Madison Park is unique in that it is the only high school offering technical/vocational education programs in Boston. I remember visiting with my eighth grade students in the late ‘80s, and this time I was equally impressed by the huge state-of-the-art spaces for learning a wide variety of skilled trades.
We walked first into a dentist’s office, where students were setting up for an examination of one of their classmates. Carpentry students were in the midst of several different activities: making doorstops, setting up equipment, coaching one another, and getting help from their teacher. I was told they’d even made the entrance counter in the school’s main office! Students studying electricity were hooking up electrical boxes or learning how to bend and cut long metal tubes to particular specifications. Sheet metal workers were putting away their materials, but the auto body shop was in full swing. A couple of students were testing the ignition of a car under the watchful eye of their instructor, while others worked independently on sanding or spray painting car parts. The bakery chef apologized that his students had just left the culinary arts kitchen and wanted to show me pictures of some of their creations. MPHS teachers’ pride in their students’ accomplishments was heart-warming!
These classes are relatively small for safety reasons, and I found myself wondering where in this sprawling complex I’d find more of Madison Park’s 1300 students! All MPHS students take academic classes as well as their vocational studies, and most of those with whom I spoke were planning to attend college. I visited language, math, history, and science classrooms tucked behind common areas and not so easy to find. In one of the liveliest classes, students had just completed a month-long investigation of the life cycle of painted lady butterflies and were preparing to set them free. One young man carefully held a butterfly by its wings while his classmate looked at it through a large magnifier. Their teacher, Margaret Brooks, was guiding her students through the production of a video of this engaging interdisciplinary study.
I have watched too many students with special needs struggle with concepts and vocabulary they simply cannot retain. In these days of high-stakes testing and the expectation that all students should pursue a college degree, it’s easy to forget how important it is to offer alternatives to a traditional academic program. Having completed both academic and vocational courses, Madison Park High School graduates are ready to pursue their dreams wherever they might lead.
Amika Kemmler-Ernst, Ed.D.
amika45@comcast.net
Amika Kemmler Ernst is a recently retired BPS New Teacher Developer with extensive experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, and graphic artist. Her “We’re Learning Here” Project features images of everyday learning in our public schools, along with the words of the students pictured.