By: Mr. Aaron Weston, Oley Valley School District Superintendent
As we make our resolutions and look eagerly toward the new year, I want to take this opportunity to showcase the myriad of opportunities and services public education provides our students and communities.
While it is natural to immediately think only of academics, public education provides a broader array of services and supports. Public education’s dedication to educating the whole child drives our commitment to provide as many programs and services as possible to support all students entrusted to our care.
We pride ourselves in Berks County in providing a world-class education to the communities we serve. At no other point in the history of public education have our students had more opportunities to personalize their chosen pathway to graduation, aligning those chosen pathways with their college and career goals.
We are fortunate in Berks County to have the Berks County Career and Technology Center. The BCTC offers nearly 40 programs across seven career areas. Students from partnering school districts complete required academic courses in their home school and then attend the BCTC for their chosen career and technical education program.
Career areas offered at BCTC include business and information technology, communications, construction, engineering and manufacturing, health care, services and transportation. Students at Oley Valley in our general agriculture education and engineering pathways can take additional CTE programs within our school district.
Public schools offer traditional college prep, honors and Advanced Placement courses for students wanting to enter a two- or four-year college program.
Long-established course offerings and online classes allow students to choose from more than 18 Oley Valley School District AP courses. Oley Valley also offers seven STEM Pathways for students interested in science, technology, engineering and math. These include general STEM explorations, engineering, architecture and design, Earth and space science, computer science and agricultural engineering.
While attending high school, students can earn college credits by completing dual enrollment classes, taking off-campus/online courses and passing AP end-of-course examinations.
We are privileged at Oley Valley to have dual enrollment partnerships with Reading Area Community College, Alvernia University, Delaware Valley University, St. Cloud State University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Kutztown University.
Oley Valley also takes great pride in our Project Lead the Way initiatives, music, art, HOSA – Future Health Professionals, biotech and vet tech programs. These offerings combine elective courses to widen students’ exposure to innovative curricula.
Public education also provides athletic opportunities, tutoring, co-curricular programs, music, art, drama and individualized student support.
Public schools work with the students and the community through their athletic departments to provide opportunities to participate in PIAA competitive sports. Smaller districts join in cooperative agreements to provide athletic opportunities that would not be available to the students without this arrangement. Community youth leagues also have the opportunity to use district facilities, opening up opportunities for more participation in sports.
By partnering with the Berks County Intermediate Unit and leveraging all internal support networks, public schools provide tutoring, remediation, and interventions to address individual student needs. Through Multi-tiered Systems of Support and the Student Assistance Program, school districts identify and provide early interventions and tutoring programs for students.
School districts also offer clubs that reflect students’ interests, including activity, modeling, student council, board games, FFA and art club. While some offerings are traditional, they frequently change as student interests change.
On behalf of Oley Valley and all the public school entities in Berks County, we wish you a happy holiday and a wonderful new year.
Originally published on the Reading Eagle: https://www.readingeagle.com/2024/12/19/superintendents-forum-a-new-year-and-a-fresh-look-on-public-education/