Transforming Workforce Development at Holyoke, MA Dean Technical High School

At yesterday's annual advisory board meeting, the ongoing partnership between Dean's educators and industry was clearly evident. The meeting focused on refining program direction, evaluating student performance outcomes, and anticipating the skills students will need as industry continues to evolve. Having witnessed this collaboration for over 20 years, I can attest to how this model demonstrates the value of maintaining strong connections between educational institutions and the industries they serve while preparing students for successful careers.

William J. Dean Technical High School in Holyoke, Massachusetts, exemplifies how strategic planning and comprehensive needs assessments can transform career and technical education programs even under challenging circumstances. The school has operated under some unique constraints as part of the Holyoke Public Schools district, which was placed under state receivership in April 2015 due to chronically low graduation rates and test scores. The state takeover, which stripped local School Committee and superintendent decision-making power in favor of a state-appointed receiver, created both challenges and opportunities for educational transformation. After nearly a decade under state control and with some resistance, Holyoke is poised to regain local control in July 2025, making it the first Massachusetts district to successfully exit receivership. 

Now operating as the Holyoke High School Dean Campus, this institution serves up to 400 students with a predominantly Latino population, where more than 90 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nearly 50 percent receive special education services, and 35 percent are English Language Learners.The school's evolution demonstrates the importance of feasibility studies in educational program development. Through collaborative partnerships, Dean has completed in-depth organizational assessments and this data-driven strategy helped faculty and staff better understand  student behaviors, develop effective communication strategies, and create supportive learning environments.

Dean now offers nine specialized Career, Vocational and Technical Education (CVTE) programs spanning Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive Technology, Carpentry, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Diesel Technology, Electrical, Health Assisting, and Programming and Web Development. Each program's establishment and growth stems from careful strategic planning that balances local industry demands with student career aspirations. 

The Programming and Web Development program stands as a prime example of the school's industry-aligned approach. For over two decades, I have served alongside other working professionals on the program's advisory board, offering continuous input that keeps the curriculum aligned with rapidly evolving technology and current hiring standards. This long-term partnership ensures graduates move on to college or enter the workforce with relevant, up-to-date skills.

At the meeting, Joel McAuliffe, Director of Career and Technical Education, emphasized the school's commitment to providing diverse opportunities. Dean’s philosophy reflects the comprehensive approach to workforce development that emerges from thorough feasibility studies and ongoing community needs assessment, ensuring programs remain relevant to both student aspirations and economic realities. 

And finally A GIGANTIC shoutout to two of the many amazing faculty at Dean - Pepe Pedraza and José Gastón. Your students are very fortunate!

Tropical storm Irene and The Connecticut River

This was my first week back from vacation and it was a busy one both inside and outside the office. Tropical Storm Irene came through last weekend and the flooding after really did some terrible damage and continues to impact people's lives from North Carolina to Maine..

Much of the rain that fell north of us from Irene eventually ended up flowing down the Connecticut River that separates Vermont and New Hampshire and splits Massachusetts and Connecticut. I drive by the Holyoke Dam every day going to and returning from work and took a few minutes to shoot some video on August 30, the day the river crested. I have never seen the river this high and this powerful. This was shot on the bridge connecting Holyoke and South Hadley Falls.



I could not believe the debris along with the color of the water.

Green High Performance Computing: Ping, Power and Pipe

On October 21 I was at our National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education annual conference in Washington, DC. Green was the theme of of this year's conference with sessions on everything from bio-fuels, wind power, photovoltaics, computer virtualization and storage. Back at home there was another green event happening in Holyoke, MA that I had to miss. Governor Deval Patrick came out to Holyoke Community College to discuss his continued support and announce the go ahead for the planned construction of the regions first high performance computer center in a new "innovation" district located in Holyoke, MA. Partners in the project include Cisco, EMC (both companies also in attendance at our NSF conference in Washington, DC), MIT, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts.

If you are not from Massachusetts maybe you haven't heard of Holyoke. If you are from the area you probably think of Holyoke as an old New England mill town. What you may not know is 160 years ago Holyoke was the first planned industrial city in America. Here's a brief historical overview summarized from the city website:

• In 1847, taking advantage of the broad plain and the 57 foot drop in the Connecticut River at South Hadley Falls, work began on a planned industrial City. Construction of Holyoke's first wooden dam began in 1847 under the Hadley Falls Company.
• As Holyoke matured, it began to diversify industrially. Four and a half miles of canals were dug by pick and shovel through the lower wards, and all types of products were manufactured along their banks.
• Textiles were the first major product of the City, quickly followed by paper. Within 30 years, Holyoke would become known as the "Paper City of the World".
• From its highs of the 1920's industry showed a gradual decline in overall employment. Many labor and energy intensive firms followed the national pattern, and moved to the South and West, to be nearer raw materials and cheaper labor. The remaining industries took advantage of Holyoke's unique resources, especially her highly skilled labor force and plentiful water for power and process uses.
• Although many of the paper mills left, many specialty paper producers have remained.

Manufacturing, textiles, speciality paper,,,,, what does that have to do with a green high performance computing center? A recent post at MassTech.org referred the attraction to Holyoke as ping, power and pipe - the city has a high-speed network in place with fiber connections to major research universities, low cost water-power generated electricity and the required cooling infrastructure.

There is still considerable work to be done with the next step over the next couple of months an executed purchase and sale agreement. According to the MassTech.org piece, 80 different sites in the Holyoke canal district are being considered for the center.

I live across the Connecticut River in South Hadley and drive through the canal district every day back and forth to work at Springfield Technical Community College. The canals and old buildings are beautiful and I love the ride - I'm looking forward to the watching the center, innovation district and area transition and grow.