Please help me save my highschool technology courses!

[Philcott]

I am really impressed with the response young Paul is getting from the group here. This is a topic that, obviously, hits close to home for a lot of us and I am glad to see forum members step up to the plate to help him out. It is hard to know whether the decisions at his school can be effected by these letters but it certainly can't hurt.

 

Good work all,

 

Phil

[P_Scott]

MustangGT92 (Paul),

 

I sent mine to her. Thank you for the opportunity to expand the knowledge of influential individuals. Keep it up!!

 

[Mike Freimann]

I write to my elected officials often. You can find out who yours are at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/ I hear that elected officials look at each letter as if it were 5000 votes. This is the right season to start writing your concerns. Don’t forget you governor and any other elected officials. Emails are preferred to something hand written due to terrorists. Just cut and paste letters and get them out.

[MustangGT92]

I just sent the message to my congressman!

 

Wish me luck!

[Jack Mitchell]

MustangGT92,

 

How about telling us a little bit about yourself.

Such as age, grade, ambitions in life (just kidding here)

 

We are interested in how you selected the Mastercam forum as a means to an extraordinary effort to help with your noble cause.

 

A special note might be directed to Cnc Software as well:

Sometimes an effort ever so small can well balloon into an opportunity to promote an industry leading solution.

In other words - do it before the competition does. (no bash intended) "Pay it Forward" comes to mind, but it's just a humble thought.

 

Mustang, if you're following what I am saying, now is the time to get your parents involved as well as the local paper. You can do a lot with your inspiration - may the force be with you

 

P.S. Deb Leh will soon be obligated to be interviewed by the local newspaper, otherwise she gets the cheese.

In all fairness to Mis Leh, she should also be privy to your efforts within this forum and the impact that might follow the effort.

 

Think twice, be nice, and good luck.

 

 

Regards, Jack

 

[ 03-31-2004, 04:35 AM: Message edited by: Jack Mitchell ]

[Rekd™]

quote:

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she should also be privy to your efforts within this forum and the impact that might follow the effort.

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In case you missed it Mustang.. it sounds like Jack is suggesting you either send Deb Leh here to read this, or send her the entire thread. (I think asking her to read it here would be more appropriate.)

 

Great Job Mustang, and Kudos to the Forum Members for helping out!

 

'Rekd teh warm and fuzzy's

[Phil Orenstein]

Email forwarded to Deb Leh. Done

Messages sent to NY State Senators Schumer and Clinton. Done.

 

Phil

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Nice Phil. I'm sure they would listen to you as a constituent more than the rest of us Non NYC's (New York Citizens).

[P_Scott]

Phil,

 

quote:

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Clinton

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Good luck gettin' her to listen to the industrial cause. Her husband gave China the "Most Favored Trade Nation" status after all. Maybe the other rep will see reason and bring it to the attention of the House.

[Phil Orenstein]

Good point Peter, However, from past experience I know the more we write to elected officials and the news media about this issue, the more of a chance to get something done by either side of the aisle. Clinton is giving the commensement address at my school in May and I thought my letter to her might just connect some dots. It's a shot, but I know that an avalance of messages form us on the forum will definitely move political mountains.

 

Phil

[MustangGT92]

Jack,

 

I'm 16, a junior, I plan on getting an associates degree in each of the following: Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering, and business.

 

I hope to make a decent living using the design degree, perhaps work my way up the Ford motorcompany ladder:).

 

Then, retire(kind of) and open up my own performance shop.

 

Thats a good idea, I'm going to send her a link to this forum and another forum ive posted this on.

[jimspac]

I have sent the following to Deb Leh;

 

Dear Board Members,

 

My name is Jim Smith and I work for an aircraft turbine manufacturer as a process engineer. I am writing on behalf of one of your technology students, Paul Vanek.

 

It is my understanding that the technology department is being considered for downsizing. As a machinist/CAM programmer, I would hate to see this happen. One can earn a fine living for themselves and their family from the training they receive from a scholastic program. I was fortunate enough to attend the Southwick High school machine Shop program in Southwick MA from 1974 - 1978. It was an optional four class program that offered training on machine tools such as lathes, horizontal and vertical milling machines, radial arm and standard drill presses, surface grinders, tool grinders, saws, and a full range of inspection equipment. The class prepared many of its students for rewarding and exciting careers in the field of manufacturing. Many of us are still in the field and some have furthered their education and have become accomplished design and manufacturing engineers. Others have stayed in the field as toolmakers and mold machinists, have become foremen, supervisors, and even machine shop owners. I have spent over 25 years as toolmaker, have had my own shop on a part time basis for over 8 years, and am about to receive an associates degree in mechanical engineering.

 

I would not be where I am today without the training I received in high school machine shop. Even today, with all the CNC machinery, it is imperative to teach the basic machining principle as they are the foundation of all things manufactured. As an educator, you must do your part to keep manufacturing thriving in the United States. For those with a sense of history, consider the state of nation at the start of World War II. The nation was at the end of an economy crippling depression. We were dragged into war with a dormant manufacturing sector. Within 2 years, manufacturing facilities were converted to military production and we had the best equipped military by the end of the war. We became the greatest world power on our capabilities to design and manufacture.

 

If we allow the training programs in our schools to be downgraded, so will the manufacturing industry. Please take into consideration the full impact of downsizing your technology department.

 

Sincerely

Jim Smith

[chris m]

quote:

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associates degree

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Do yourself a favor and get a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Design or Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology, take as many manufacturing electives as you can during the four years and take the business stuff at night once you've graduated and have your first 'real' job because:

 

1) Associate's degrees are worth squat if you want an 'engineering' job, just read the Help Wanted ads; they ALL say "Requirements: BSME or equivalent..."

 

2) Nobody cares if their entry-level designer has real manufacturing knowledge; they may say they do, but they don't. Learn the manufacturing stuff for yourself because you want to.

 

3) Nobody cares if their entry-level designer [or senior designer, for that matter] knows how to read the balance sheet so don't delay your entry into the workforce to learn that stuff. There are plenty of 'working professional' night programs where you can learn those things while you make a living.

 

Finally, try to find a school with a co-op program so you can work in an industrial setting while you earn your degree; I learned more at my co-op jobs than I ever learned in a classroom.

 

Sorry for the sermon, just my opinion

 

C

[Thad]

quote:

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Do yourself a favor and get a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Design or Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology

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Or Manufacturing Engineering Technology.

 

 

Nice letter, Jim. It has a familiar tone to it.

 

Thad

[chris m]

Thad, the reason I said Mechanical was this:

 

quote:

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I hope to make a decent living using the design degree

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The Manufacturing degree you speak of is what I have, by the way

 

C

[Thad]

quote:

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The Manufacturing degree you speak of is what I have, by the way

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Me too, but only an Associates.

 

Thad

[MustangGT92]

Yeah when I said mechanical engineering twice i meant Mechanical engineering and design.

 

Perhaps I will go for a bachelors, it all depends on what happens when it comes time for college choosing.(which has already started, but i'm just looking at my options for now)

 

With this post i also bear bad news.

 

My tech teacher, is under review aparently. I guess they cant tell the students much about it, but my tech teacher is gone, "we have to be moved out of the room by may 21st" as long as they actually end up "Renovating" the room.

 

I can basically say goodbye to my last semester in my tech courses. I'm INFURIATED to say the VERY LEAST. I'm going to try to make a difference, but with the speed at which my school takes things regarding change, it wont happen within a timeframe which will allow me to learn what i'de like to.

[chris m]

Sounds like the school is on a mission; too bad. You can always try to get a summer job sweeping up chips at the local CNC shop; you're too young to legally run a machine but those laws get bent a lot...

 

quote:

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it all depends on what happens when it comes time for college choosing

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I don't know what your financial or academic realities are but if you're serious about the auto or equipment industries you would be better off going to school in the midwest because of the physical proximity of the school to the various plants and the fact that many of the big engineering schools have very close relationships to those companies. The automotive lab at the University of Michigan alone is about 1/2 the size of my shop here...

 

Michigan & Purdue are the real biggies, GMI in Flint is a auto-only deal [i think] but people like Caterpillar, John Deere, Navistar, and the automakers extensively recruit from these types of schools so if the $$ isn't a deal-breaker for your family make sure you position yourself properly to achieve your goals

 

C

[Phil Orenstein]

Paul,

That is very unfortunate news. They may have gotten our emails and letters and tossed them out thinking that we are just a bunch of malcontents or lower than them on the evolutionary scale so they don't have to answer to us. I havent gotten a single response. Has anyone else?

 

But we can take this a step forward on your behalf and other students whose tech programs are being cut down or cut out completely and make them listen if you and the folks on this forum are willing. We can show them that we won't just go away and we can make a real difference by writing Op-ed pieces to the major US newspapers and newssites. I will write up an Op-ed when I have a chance based on the letters and entries here and mail-merge it out to the major US mass media. I have a comprehensive media database.

 

I'm pretty busy now and I'll be out of town for a while for Passover, but I can do it when I get back. Or if someone else on the forum would like to write one, I'll edit it and send it out. It should be around 750 words and include your bio as well.

 

This is America where the 'little guy' can change things!

 

Phil

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Hey Phil, that's a great idea. You are much more eloquent than I unless you want to teach me!

 

I think writing a piece would be great. Thre are some tremendous people in this industry. If there were not here (here in the industry - not necessarrily the forum) we would not be flying driving, etc... SOmething to think about.

 

Shalom Phil!

 

James teh I think my beanie needs rewinding.

[Phil Orenstein]

I think there are some pretty tremendous people here on the forum as well which is why I try to spend some worthwhile time looking in.

 

I was chatting with a fellow yesterday who worked in machine shops for almost 50 years who echoed similar sentiments having seen welding jobs and the entire industry shipped overseas to Germany where they are pioneering the most hi-tech advancements like FSW, or Friction Stir Welding. Advanced apprenticeship programs in all phases of the Mfg sector have been sprouting up all throughout Europe where their mfg professionals garner the respect they deserve. He said that after tooling up our factories during WWII and become the world leader, parents having the best intentions, wanted a better life for the baby boom generation. Becoming Drs, lawyers, scientists, accountants etc. would be a far greater prospect than the dirty hands, sweaty, hard working mfg. and shop trades.

 

I'll write up a peice when I get back and put it up on the forum first.

 

You know, James if you're having trouble with your beanie, I think it needs an M4 to reverse direction of the animated gif!

 

Phil

[chad fisher]

This is sickening that they are trying to do away with this program. They did it to my vocational school a year after i had graduated for lack of student interest.

 

 

Phil this statement below i believe to be so true as my parents tried to do the same but i wouldnt have it.

 

 

He said that after tooling up our factories during WWII and become the world leader, parents having the best intentions, wanted a better life for the baby boom generation. Becoming Drs, lawyers, scientists, accountants etc. would be a far greater prospect than the dirty hands, sweaty, hard working mfg. and shop trades.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Ya know, that just might work, yeah, that's it, that's the ticket!

 

Thanks Phil!

[Camdude®]

hey James,

where can i get a beanie like that. i'd like to use it when i am on the hands-free phone set so people don't interupt me when on the phone.

also a much larger blade and greater rpm could solve my commute problem..

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I'd like a bigger blade if for no other reason but to keep unwanted people away.