corporate cleveland (3)

Dr. Weems and myself seem to disagree on the opportunity of high students to work part-time in the corporate while also attending classes during the academic school year. Dr. Weems does not like this theory or practice, because working in a corporate office is not part of a child's education; in fact, it is a major hindrance and distraction. This was not what our founding fathers intended for the American educational system to be. I, on the other hand, believe that this corporate exposure for teenagers is invaluable (and I have personally witnessed the effects of such a program during my short stay at St. Martin de Porres HS, which is located in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood and part of the Cristo Rey Network...see video clips in the margin). Students in the 9th thru 12th grades are required to spend one day per week working at a corporate setting. This service allows for each low-income student and their families to attend St. Martin's, which has an estimated tuition of $11,000 per year. More importantly, I think, the CWSP (Corporate Work Study Program), which is what this program is called, provides teenagers with the soft & hard skills (i.e. time management, organization, conflict resolution, professionalism, networking, career orientation) that not only will be introduced to them, but refined and polished as they step onto college campuses.