Patterson's Perspective

I am now in my 41st year in the field of education. During that time I have served in a variety of capacities including teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. With this experience, I find myself asking whether a decision I make would be something I would want for my own children or grandchildren, and ultimately, whether or not it will help improve student achievement in Lakewood.

During my years here in Lakewood, I have had the opportunity to be involved with the West Shore Career-Technical School District, under the leadership of Linda Thayer. Serving the communities of Lakewood, Rocky River, Bay Village and Westlake in a solid collaborative, I can assure you that the students of these four communities are receiving an outstanding preparation for college, the world of work or the military. The real life experiences, hands-on methodologies, outstanding instruction, and superb leadership in the field of career and technical education are all components I would want for my own children or grandchildren.

 The results speak for themselves:

• West Shore has exceeded every State of Ohio performance measure every year for the past 10 years.

• 100% of the 2014 West Shore graduates in Auto, Business Management, Culinary, Early Childhood, Health Careers and Engineering/Project Lead the Way passed the certification requirements necessary for immediate entry and employment within their fields.

• Sahana Petras finished first in the State of Ohio Culinary competition in the category of Garde Manger (Spring of 2014).

• The West Shore Culinary Team finished second in the state in the Ohio ProStart Invitational with Chefs Rob McGorray and Devan Corti as the instructors (Spring of 2013). Chefs McGorray and Corti were also awarded 2013-14 ProStart Teachers of Distinction status.

• The West Shore Auto Technology program, led by instructor Mike Szittai, was named to Tomorrow's Technician Top 20 programs in the nation (Fall of 2013).

• Nearly 150 students have received over 1,200 college credits over the course of the past three years.

• Since 2008, the Construction Trades program, led by instructor Mike Dow, has built 33 structures in the area, including a two-story garage featured in the 2014 Lakewood Home Tour.

• The Ranger Café continues to be a gem in our community, providing a win-win combination for students, staff and community. The café is a fully operational restaurant open to the staff and the public. Students handle all aspects including food preparation and service under supervision of West Shore staff.

 West Shore graduates are finding success in a wide variety of fields:

• Wallace Pattison, a 2005 graduate of the Electronics program and of Rocky River High School was Lockheed Martin's 2013 Employee of the Year at the company’s Wallops Island, Virginia, location. Says Wallace, "I believe that West Shore's Electronics program instilled a newfound interest in electronics for me which I have turned into a career."

• Ben Giuliano, a 2006 Auto program and Lakewood High School graduate is the head painter at Honest Charley Garage in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has had his work featured on the December 2013 cover of Street Rodder magazine. He says, "Listen to the life lessons Mr. Szittai shares....all the stories he shared with me at West Shore have played out in my life in one way or another."

• Jessica Dugan is a 2000 graduate of the Interactive Media program and Lakewood High School who works as a graphic designer for Black & Decker in Southern California. When asked if she would recommend the Interactive Media program to current high school students, Jessica said, "I definitely think it gives you a leg up for college. I always felt one step ahead. I felt like I had a basic understanding of the field I was going into, as well as the curiosity to explore and learn more."

In the whole scheme of things, West Shore is a smaller Career-Technical program within Ohio, but our student and staff accomplishments make it a giant within the field. To learn more, please visit www.lakewoodcityschools.org/westshore.