Association Recognizes Contributions of Local Educator, Industry Supporter The end of this school year may not have been what anyone expected, but the ability to be responsive and find new ways to engage students — be it remote learning or through new programs — has always been one of the hallmarks of General McLane Superintendent Rick Scaletta. Scaletta, who is retiring after 40 years of service in the district, has helped drive the school system’s thriving music and performing arts program, but also its involvement in technical training and education. For a good part of his tenure, the district’s chief administrator has been a staunch supporter of bridging the skills gap by working with local industry and manufacturers to offer a variety of programs and classes to empower students with the 21st century skills needed to succeed today. “We have been truly fortunate to find a partner in Rick Scaletta,” says Manufacturer & Business Association President and CEO John Krahe. “He has been receptive and forward thinking in how he and his administrative team and educators have worked to create new opportunities in technical education, and he has been an avid supporter of our annual MFG Day program and inspiring the next generation about the importance and opportunities that come with manufacturing careers.” In the early ‘90s, the district began actively engaging students involved in engineering classes with more hands-on experience. Over the years, the district continued to expand and enhance its offerings and, in 2012, utilized an NTMA personality benchmark assessment of 33 ideal employees to help profile students who would be best suited for careers in industry. From that, Scaletta became more involved in working with industry on how these employers could assist General McLane students. “Most educators are like me. I went to kindergarten, and I went to school for another 12 years. Then, I graduated and went to college for four years. Then, I started working in a school while attending grad school. And so, when I look back, I’ve been in school 56 years,” Scaletta explains. “So, what do I know about the careers we’re preparing kids for and the systems and facilities that they would be working in? A big
thing that’s happened, I think wonderfully, in the past 10 years, is we are talking more with industry. We are looking at their facilities. They’re looking at what we do. There’s a level of collaboration I haven’t seen in my 40 years.“ Today, General McLane offers students many STEM-focus programming, including its Academy of Medical Arts and Engineering and Manufacturing Academy. Its robust offerings provide students opportunities to utilize its STEM Lab, which includes 3-D printers, CNC machines and CAD. According to Scaletta, the development of such a diverse curriculum has been the result of working with educators, groups such as the Erie County Career Pathways Alliance and Career Street, and a wide range of industry partners. Rob Cooney, manufacturing manager at Plastikos, who has worked with Scaletta for a number years, describes him as an avid learner, who was intrigued by the level of sophistication, automation and technical capabilities during a renovation tour at the company in June 2015. Scaletta’s interest and enthusiasm resonated with Cooney and his team. “I remember him asking me during the tour what our biggest challenges were. I informed him that it is our inability to recruit technician level staffing as a result of a lack of training in our area. Quite often in the past (and even today some), we hired young men and women two to three years after they graduated from high school who found out that either college wasn’t for them or they stumbled through various jobs that didn’t have a clear career path. Our desire was to change this and engage students earlier on in high school to show them the various opportunities that we have here. Coupled with our extensive in-house training capabilities, it yields a recipe for success.” General McLane ultimately formed a Manufacturing Academy to expose students (and their parents) early on in high school about thriving manufacturing careers available to them. “Since Plastikos’ initial involvement in developing this program with GM, it has been opened up to a handful of other local companies and other school districts in our area — Girard, Millcreek, Fort LeBoeuf — have
Rick Scaletta General McLane Superintendent
ED U C AT I O N PROFILE followed suit and developing similar programs all aimed at developing an alternate path for students who might not want to attend college or aren’t sure exactly what they want following high school,” says Cooney. Thus far, the company has hired several GM students who have successfully completed the Manufacturing Academy as well as internships in its facility. “This all began with a very strong desire that Rick has to collaborate with local industry to meet our needs and to also offer students alternate pathways toward successful longterm careers following their high school graduation,” Cooney adds. In 2017-2018, General McLane embarked on a project to equip students with the tools to become inventors and entrepreneurs. James W. Parker Middle School utilizes the Inventionland curriculum in which seventh graders have the opportunity to walk through the nine-step invention process, developing and pitching their ideas. General McLane High School students now utilize the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program curriculum, as well. The program, added in the 2018-2019 school year, enables participants to engage their entrepreneurial mindsets and acquire the tools that empower them to succeed with 21st century workforce skills, such as critical and creative thinking, collaboration and problem solving. “Our mission statement says, ‘Empower students to be all they’re capable of being.’ And so, if that means college, fine,” says Scaletta. “If that means being a machinist who is doing a great job, fine. Whatever it is, I hope that we have the pathways established for these students to find out where their skills are and get them to where they belong.” Congratulations on all your efforts and your retirement, Rick!
mbabizmag.com • MAY 2020
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