Career-focused programs offered at six local high schools — sometimes in conjunction with businesses — provide great benefits to students. But a disparity in funding and lack of certified educators to teach courses at these schools are roadblocks in offering programs like this more widely, according to a San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report released on Monday, June 26. The report includes Menlo Park's TIDE Academy as an example of a successful program in the report.

During an eight-month investigation, the 19-member grand jury, which convened on July 1, 2022, found that the county's six school districts with high schools approach career technical education (CTE) differently, as do the schools within those districts. The investigation also found that administrators within the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), school districts, and high schools unanimously believe CTE and other profession-oriented courses are an important benefit to students, according to the report, titled "Education is Everyone's Business: School-Business Partnerships Make an Impact in Country's High Schools."

Two of the largest multi-faceted benefactors in the county are Oracle and Genentech. Oracle provided over $51 million in funding and thousands of hours of Oracle volunteers for Design Tech (d.tech) in Redwood City, which was founded in 2014. The Genentech Foundation donated $7.8 million in initial funding, along with $200,000 annually for ongoing program expenses, for Science Garage in South San Francisco, which opened in 2017.

One of the grand jurors was a retired South San Francisco City City Council member who helped establish the Science Garage, according to jury foreman Steve Drace.

"d.tech was brought up and the grand jury decided to look at if city government is doing their job (to facilitate these partnerships)," Drace said. "It was a case (of) looking at successes, an 'atta boy' report. What could schools who don't have access to these resources do? Our big takeaway is that it is ever more challenging to find CTE teachers."

Less visible, yet highly beneficial, school partnerships and CTE programs also exist at TIDE Academy in Menlo Park, founded in 2019 and located near Meta's headquarters, and Redwood High School and Summit Preparatory High School in Redwood City, according to the report.

Drace said TIDE Academy's tech-focused career pathways, paid summer internship opportunities through companies like Facebook, Genesis Technologies, Kaiser, Boys & Girls Club, Little Warrior Productions, Hewlett Packard and Abbott Labs stood out to the grand jury members. Students can study the programming languages Python and JavaScript, learn how to make mobile apps and use a new makerspace that has a 3D printer.

Students also can be matched with an industry mentor who they meet with monthly.

"One of the equity concerns (with internships) is that students from well-to-do families can take unpaid internships," he said.

He was surprised TIDE, a magnet school in the Sequoia Union High School District, doesn't have full enrollment. The school had about 245 students during the 2022-23 school year and can accommodate up to 300 (it previously expected its maximum capacity to be 400).

TIDE Principal Simone Rick-Kennel said that as enrollment grows to its capacity over time, TIDE is committed to providing a small school setting where educators can better prepare students for college and career via dual enrollment with Foothill College and CTE pathways in computer science, and graphic and interactive design.

"TIDE's dual-enrollment partnership with Foothill College also uniquely positions us as a leading option for families seeking the benefits of a STEAM-focused education and smaller class sizes, and we believe as this concept takes hold within our community, that enrollment will reflect that in the coming years," she said in an email.

Redwood High School, a small continuation high school in the Sequoia district, is more trade-oriented and offers a non-college track for county students in careers such as building and construction trades, culinary arts and hospitality.

"They really, really do an excellent job," Drace said.

School district spokesperson Arthur Wilkie said that the district is proud of the work that takes place at TIDE Academy and Redwood High School.

"Both sites have done a tremendous job in forging partnerships with local organizations and businesses to serve their students at the highest level possible," he said.

He said Summit Preparatory in Redwood City has developed a learning platform, with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative that's used by schools countrywide. The charter school focuses on project-based learning.

Research on school/business partnerships

A 2021 report by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) shows these partnerships can result in students having more robust social and emotional skills development, higher attendance rates and lower chronic absenteeism, among other things.

The programs also help develop possible future employees for the companies, according to GPS Education Partners, a nonprofit work-based learning solutions provider and advocate.

Lack of funding for CTE programs, teachers

The lack of funding and accredited CTE teachers result in an uneven distribution of these opportunities across the county, the report found. Some high schools have robust CTE pathways or other vocational programs, while others just have limited or no offerings, according to the grand jury.

The grand jury report recommends that the county Office of Education and school districts take the following steps:

• Prepare a plan that supports and facilitates initial contacts and meetings between school administrators and business leaders annually to explore potential partnerships, including financial support, curriculum development, internships, professional mentors and on-site exposure to work environments.

• Consider proposing to the state Department of Education a review of required credentials for CTE instructors to find ways to streamline, accelerate and broaden approvals.

• Consider sponsoring regular conferences to review and discuss ongoing and planned future school-business partnerships in the county with decision-makers among business leaders, school and CTE administrators, and community and government leaders.

• Investigate providing transportation for students to existing CTE facilities within the county without regard to a student's home school district.

• Investigate the feasibility of re-establishing at least one Regional Occupation Center and Program facility for developing career education, career development and workforce preparation in the County and publicly report the outcome of the investigation. Similar centers exist in Santa Clara and Marin counties, according to the state.

•Develop and apply metrics and procedures to evaluate their CTE pathways and, if applicable, business partnership programs' effectiveness.

Elected officials are required to respond to a report's findings and recommendations within 60 days, and governing bodies must respond within 90 days.

Read the report at sanmateocourt.org/documents/grand_jury/2022/2022education.pdf.