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Mayor Claude Ramsey, "Make sure they get to school on time and they go with an attitude to learn."
That's the message to parents as they prepare their kids to head back to school on Tuesday. Mayor Claude Ramsey and school administrators say now is the perfect time to stress the importance of education. People are excited about VW and the jobs that it will bring, but they must be prepared.
Mayor Ramsey, "Learn that science, learn that math, the jobs that are being created are not the jobs of 25 years ago, without an education you're going to get left behind."
So over the next 100 days, Mayor Ramsey will meet with school administrators to map out how to prepare Hamilton County students for the next wave of jobs.
Dr. Scales, "We need to have some conversations with VW and other business and industry here in Hamilton County to determine what our needs are so we can determine what direction we need to take in terms of our planning."
School Board Chairman Kenny Smith says while schools must prepare students for college, it's important to give them other options.
Smith, "We have got to ramp up career and tech, it's a must, if we don't have people ready to go on the job site they'll come from out of town. Business won't sit back and say well we wont be able to do it because we don't have anybody, they will find them and it needs to be a Hamilton County student."
Commissioner Hullander agrees. He says while schools make students meet the same graduation requirements, he admits, not everyone can or will go onto college.
Commissioner Bill Hullander, "When they get about 16 year olds, we need to sit down and talk to them, but folks if they can't continue that path we need to have vocational schools, adult high schools for them to go to."
Kenny Smith says the county has needed a technical high school for several years now, and VW has just brought it to everyone's attention.
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