Cleveland City Schools was proud to welcome Governor Bill Lee and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally to Cleveland High School on Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Governor Lee, Lt. Governor McNally, along with Senator Mike Bell, Representative Mark Hall, Mayor Kevin Brooks, and Board of Education members toured the Career and Technical Education Department (CTE) to see the work teachers and students are doing to prepare students for career, college, and life readiness.
CTE teachers and student ambassadors showcased a few of the state of the art programs at Cleveland High School. Teacher Leia Talley and students presented the Health Science classroom where Governor Lee was able to get in the Raider Rescue, an ambulance simulator; he also saw the other advanced medical equipment in the classroom that replicates an actual hospital. Tennessee Secondary CTE Teacher of the Year, Ben Williams, and his students highlighted the Engineering Lab. Governor Lee learned about the humanitarian projects that Engineering Design classes have created for people with disabilities in our area and then expanded to other states. Students presented Governor Lee with a metal wall plaque that he stated would remind him of the great opportunities for students in Tennessee.
Governor Lee said, "There are things happening here that are unusual — the partnerships with higher education, partnerships with the local private sector — and those things are crucial for the success of this. We want this to be happening all across the state.”
The tour ended with a ride in the Redbird FMX flight simulator with Aviation instructor Isaac Conrad. Governor Lee was able to safely fly and land the machine, which is one of only two flight simulators in Tennessee high schools.
Governor Lee was impressed with the programs offered to students at Cleveland High School; he stated, "We want to duplicate this and expand this and give opportunities for children all across Tennessee, particularly in vocational and technical and agricultural fields.”
Dr. Russell Dyer, Director of Schools, said, “I am proud of the work our teachers and students accomplish each day in Cleveland City Schools. I am particularly proud of the CTE program at Cleveland High School under the leadership of CTE Supervisor Renny Whittenbarger and Principal Autumn O'Bryan. Governor Lee and Lt. Governor McNally saw high-quality programs that offer students the opportunity for early post-secondary credit as well as partnerships with local businesses and industries for real-world experience. It was a great visit and I appreciate Senator Bell, Representative Hall, Mayor Brooks, school board members Dawn Robinson, Peggy Pesterfield, Charlie Cogdill, Carolyn Ingram, and Chamber of Commerce President Mike Griffin for attending as well.”
Read more about the visit in the Chattanooga Times Free Press article.
