What’s Right With Our Schools: NWGA College and Career Academy

DALTON, GA (WDEF) – The Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy is continuing its mission to develop a 21st century workforce. They do that through focused and relevant instruction to help high school students land good jobs. Let’s take a closer look in tonight’s “What’s Right With Our Schools.”

“Everything we do here is is focused on be beyond graduation,” David Moeller, CEO, College and Career Academy, Whitfield County Schools says.

“We don’t worry about a graduation rate. Um for us, it’s what are we doing for these kids that when they graduate high school, they have an opportunity, they prepared. They have a license, they have a credential, but they have some dual enrollment. They want to do a little bit of technical college, some post-secondary work, they can do that through some dual enrollment with us. Um they can do some dual enrollment with Dalton State. And then go ahead. And if they want to go on a full year, full year degree, we’ve prepared them for that as well through our programs, through our certifications. You know, if you look at health care, if you want to go into healthcare, whether it be a physician’s assistant, physical therapy, or even medical school,” Moeller continued.

“Uh I take the manufacturing pathway. It gives you a lot more opportunity than just staying at your home school. You get to learn a lot of field specific things,” Carson Long, Junior, NW Whitfield School says.

“I wanted to do the criminal justice pathway because it wasn’t offered at my home school,” Serinty Sullivan, Junior, Coahulla Creek said.

Sullivan continued, “From 8th grade, I’ve known I wanted to go to the army cuz it was my dad’s dream and it kind of just traveled with me. I learned about all the benefits and opportunities that you’ve got. And I figured doing the criminal justice class would help me get a head start on the def defensive techniques there.”

Moeller says, “So, we serve all three high schools for Whitfield County Schools, both Northwest Whitfield, Southeast Whitfield, and uh Coahulla Creek High School. Our students come here, we only teach math and science. So, they come here, they’ll take an academic math or science class, do their career class, and then go back to their home school and finish out their day or start their day.”

“I was very interested in being in the healthcare pathway during my sophomore year. So, as I’m in high school, I’m actually able to work in the hospital and get on experience, start shadowing if I really wanted to, and then I can just get going,” Lidia Hernandez, Senior, Southeast Whitfield said.

“I’m a junior and I plan on still coming here next year again. And it just gives you more experience. It allows you to work hands-on on multiple things,” Cinthia Ortiz, NW Whitfield High School stated.

“So, with the fire pathway, they’re, they’re able to get their firefighter one two hazmat awareness and operations. They can do it their junior or senior year coming into the program. But in the program, they get their certifications. We treat it just like recruit school. Um, so they’re learning the skills, they’re growing, they’re taking the test, they actually take the national test when they take it. So when they get ready, when they graduate, they’re ready for a recruit school somewhere,” Josh Robinson, Training Captain, Whitfield County Fire said.

“Before they even graduate high school, our students are are certified firefighters, fire one and fire two. They are certified EMT uh before they even walk the graduation stage. Uh over the last two, three years, Whitfield County Fires hired nine students straight out of that program. They were actually uh Whitfield County firefighters before they walk the graduation stage,” Moeller said.

“The career academy is a choice. So you can leave or join at any time. You can switch classes at any time. So it really is great if you don’t know what you want to do,” Evelyn Jones, Senior, Cohulla Creek said.

“For us, it’s all about beyond the graduation rate. We focus on providing kids and equipping them with the skills, licenses, and credentials that they need after graduation,” Moeller says.