Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona got a tour of West Springfield High School Thursday where he talked apprenticeships, pathways to college and more.
The former Connecticut state education secretary made his way to West Side as part of a tour to “highlight efforts to ensure all students have an on-ramp to college and careers.”
The stop included a tour within a tour, with Cardona stopping by a few classrooms before sitting down for a roundtable with school leaders and town officials.
“I commend you here in West Springfield, for the leadership you're showing, for the innovation you're showing,” he said at the roundtable. “And I want you to know that at the federal level, it's our responsibility not only to support you, but also to lift up the great practices you have.”
The secretary was in town to discuss ways of ensuring access to higher education and increase career pathways for students – but throughout the day, he focused on how the district provides for many students who have resettled in the U.S.
For example, in a 2016 report, the state Office for Refugees and Immigrants said Massachusetts took in 2,399 people from 47 countries - 8% of whom resettled in West Springfield, putting the city behind only the likes of Boston, Worcester and Springfield.
“I've visited hundreds of schools and one thing that I think they capture here, is the benefit of creating a welcoming environment where you embrace the differences that the students bring and translate that into opportunities,” Cardona told reporters.
This school year, West Springfield Public Schools serves a student body made up of students from nearly 60 different countries of origin, including Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan.
Also highlighted – programs available to students that put them directly in contact with career paths such as carpentry, cosmetology, and advanced manufacturing.
That includes the Lower Pioneer Valley Career and Technical Education Center, which is also based in West Springfield, according to Superintendent Stefania Raschilla.
“It is very exciting to be recognized for the achievement in West Springfield, that they've been really doing for the past few years as far as welcoming different types of families, from many, many different countries, as well as building these career pathways,” Raschilla said.
Speaking with reporters, Mayor William Reichelt said the same, while noting the town does have requests for Cardona to consider.
One example included financial aid requests being more flexible for communities like West Springfield, which receives a number of incoming students each month – well after deadlines have passed and additional funding won’t arrive until much later.
“They're certainly going to look into it and see how the funding formulas work, and see how Oct. 1 deadlines for aid can be adjusted so that we can recognize that when students move in - we have 30 students move in in February per se - we don't see that money for the next year,” the mayor said.
