Janet Aniol suggests that Board listen and make changes or leave and let others do the job

Janet Aniol, a former member of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee and current president of the Beaver Creek Association, spoke at the October Governing Board meeting. She asked the Board to either listen to the repeated requests coming from Verde Valley residents and make changes and provide more services or leave the Board and let others do the job.  

She reminded the Board that superintendents, citizens, and others have repeatedly appeared before the Board making requests for more classes, more services, lower taxes, lower tuition, and a CTE facility. However, there has been little change.  She also reminded the Board that it could emulate the model of the County Supervisors, who have identical districts. She pointed out that they have been able to cooperatively work together for the entire county. She urged the Board to follow that example.

You may view Ms. Aniol’s speech to the Board below.

Supports delay in appointing new president until new Governing Board is seated

Verde Valley resident (and candidate for Camp Verde mayor) Jackie Baker appeared before the Community College Governing Board at its October meeting.  She reminded the Board that residents in the Verde Valley have come to it “over and over” asking that it establish a Community College Career and Technical Education facility on the east side of the County for its 73,000 residents just as it has done on the west side of the County. 

She also said it is only “logical and fair” to wait to make a final selection of a new president until after the November election and when the new Governing Board is seated in January.

You may view her remarks made at the Board meeting below.

Hands-on activities such as creating commemorative coins with a CNC machine, controlling robots, tinkering with snap circuits, piloting a flight simulator and launching stomp rockets plus lots of food and drink

Students, staff and faculty at Yavapai College’s Technical Education Center are hosting the next in a series of distinct 50th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, September 29. The College reports that the  “celebration aims to enlighten the community about the variety of career training opportunities CTEC offers, as well as dazzle techies and the technically challenged alike with unique activities and displays.”

Attendees can explore such hands-on activities as creating commemorative coins with a CNC machine, controlling robots, tinkering with snap circuits, piloting a flight simulator and launching stomp rockets. Food trucks, a kids zone, live  music with the Crown Kings, a corn hole contest,  a beer garden, a car show and a drone obstacle course are also on tap.

All activities are free and all are welcome. CTEC is located at 220 Ruger road in Prescott. The College says that a detailed CTEC celebration schedule is available on the college’s anniversary website: 50th.yc.edu.

Ray claims at September 2018 meeting  he qualified October 2017 statement about purchase of CTE building on East side of the County and included “planning;” Also claims Ruger building received large donation; video and data on purchase of building appear to not support claims 

These are admittedly minor issues but the Blog believes that statements by Governing Board members should be checked for accuracy.  It was unable to find support for a couple of Mr. Sigafoos’ important statements made at the September meeting.

At the September 2018 Governing Board meeting a question about what Ray Sigafoos said about the need for planning when the issue of a centralized Career and Technical Education building came up during discussion.  According to Ray’s September 2018 memory,  during the October 2017 discussion on this issue “I put in a caveat that we needed a plan.” “We need a plan first, that is what I was attempting to say in October.” “I think I included the planning part in my comments.”

You may compare the Sigafoos comments and his recollection of his October statement with the video clip of those comments about the CTE building made at the October 2017 meeting. They appear inconsistent.

Ray also said that the “Ruger building was part of a donation and purchase.” “They got some donations and we got the building.”  The Blog went back to the audited financial statements issued by the College in June 2006 and June 2007 to try and determine the nature and extent of any donation for the Ruger Building.  The Blog could not find any indication of a major donation for the actual purchase of the Ruger building in those documents.  It would have been expected to show up somewhere. (There were, of course, some stipends for faculty and machinery from outside interests and possibly some money for classroom renovation.) 

The Blog also went back to the May 2007 and April 2007 agendas where the Governing Board made the purchase of the Ruger building. Neither pager 41 of the May 8, 2007 agenda or the April agenda suggests a large donation for the acutal purchase of the building was involved.

Compare the two videos below.  And read the 2006, 2007 June financial reports and the above referenced agendas. The first video is a clip of the September 2018 Board discussion.  The second is a clip of the October 2017 Board discussion.

College says request was forwarded to Vice President  Liss  but knows of no  progress being made on it

Scott Jablow, Sedona City Council

On August 14, 2018 Executive Verde Valley Campus Dean James Perey and Vice President Clint Ewell appeared before the Sedona City Council. Perey and Ewell were there to explain why the College failed to explain to the Council the reasons such an increase was needed prior to the vote that was taken by the Governing the Board to approve it in May 2018. 

During the wide-ranging discussion, Councilor Scott Jablow asked Dean Perey about the progress the College had made on his specific request regarding training for plumbers, HVAC service people, and carpenters on the east side of the County. He reminded Perey that the request was made 18 months ago. 

Jablow said that there is an “urgent need for qualified workers.” He also said that Perey promised 18 months earlier he was going to do “outreach to these different groups.” Jablow concluded that he was not seeing “any improvement” by the Community College in response to his request and asked what progress had been made.  

Perey responded that “I haven’t done much on that front. That project is being overseen by Dr. Ron List.  . . . I passed that information on to him in regard to reaching out to those individuals.”  Perey went to say, “I understand your concern.”

The exchange between Councilor Jablow and James Perey on this issue is posted below.  The clip is a part of the 45 minute presentation at the Sedona City Council meeting and you can view the entire discussion on the City of Sedona web site by clicking here.

Programs provide students with high school and Yavapai Community College credit and industry certification except for construction, for which no college credits were available

Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education Superintendent Bob Weir was named Career and Technical Education Administrator of the Year at the state conference of the Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona on July 18. Weir works closely with Yavapai College as an educational partner to develop new dual and concurrent enrolled CTE programs.

Weir, second from left, is pictured with board members from Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona after receiving award.

In receiving the award, Weir was recognized for his work in developing, staffing, and finding facilities for East County high school programs including certified nursing assistant, construction, culinary arts, firefighting, medical assistant, phlebotomy and teacher training.

These programs provide students both high school and college credit as well as industry certification except for construction, for which no college credits were available.

As Arizona’s representative for CTE Administrator of the Year, Weir will now compete at the regional level.

 Act provides expanded funding opportunities for Yavapai Community College and local high school CTE programs

Congress passed a bipartisan overhaul of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act Wednesday, July 25  and sent it to the President who is expected to sign it. The $1.1 billion program, last reauthorized in 2006, is a principal source of federal funding to states and discretionary grantees for the improvement of secondary and post-secondary career and technical education programs across the nation. The purpose of the Act is to develop more fully the academic, career, and technical skills of secondary and post-secondary students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs Some of the ways it may be used  include:

1. Strengthen the academic, occupational and technical skills of students.
2. Provide students with strong experience in and understanding of all aspects of an industry, including partnerships/collaboration with local industry representatives.
3. Develop, improve or expand the use of technology in CTE.
4. Provide professional development programs to instructors, counselors and administrators.
5. Develop and implement evaluations of CTE programs.
6. Initiate, improve, expand and modernize quality CTE programs
7. Provide services and activities that are of sufficient size, scope and quality to be effective.
   

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College holding seminar about its new construction program at 6 p.m.; no similar announcement or information about new construction program on Verde Campus or Sedona Center; College says there may be paid internships at CTEC

Yavapai Community College has announced it will hold what it describes as a “Construction Preview Day” Wednesday, July 25 at 6 p.m. at the Career & Technical Education Center (CTEC),  220 Ruger Road, by the Prescott airport. In its Facebook announcement, the College states that attendees should “Join us at Yavapai College’s CTEC for a free preview day to learn about YC’s new construction program and potential paid internships. A new or better career is calling. Answer! Get more information here: https://www.yc.edu/v5content/public-information/sub/construction/.

The College provided no similar announcement or information about “new construction” programs, if any, on the Verde Campus or at the Sedona Center. 

Citizens at June Work Session express concern that East County taxes have not been fairly returned by the College to the Valley; some perceive the College does not listen to Verde Valley citizens

The Camp Verde Town Council held a Work Session Wednesday, June 13 that in part focused on a strategy to work with Yavapai College and the other communities and educational institutions in the Verde Valley to bring about a centralized Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC).  The Council agreed that the Town should engage in a positive conversation with the College about a future CTE facility and its location in the Valley. The Council was informed that all East County superintendents favored a centralized CTE location.

Town Manager Russ Martin was tasked with the responsibility of contacting the College and others in the Valley about the CTE situation and to help deal with the question of where to locate a future CTE facility. There appeared little support for locating the CTE facility in Building “L” on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale.

Several citizens spoke during the work session and in general indicated frustration with the College and concern that a large percentage of property taxes paid by residents was not being returned to the area for post-secondary education.  Ms. Linda Buchanan spoke on behalf of the College.

The Blog has posted below a four minute speech by Mr. Dan Mabery made at the session that it believes reflects the overall concerns expressed by several Valley residents  who attended with CTE and the College. (Sorry, sound and video were the best the Blog could get.)   You may view the entire Camp Verde Town Council Workshop of June 13 by clicking here.