The discussion about increased regionalization of public education in Franklin County has focused primarily on reducing cost, rather than on improving education. Advocates contend that, through more comprehensive regionalization of school districts, we can get the same educational ‘product’ for fewer dollars, by collaborating on administrative functions, transportation, and low-incidence special programs. The fear among educators and community members is that forced regionalization may lead to diminished educational quality and loss of local control, with little or no savings in cost.

Our recent experience shows that increased countywide educational collaboration done intelligently will reduce some costs. The question is – what to do with the savings? Why not borrow a trick from the world of business? Why not re-invest in our system, to make it both more effective, and more cost-effective?

The needs of students are not growing less. The costs of basic educational services – health insurance, utilities, and yes, salaries – are not going to grow significantly less. Collaborating to save tax dollars is a survival strategy. Collaborating to deliver better education - to graduate higher numbers of students, to better prepare students for college and for entry into the job market - is a growth strategy - something that people might get excited about, that could unify pro-school and pro-town people, and that could play a key role in determining the economic future of our region.

I’d like to propose a simple idea: let’s consider introducing career and technical educational programs into the junior and senior years of high school in Franklin County.

No single high school in Franklin County can afford to offer all of the educational opportunities that their students actually need and deserve. But all of our high schools, working together, might be able to provide the kinds of innovative, creative and motivating programs that would give our all of our kids the education and training they will need to be successful in the global economy of the 21^st century.

In each of our high schools there are students whose future careers will span the whole range of society’s occupations: we have future doctors and lawyers and college professors, to be sure. But we also have engineers and artists, carpenters and nurses, accountants and performers and writers and plumbers and farmers. If we imagined the ideal high school, students could begin to follow their professional and career interests while still in high school, without forsaking rigorous academics.

There is considerable evidence that the narrowing of the curriculum resulting from the imposition of federal standards has driven two kinds of arts education out of our curriculum: both fine arts and practical arts are much diminished in many of our schools. And it’s not just a question of money – educational time, too, is in high demand, as we focus excessively on preparation for four-year college education.

Our best and most traditional academic learners thrive in our academically oriented high school environments, go on to college, and develop successful careers. But for many, high school education seems increasingly disconnected from what they imagine their own future lives to be, and lacking the kind of motivating experiences that might inspire them to want to learn more.

There are proven, compelling, motivating programs available for high schools. Each requires vision, time and money to implement. Examples include Project Lead the Way, a pre-engineering curriculum; Health Careers academies, information technology programs, and performing arts programs for high school students.

No high school in Franklin County could possibly afford to implement all of these programs. But each high school might be able to implement one or two, and do so in a way that ensured the highest quality.

Students in urban areas like Boston can attend high school in career-themed academies that match their own interests and abilities. Why not do the same, out here in Franklin County? Why not allow students freedom of movement for their last two years of high school? And why not structure the system so that all schools prosper as a result, rather than gradually getting ‘choiced’ out of existence?

We could borrow a trick from the Five-college system in the valley: students enrolled in UMass, Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke or Smith can take classes at the other schools.

We have a great educational resource for technical high school education, Franklin County Technical School. I’d like to suggest that key elements of their success could be successfully transplanted into the junior and senior years of academic high schools, and would result in lower dropout rates, more motivated students, and graduates prepared not only to go on to college, but with marketable skills for jobs that are out there now.

Franklin County Tech performs a very valuable role for students who need four years of technical training. For other students, technical training coupled with rigorous academics delivered at their own ‘home’ high school in their junior and senior years would better prepare them for their future lives than a purely academically-focused curriculum.

If we were to develop such a countywide system, we might well be able to attract grant funds to implement it, and renewed state funding to sustain it. The whole state is watching what’s happening in Western Mass. If we can present a positive educational vision together, we may find unexpected levels of resources and support coming our way.