implementation we have teachers who are willing to develop curriculum using much of their own time in order to make this work. • We would like one or two Thompson Board of Education members to join us on an Academy Development Committee. • Talks between the administration, the State Department of Education, and our State Legislators would have to begin in order to iron out the details of how we gain magnet status. • Funding questions would have to be answered. • A start date would have to be established. The goal is to start with the freshman class in 2015 and build with the subsequent classes Thanks for your consideration