Please help me save my highschool technology courses!

[MustangGT92]

Hi, I just registered, and I was reffered to this site by a fellow enthusiast.

 

There have been some big wigs coming in lately into my technology classes, and theyre asking questions about things we really do need. Theyre questioning the relevance of the courses. We have a horizontal bandsaw(3k) and they asked the relevance of it, my teacher said to cut metal. they asked couldnt a tabletop one do that? Well it could, but not as well as the one we have now.

 

Theyre basically going to sell all of our good equipment for pennies on the dollar, and going to give us crap. Theyre minimizing the technology courses.

 

Im writing a petition to get this stopped. The truth is, is that if we dont have industrious people, our economy CANNOT survive. These classes basically mean everything to me, if it werent for them i would go crazy in school.

 

If anyone is bored, and can write a good petition, please help me out.

 

Also if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

 

Right now, there are stickers on 5 lathes, 3 drill presses, a band saw, and this is after just one day.

 

If anyone would like to send any personal experiences to me, through pm, or by instant messenger(truffleshufflepv), saying how technology courses helped your life, and how they changed you and made you more successful as a person, PLEASE DO!!! It would mean A LOT to me

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

You want help and you cant even include your name or an email address? Tell them that if the close the technology dept, they should start teaching a class in Chinese so everyone will be able to communicate with the people making their parts.

 

Mike Mattera

[crazy^millman]

Tell where you are a way to get hold of your teacher, princpial, congressman, local Tv station and I know we can help but we need to know the where and how to help you.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I'll give 'em an eyefull/earfull but you gotta give some contact info.

[Toolfab]

 

 

Will will help you out, just help us first.

[MustangGT92]

My name is Paul Vanek.

 

I go to Greece Athena High School, in the Greece Central School District.

 

I will find out about a local news station, I will also probably be writing a letter to anyone I see fit, and the school paper.

 

My teachers name is Rolf Tiedemann, and the principals name is Helen Wahl.

 

Sorry I didn't say this in the first post, but the other site i had this posted on didnt give me as much help.

[Philcott]

Mustang,

 

quote:

---

they asked the relevance of it

---

MY GOD MAN ARE THEY INSANE???

 

The relevance of it??

 

I'll tell you the relevance if it.

 

Machinist and machining is more relevant than most people think.

Challenge them to look around and TRY and come up with an object, product or anything that a machinist didn't have a hand in creating or bringing to them. I don't believe they will be able to do it. When they tell you a product, break it down to the lowest common denominator if needed. Think about it. Machinist either directly manufacture or build the tooling to make the furnaces, shovels, molds, screwdrivers, fasteners, vehicles, glass, paper, rubber, soap, packaging, oil refining, ....... that allow products to be made.

Where would we be without quality equipment, in schools, to train the next generation of machinist?

 

Or maybe they would prefer we just get everything from China, Korea or other places that are educating their youth in preparation of the future.

 

The relevance of it??

 

MY GOD MAN ARE THEY INSANE???

 

Phil

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

So are you in Greece or are you in the USA??? .

 

Are we supposed to know what city and state that the Greece Central Distric resides

 

Come On Bud! How is anyone supposed to help with this kind information.

 

Mike Mattera

[Joeyls319]

Is that up near Rochester NY?

 

Welcome to the best place on the internet.

 

Joey

[jrykrl]

+1000 philcott

Mustang, we need a little more info, addresses, district phone numbrs...

[M. Anderson]

Here is what I could find on "Google" -

 

High School Web Page

 

I hope this is what he is refering too?

 

Click on the "Administration" button on the left - all kinds of phone numbers and such.

 

Later,

 

Mark Anderson

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Here's a copy of what I sne the School Board.

 

quote:

---

Good Evening,

 

My name is James Meyette. I am a 34 year old CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Programmer for a company that manufactures seats for aircraft in California.

 

I belong to a Forum dedicated to helping other Manufacturing Professionals get the most out of their CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) Programming Software. A student (Paul Vanek) from Greece Athena High School came into our forum requesting our help. He stated that the Administration has decided that it is in the best interests of the school to essentially dismantle the Machine Shop by selling off good equipment in favor of buying inferior equipment or getting rid of it entirely. I know there are always two sides to a story. If this is true, I would ask you to seriously entreat the Administration to reconsider. Manufacturing is critical to our nation. There is not a single item you touched or looked at today that was man-made that was not created by a manufacturing process. The keyboard you are typing at right now was designed by an engineer then that design was taken into CAM software. The programmer then considered the material and what size and a whole host of other parameters. The program was then given to a machinist/mold maker. The machinist/mold maker then created the mold, assembled it to exacting tolerances (some tolerances closer than .00025 inches – take a strand of your hair and split it 12 ways). That mold is then put into an injection molding machine where pellets of plastic are heated up, melted and injected under extremely high pressure to produce the keyboard. There’s lots more to that process than that but I wanted to keep it simple.

 

We are loosing good paying manufacturing jobs here in the US to countries like China, Mexico, Indonesia, and other third world countries because of a lack of skilled labor here in the US. Academia has diminished the role of Manufacturing in the US and it’s a travesty. If we as a nation do not continue to teach our children the different manufacturing disciplines (Wood, Plastic, Metal, Composites, etc…). If academia continues to decimate Industrial Arts programs across the country we will soon, in one or two generations be faced with the tragic loss of the knowledge of how to make things. Sure, we’re sending our kids to college to be engineers to design things to make our lives better, but unless somebody knows how to make things the engineer designed, it was for nothing. Cars, Houses, Pencils, Paper, Pens, Furniture, Trucks, Trains, Automobiles, Bicycles, Motor Cycles, Skateboards, etc… ad infinitum were all touched one way or another by a machinist. Machinists are the single most important trade in the US. If we loose them we loose the ability to shape our own destiny as a nation.

 

One more thing, manufacturing jobs can pay very well for the aggressive, moderately intelligent individual willing to make some sacrifices for a couple of years. With less than 4 years experience I was making more than the average College Grad and I barely finished High School. After 12 years in the industry, my income exceeds the national average for a dual income household by a significant margin, and I'm only 34 with a high school education. I earn more than most MBA's I know. If we don't have people to pass our craft to, our knowledge will go with us to the grave, and that would be the last nail in the coffin for this great country.

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sorry to take up so much of your time.

 

Sincerely

 

James Meyette

---

Here's the board member's e-mail addresses;

code:

---

[email protected] - Bill Grason

[email protected] - Karen Hoffman

[email protected] - Fred Koeng

[email protected] - Bob Mueller

[email protected] - Gerry Phelan

[email protected] - John Sodeman

[email protected] - Lisa Swartz

[email protected] - Larry Sweet

[email protected] - Paul Wawrzyniak

---

How's that?

[Hardmill]

I like it James

How 'bout we all cut and paste (insert name of course)

and have all 8000+ members e-mail her w/

an e-mastercam +1 attached.

Just a thought!!!

 

PEACE

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Imagine that 8,000 e-mails to these people. You think they'd get the message? We can only hope.

[beav700]

How about sending official company letter with business card and company history. That's what I'm doing Monday morning.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Not bad. Not bad at all.

[Joeyls319]

+1000000 James.

 

I'm surprised with young mans dilemma, Rochester is deep in all types of manufacturing companies and it has a wonderful tech. school ( Rochester Institute of Technology) there. Where is the educational system going? At the local community college, enrollment is up in the machining program but these kids are just content on only applying themselves enough to get by and only be content on being button pushers and nothing more. I don't know maybe I'm just rambling but I am always looking to learn something to improve myself and things for my family and surroundings.

 

JM2C

 

Joey

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

I for one think this is a great cause (MustangGT92's) and am sure there are 100's of others. What a great way to use the power of a 8000+ force. Come on guys, everyone start emailing.

 

And anyone else who is seeing similar things, bring them to the forum and lets make a difference.

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

There are alot of community colleges downsizing their machining programs. I have taught at one for more than ten years now in the evenings.

 

One reason is that the manufacturing in our area took at big hit on job loss over the last few years. (bout 140,000)Mostly gone over seas. I believe we should update the technology of the courses to provide training on the type of technical jobs that are out there. (plc,automation,dnc,hybrid programming,cad/cam,etc) some of these are touched on in some degree, but has anyone ever seen a dnc course?

 

Two is the way classes are funded by the state. The amount of money depends on head count in class. It makes better financial sense to to have english classes with 30 people than a shop class with 10.

 

Three would be high school guidance counsellors promoting an idea of a dirty plant with dirty people in it. (What do they know? They have never been outside the educational system in their life.) The "must have college degree or be a loser attitude" takes away any pride a young machinist might have. I come from a long line of machinists and engineers. I have always respected the trade much like blacksmiths were respected.(Though didn't want anything to do with it.)

But the thought placed into the heads of high schoolers is that if you dont go to college then you'll never amount to anything. I know alot of people on this forum that would shock you if you knew their formal education. And they are some of the best programmers I've met.

 

You may want to contact someone from ntma and talk to them.

[chris m]

I'm in; the college I went to essentially de-fanged the Manufacturing program less than 2 years after I left by scrapping off and selling for little more than junk money nearly all of the Bridgeports, engine lathes, welding machines, etc. Nearly all of the hands-on classes are gone, and so are the practical skills of the graduates. To me that is just WRONG, so I'll pitch in for this cause.

 

C

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

If the courses had not been there when I went I prolly wouldnt be here now. Rather still be taking care of beef cows and doing odd jobs on side.

 

Jimmy teh Nomore stepping in cow poop anymore, but still stepping in bs on forum.

[chris m]

More like slinging BS on the forum

[chris m]

OK James, I went to school on you; here's my version:

 

---------------------------------------

 

Good Day,

 

My name is Chris Moffatt and I am a 31 year old Manufacturing Engineer and programmer of CNC [Computer Numerical Control] metalworking machinery for a manufacturer of mechanical power transmission devices in Massachusetts. I am writing this note in response to the request of a Greece Athena High School student, Mr. Paul Vanek, which was posted on an Internet forum for manufacturing professionals. Mr. Vanek stated that there was a movement afoot at this school to downsize the hands-on technology programs and to remove some of the existing machinery, which would either be replaced by inferior equipment or eliminated entirely.

If this is indeed the case I would like to ask that you reconsider this decision. Manufacturing is still very much alive in this country and is in dire need of young people who have the interest, the knowledge, and the physical skills to carry on the proud traditions that turned this country from a provider of foodstuffs and timber into the most powerful nation in the world. Without young people entering our trades to fill the void left by departing employees as their workforces age, our proud manufacturers of automobiles, aircraft, electronics, industrial machinery, consumer products, etcetera, will have no choice but to turn to foreign shores to fulfill their production requirements; crippling the economy of our nation as a result.

In addition, please consider that there are many good-paying, challenging, rewarding jobs available in manufacturing for your students. The days of dirty, hot, dangerous sweatshops are gone; most modern manufacturing is done in well-lighted, air conditioned factories filled with well-trained employees operating technologically sophisticated machinery costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. In these days of uncertain employment and wild fluctuations in many industries, please don't eliminate any programs or facilities that would assist your children in acquiring the skills that could provide them a challenging, rewarding future in industry.

Thank you very much for your time

 

 

Regards,

 

 

Chris D. Moffatt

Manufacturing Engineer

Harmonic Drive Technologies

 

-------------------------------------

 

 

Let's tell these people what we feel, guys, maybe we can help these kids

[Jack Mitchell]

Around here in southern Ontario, the government allowed for schools to bid for which technologies they wanted to teach. About 10% elected to carry the more expensive technical trades like welding, automotive, machining, etc! The remaining schools chose business related fields like computing, office applications, sciences, etc! The reason was purely economic - those that wanted to train in the technical trades actually end up needing the more expensive equipment and the skill set of journeyman or tradesman.

 

10 years earlier a common machine shop teacher usually taught welding and rough framing as well; today’s teaching professional cannot just simply take a 50 hour course and call himself anything remotely close to a well educated or qualified instructor.

 

I think the government’s intention was to common core a subject and then guide the student through a path via curriculum in the primary grades and develop through the secondary grades then on to college.

 

Although I do not like the fact that equipment is sold and courses dry up to the point of cancellation, I tend to agree with investing large into the facilities that are also willing to put up the investment as well. This might require that students get bussed to a technical facility on a weekly basis but at least the option of technical training would still be available.

 

I cannot speak for what the educational systems in the different states are doing. I can only offer what Ontario is at least attempting to do.

 

Regards, Jack

[Frank]

Great letters James and Chris, I wish I had your writing abilities ! But I am making a copy, and sending it on.

 

Great job,

Frank