Pending the approval of schools boards and the availability of funding, the Kansas City School District (with the aid of some industrial partners) will open a new Engineering and Construction Academy as early as 2009.  The $40 million project would address Kansas City’s lack of skilled tradespeople. According to Garry Kemp of the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, more than 1000 new workers per year are recruited from out of the area.

“We’ve got to get the opportunities within our kids’ reach,” said Jack Bitzenburg, the local director of career and technical education.

Plans call for a high school blending high-tech training with teamwork. Upon graduation, students would be prepared for entry into a four-year university or would be able to begin an apprenticeship in a skilled trade. The first phase would involve the renovation of Anderson Annex, once an alternative high school affiliated with Manual Career and Technical Center. If the renovation goes according to plan, it would include a hands-on construction laboratory for middle school and high school students.

The Kansas City school district and industry backers as well as state and federal sources would jointly pay for the construction.

“Many of us have been dreaming about this,” said Kemp. “We’ve been at this for 10 years to make this a reality in the community.”

Louisiana musician Benny Grunch has written a fight song for GED seekers everywhere. Some of the lyrics apply to defiant trade-schoolers whose relatives want them to attend university. The lyrics, (courtesy of bennygrunch.com) go like this:

My brudda’ in law went to college n’all. He’s a certified PhD.
He acts like a snob, but he can’t get a job with his Doctor of Philosophy.
I told him, try to get hired before you get fired. Don’t go talkin’ like Socrates.
Tell ‘em thatcha’ gonna’ wanna’ be a plumba’. So ya’ workin’ on ya’ GED.

Try to get hired before ya’ get fired. Don’t say nuthin’bout philosophy.
Don’t act like a snob and ya’ might get a job, Who cares aboutcha’ PhD?
I dropped outta’ school. Turned out pretty cool. Hey just look at me.
Academically misguided. But never been indicted. And I got my GED.

“GED”. In your own spare time. “Rah Rah Rah!”
“GED”. Night school or right on line. “Fight Fight Fight!”

The Reunion Comittee, they’re still tryin’ to give me pictures from the senior trip.
My Permanent Record must be infected. They shoulda’ knew by now I quit.
Got no pieces of the goal post. I wasn’t hot for the homecoming queen.
Never had to get bombed at no hi-school prom. ‘Cause I got my GED.

“GED”. In your own spare time. “Rah Rah Rah!”
“GED”. Night school or right on line. “Fight Fight Fight!”
“Yeahhh…!”

Try to get hired before ya’ get fired. Don’t say nuthin’bout philosophy.
Don’t act like a snob and ya’ might get a job. Who cares aboutcha’ PhD?
I dropped outta’ school. Turned out pretty cool. Hey just look at me.
Acdemically misguided. But never been indicted. And I Got my GED.

Gimme a G…”g…” Gimme a E…”e…” Gimme a D…”d…”
Gimme a P…”p…” Gimme a K…”k…” MNX…”mnx…” LBYZ…”lbyz…”
Tell me. What a ya’ got…”Ged-pik-min-exel-biz?”…”Yeahhh…!”

I got thrown outta’ Aloysius, in nineteen sixty three.
So I had to go to Delgada’, and I got my GED. “General Equivalency Diploma!”
Got my G-E-D…

(copyright 2006, Benny “Grunch” Antin, Anzel-Anzel, BMI )

According to The 18^th annual edition of America’s Health Rankings™: A Call to Action for People & Their Communities, guess which state has the best high school graduation rate? Nebraska. Not Massachusetts, not California, not Washington. And it’s not because there’s nothing else to do in Nebraska other than stay in school. We’re serious; it’s not.