00:00 - This program has been paid for by the sponsor and does not reflect

00:03 - the views of PCN.

00:27 - Welcome to the Keystone Education Report, where Pennsylvania's education

00:31 - leaders come together to address the key issues shaping our schools.

00:36 - Today, we're getting a behind the scenes look at Pennsylvania's intermediate units.

00:41 - Diving into what they are and what they do to support our school districts.

00:46 - Joining us first is doctor Mark Lighty.

00:48 - He's the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association

00:51 - of Intermediate Units.

00:53 - Prior to serving at PICU, he served 14 years

00:56 - as superintendent of the Mechanicsburg Area School District and holds

01:00 - a doctorate in educational leadership from Duquesne University,

01:04 - along with a bachelor's and master's degree from Shippensburg University.

01:08 - He serves on multiple professional and advisory boards, and

01:11 - is deeply committed to helping students achieve their full potential.

01:14 - Mark, good to see you.

01:16 - Nice to see you.

01:17 - So I use let's let's just start at the very beginning, because I'm

01:20 - sure a lot of people kind of scratch your heads and say,

01:22 - I think I've heard of it,

01:24 - but I don't really understand what they are, where they are.

01:27 - What are the intermediate units in Pennsylvania?

01:29 - What it is.

01:29 - It is a great place to start because I think that it's probably

01:33 - one of the most, misunderstood aspects of education in the state.

01:37 - And so I believe that it's inherent in the name intermediate units.

01:42 - If you think of intermediate as

01:45 - a connector in the unit as capacity.

01:49 - And so an intermediate unit is, designed to connect

01:53 - what's happening at the state level with local schools.

01:57 - It's the intermediary between those and unit

02:00 - is this idea that we can do more on a regional level

02:04 - and build capacity on a regional level that we don't often do at a local level,

02:09 - even some of our most affluent and largest districts

02:13 - can't do what a regional scope can do.

02:17 - Okay.

02:17 - So connecting kind of what we need to do statewide, if you will,

02:21 - to the needs of any of the 500 school districts across Pennsylvania.

02:25 - But that's a lot of things that and my understanding of intermediate units.

02:29 - And I've worked with you for a while,

02:31 - if you've seen one, you've seen one kind of approach.

02:34 - Right.

02:34 - So talk to me a little about

02:36 - as you take this look across Pennsylvania and all the different intermediate units,

02:39 - some of the things that they do that maybe people don't realize they're

02:43 - working within, amongst and kind of behind the scenes at districts.

02:47 - So, as you said in the introduction, I've been in public education

02:51 - for 30 plus years.

02:52 - And I gotta be honest with you, I'm not sure I totally understood

02:55 - the scope of what intermediate units do in our state.

02:58 - It was described to me as the the silent engine that powers education.

03:02 - And I love that because, as you point out, most people,

03:06 - you go into a local convenience store and you say intermediate unit,

03:10 - as you said, people are going to know right about that,

03:12 - but they are the heart of providing professional development,

03:16 - special education services, efficiency and purchasing from,

03:20 - things like food services or transportation.

03:25 - So you name it, if it happens in schools,

03:28 - intermediate units can be a service agency to that.

03:31 - Why they're all different is because every region across the state

03:35 - of Pennsylvania has different needs, but they also have different local capacity.

03:41 - And so it really takes, that combined effort of the superintendents

03:46 - and the executive director at the IU to to say, what are the services

03:51 - that this IU is going to provide for these school districts?

03:54 - Okay. So pull back for me.

03:55 - Look at the state as a whole number of I use across the state.

04:01 - So there are 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania.

04:04 - And they serve every region of the state of

04:08 - and there are school districts assigned to those intermediate units.

04:13 - Graphically, geographically, however, you can purchase services outside

04:18 - of the intermediate unit from other intermediate units and intermediate units.

04:22 - In Pennsylvania, have the opportunity to provide services even across

04:27 - state lines if if they have a service that other states would want.

04:31 - They're all different sizes, right.

04:33 - You've got some large intermediate units, smaller rural,

04:36 - that sort of thing, just like our school districts.

04:39 - And they often mirror that.

04:41 - I think that as you look at the services that the intermediate

04:45 - units provide and the fact that they're that quiet engine,

04:50 - most folks at the

04:51 - local level don't know about the intermediate unit.

04:54 - And so it can become challenging.

04:57 - And I think two of the biggest challenges

04:58 - that intermediate units face, are around the funding mechanism.

05:02 - Okay.

05:03 - And that's perennial for education. Right.

05:05 - But also the governance side of intermediate units. So

05:11 - I think those are two very misunderstood aspects of what intermediate units do.

05:15 - So talk to me a little about the governance.

05:17 - So the governance piece is interesting as you would know.

05:19 - So our local, school districts have an opportunity to send a elected

05:26 - locally elected school board official to the intermediate unit.

05:31 - All of the school board members within that intermediate

05:35 - unit vote on that school board member becoming part of the IU.

05:40 - Here's the challenge.

05:42 - When you are a local school board official,

05:45 - you obviously have a commitment to that local district.

05:49 - When you get to the IU board, you have a commitment to the IU

05:53 - and a fiduciary responsibility to that intermediate unit, too.

05:58 - So that could create challenges.

05:59 - A lot of different hats to wear. Exactly. Okay.

06:01 - So are you really the I don't want to call it

06:05 - the parent organization, but really the umbrella.

06:07 - And your job is to help all 29.

06:12 - Right. Advance.

06:13 - Talk to me a little about how peer IU does what it does

06:16 - to really support this diverse group of intermediate units.

06:21 - Yeah. So it's a great job.

06:22 - I love it as as you said earlier out superintendent and I love that job.

06:26 - But this is a new challenge primarily.

06:29 - What Pi2 does three things.

06:31 - We we, work on advocacy for the intermediate units

06:35 - because it is a group that is not known so well in the state.

06:40 - And with the turnover of leadership, both at the superintendent level

06:44 - and at the state level, and the general Assembly,

06:48 - we're constantly making people aware, working towards making people aware of it.

06:53 - We also are about innovation.

06:55 - A lot of districts don't have the capacity to,

06:58 - go beyond just delivering what they have at the time.

07:02 - And so, whatever we can do to encourage innovation, whether it's around technology

07:07 - and AI or just professionally developing instructional strategies,

07:11 - and then networking, we have, one of the,

07:16 - one of the most exciting things I think in, in this role is watching the job of

07:20 - like leaders

07:21 - from the different intermediate units come together and share their expertise

07:25 - and by job

07:26 - like I, meaning our business managers,

07:27 - our curriculum directors, our technology directors, there's a total of 11

07:31 - of those groups that meet on a regular cadence,

07:34 - to look at the needs of education across the state.

07:39 - You mentioned when we first started chatting here.

07:42 - Really serving is that I'll call it bridge between

07:45 - what's happening at the state, maybe.

07:47 - What, the Department of Education is, is looking

07:50 - to see happen in local school districts and supporting those districts.

07:54 - So 29 different intermediate units, are you local schools, PTA,

07:59 - how do you align all of those varied approaches,

08:04 - all of those varied, sizes and budgets and everything else

08:07 - and really stay kind of, aligned to to the statewide

08:12 - drive that maybe the Department of Education is making.

08:14 - How do you make that work to to translate that to 29 ideas?

08:18 - Yeah.

08:18 - The easy answer is

08:20 - that we're all working towards making sure that students

08:23 - have what they need to learn.

08:24 - That's the easy. Okay, right.

08:26 - The more challenging answer is, well, that looks different, right?

08:29 - Everywhere you go. Right.

08:30 - And so trying to remain committed to this core idea that,

08:36 - we want to provide quality education to students,

08:39 - we want to continue to innovate for students.

08:42 - And if when you come back to that focus, it's been impressive to me

08:46 - how people are willing to to compromise when necessary, including, you know,

08:51 - let's face it, our General Assembly's in a really challenging place, right?

08:55 - You come into that job and you're supposed to be an expert on all things

09:00 - societal right, from agriculture to manufacturing to education.

09:03 - Right?

09:04 - So just making sure that we have some common interests

09:09 - and, making sure that we can convey that to our stakeholders.

09:13 - Intermediate units have been around for decades. Right.

09:15 - And I've heard you use the word innovate several times,

09:18 - but I want to maybe press you a little bit further on that.

09:20 - Look ahead for me.

09:22 - What's the role as education continues

09:25 - to change as we see AI coming into it?

09:28 - What's the role for intermediate units?

09:30 - What's your your thoughts on where they are over the next 2030 years?

09:36 - Wow. We'll change it. So I know it's it's a great question.

09:38 - It's it's a you know, but I mean you see it every day.

09:41 - So where are we going. Yeah.

09:42 - Where are the intermediate.

09:42 - It's so you hit on a couple of big ones.

09:45 - There's no question that AI is here to stay.

09:48 - And I don't think any of us have a complete crystal ball on what

09:52 - that looks like.

09:52 - I do believe that intermediate units have a responsibility,

09:56 - maybe even an obligation to be out in front on this.

09:59 - And so we do.

10:01 - Speaking of the job like groups, we have a job a like group right now

10:04 - that is focusing on I am in the implications of AI for schools.

10:10 - I also think there are, maybe more day to day types of things,

10:14 - like just the teacher pipeline and making sure that, we are providing

10:19 - the best quality individuals in front of putting them in front of our students.

10:23 - And so, there are several I use across the state

10:27 - that are working for alternative paths for certification.

10:30 - Okay.

10:30 - And, having quite a bit of success around that topic area.

10:35 - The third one I would say, is just meeting the needs of our kids

10:39 - where they are.

10:40 - And, you know, behavioral health is a significant issue.

10:43 - Nobody can deny it.

10:45 - It doesn't matter what legislative office I go into when I say

10:48 - behavioral health, I normally get head shaking up and down.

10:51 - How we address that is the question.

10:53 - And I think, I use have a responsibility there, too.

10:57 - A lot to still learn about intermediate units.

10:59 - But thank you for giving us a sense of it.

11:02 - Like you said, it's, it's maybe a

11:04 - a little understood system that operates here and has for many decades, but,

11:07 - appreciate the insights. Thank you.

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12:34 - And welcome back to the Keystone Education Report.

12:36 - We're joined now by two panelists, and we're going to expand on our conversation

12:41 - about the work and impact of Pennsylvania's intermediate units.

12:45 - Doctor Andrea Sayer is the executive director

12:48 - of the Capital Area Intermediate Unit, which supports all schools across

12:52 - Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry and northern York counties.

12:56 - And Doctor Christopher Marchesi is executive director

12:59 - of the Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, which supports

13:02 - schools across Adams, Franklin and York counties.

13:06 - Thank you both for being here.

13:07 - Thank you so much for the invite.

13:09 - Let's jump right into it.

13:10 - I want to talk about the services that your IU's provide.

13:15 - And I know it's a little different as we go kind of iu to IU.

13:18 - So talk to me a little bit about where your focus is at Capital Area.

13:22 - Well, I think it might be hard to get it all in in a very short interview.

13:25 - But we do a lot of special education supports for our school districts.

13:29 - We run classrooms of our own.

13:30 - We run consortia, classrooms.

13:32 - We do obviously early intervention.

13:35 - So we serve up.

13:36 - I think we're 3300 littles, 3 to 5 year olds every year.

13:41 - We do consortia pricing for things.

13:43 - We do a lot in the technology sphere.

13:45 - We all but one school gets their internet from us,

13:48 - and we're doing a lot with, safety around the internet and cybersecurity.

13:53 - So Sentinel one and those types of products

13:56 - and then professional development and you know, anything our districts need

13:59 - is what we like to say. Yes.

14:00 - To kind of the back office support for teachers.

14:03 - That's what we try to be.

14:04 - We try to be the back or office support to districts, really,

14:07 - because it's not just their teaching support staff that needs that support.

14:11 - So yeah, we try to be a little bit of everything and my my favorite saying is

14:16 - we try to get to yes, like if we can help you, we'll try to get to yes.

14:21 - I would think things are a little bit different in the districts

14:23 - that you serve out different needs and you're all use adapted accordingly.

14:26 - Yeah, different needs.

14:27 - But I think a lot of the similar services that capital area IU offers,

14:31 - predominantly or IU, provides a lot of special education supports

14:35 - for students, in the 25 districts that we support, we,

14:40 - we run three centers, one in York County, one in Franklin County,

14:44 - and then a program that's called Paradise School.

14:46 - That kind of borders both Adams and, and York County, just as capital area.

14:52 - You we support districts and technology services, business office services,

14:57 - human resources services, and teaching

15:00 - and learning, to support districts that are in school improvement.

15:03 - We also run

15:04 - II programs, a little over 3000 students in our footprint that are serve.

15:08 - We also run adult ed, and we also serve as regional coordinator for homelessness.

15:12 - When I think about the territory that you cover

15:15 - and we talked about the counties up front of both of you, you must have

15:18 - a blend of different types of school districts where you've got, I'm sure,

15:22 - some very rural districts, suburban, but then some urban districts as well.

15:26 - Harrisburg, I'm sure.

15:27 - York, how do you meet the needs of such

15:28 - a diverse group of districts and a diverse population?

15:32 - When you look at the the Lincoln area, for instance?

15:35 - Yeah, I mean, it is challenging as you as you go east to west.

15:39 - The, the demographics do change across our, our footprint.

15:44 - We try to engage our school leaders, in conversations, really,

15:48 - that are centered around students and supports for students.

15:50 - And that's commonality, regardless of where you are within our footprint.

15:54 - And then I think the customized approach that we provide

15:57 - in terms of supporting districts is what makes us unique as an IU, because we

16:01 - we have the ability to adapt and, and tailor our services to,

16:06 - the needs of each individual school district or school entity that we serve.

16:10 - And, you know, same question.

16:11 - I mean,

16:11 - you think about I'm thinking Harrisburg versus, you know, Northern Dauphin County.

16:15 - That's there's a big difference there.

16:16 - There's a huge difference between

16:18 - what is northern and southern Dauphin County,

16:20 - even though we only have one Dauphin County.

16:22 - And so I think I agree with doctor Mark Casey,

16:26 - talking to your school leadership and understanding

16:28 - the needs of our rural schools, of our suburban schools

16:32 - that might not have the same financial pressures or resource issues,

16:35 - but our growing exponentially.

16:37 - Cumberland County is exploding, and even Cumberland Valley School District

16:42 - just trying to keep up with the numbers that they're having where conversely,

16:46 - Upper Dauphin shrinking, still trying to figure out

16:49 - how to make sure they have everything available to their kids

16:53 - because it's a small rural school district and still coming up

16:57 - with super innovative ways to support their community,

16:59 - like buying a piece of property, looking to expand the CTC offerings

17:04 - that kids have up there, not just for their school district,

17:07 - but for Williams Valley and Tri-Valley and Line Mountain, where they're

17:10 - all an hour away from their own career and technical education home basis.

17:16 - So to speak.

17:17 - So I think you really have to understand and have the pulse of your districts

17:21 - because they're radically different.

17:23 - You mentioned innovation.

17:25 - I want to talk a little bit about that,

17:26 - because I think

17:27 - over the last several years the pressure has been on, you know, all of education.

17:31 - But I know I use the felt that the demand to innovate

17:34 - and look at new ways to deliver, services and meet those needs.

17:38 - How does that work in your IU?

17:40 - How do you innovate?

17:43 - You know, what does that process look like?

17:45 - And can you tell us what's on the horizon in terms of new innovation?

17:48 - I think one of the best reasons to be in an intermediate unit is innovation,

17:53 - and the ability to be creative when you're not just on the treadmill,

17:57 - so to speak, which a lot of school districts are right,

18:00 - it's just very difficult to keep up with the needs of your students and your staff

18:04 - and then try to do something different,

18:05 - intermediate units to get a chance to breathe.

18:08 - And we get a chance to go, okay, what can be different

18:10 - and what is that new job to be done?

18:12 - That's the question I'm asking. Now.

18:13 - What is the job to be done in the next five years?

18:16 - So we have an internal process of an innovative

18:20 - grant opportunity for our staff, so they can come up with a little idea

18:24 - like adaptive furniture and ways to do that for kids.

18:28 - That's very unique to a specific child or one that's a little bit bigger.

18:31 - That actually became something

18:33 - which is our rapid response team that goes into pre-K and daycares

18:37 - and ensures that children do not lose their seats

18:40 - by being expelled because of behavior.

18:42 - So we go in and support before that child is removed.

18:46 - And it became such a big thing

18:47 - that Oakdale actually gives us money to support around to do that.

18:51 - So we have that internal process and we also have

18:54 - everybody's positions called something different.

18:57 - But we have, special projects coordinator.

18:59 - So we have someone who's out there looking like, what is the next thing we need?

19:03 - What might that next grant look like?

19:05 - What might that next opportunity look like?

19:07 - How do we expand something that we think is really good?

19:10 - Special projects is the reason why we have our capital area, Pathways to Teaching,

19:14 - which is a pipeline to allow paraprofessionals

19:17 - to get their teaching degree without having to quit work,

19:19 - without having to not be home because they're going to classes every night.

19:23 - So, you know, a work y, you learn type of opportunity.

19:27 - Those are the types of things we like to do.

19:29 - And then different departments have different ways of keeping up with that.

19:32 - So technology does its piece going.

19:34 - Cybersecurity is one of the new frontiers of how do we keep our staff

19:38 - and students and data safe, because that has become such a challenge

19:42 - as so many school districts can attest to having had issues.

19:46 - Question for you.

19:46 - And you know, what's on the horizon for for your I yeah, I mean, very similar

19:49 - what Doctor SE just shared,

19:51 - we actually just created a division within our intermediate unit

19:54 - on, innovative solutions and strategic partnerships.

19:56 - There's a, we desire because of because of the manner

20:00 - in which the intermediate units function, where some of our organization

20:03 - looks like a school district and then some of our organization

20:07 - functions in a business, space.

20:09 - Our, our, our approach was to look at our entrepreneurial footprint

20:13 - within, IU 12.

20:15 - And we actually created a, a department that is leading those efforts.

20:20 - And just as doctor say, shared, you know, innovation is really key to our continued

20:24 - growth and our and our impact in terms of supporting, districts,

20:28 - not only within our intermediate unit, but beyond our intermediate unit.

20:32 - And it is the same kind of work in terms of challenging,

20:37 - challenging folks that work for our IU to to stretch their thinking

20:42 - districts, stretch their thoughts,

20:44 - and to look at areas of, of teaching and learning that,

20:49 - that is on the cutting edge that we can, bring in and master and,

20:54 - and support our districts, in terms of their work, locally,

20:58 - we've we've established some partnerships statewide partnerships in terms of,

21:04 - trying to change some of the conversations around, education in terms of,

21:09 - what matters to school districts.

21:11 - And that work, with brave ed solutions, as well as also leading,

21:15 - some of our work in terms of supporting districts in the mental health space.

21:20 - And those are some areas that that I think when you look at innovation and

21:24 - and you look at, how we're preparing educators and support

21:27 - educators, in their roles, that's, I think, where we come into play,

21:33 - we've got a little bit of time left.

21:35 - Early childhood education, a conversation that seems to be happening

21:39 - continuously, certainly as we get to budget season again.

21:43 - I feel like we just wrapped one up.

21:44 - But budget season

21:45 - here in the Commonwealth again, it's going to be, I think, a topic.

21:48 - Talk to me a little bit about each of your organizations

21:51 - and and the work you do in that space, I'm sure tons and tons of work.

21:54 - But, you know,

21:56 - what is it that's really occurring

21:57 - in the early childhood space from an IU perspective?

21:59 - And what do you see on the horizon in terms of, new needs

22:03 - and unique challenges?

22:04 - It's a big question, but huge topic.

22:06 - Yeah.

22:07 - I mean, that's

22:07 - that's an area that's, very new for me being in the role as executive director

22:11 - and what, what what I'm learning and what I continue to hear from our team,

22:16 - that works with our early childhood population

22:19 - is that the needs are so vast.

22:23 - And the capacity is not there.

22:25 - So how do we continue to provide opportunities

22:28 - for families and for students that need those services?

22:32 - In a way that's efficient and effective and that we can, broad scale,

22:38 - be able to impact as many kids as we're able to within our footprint.

22:42 - That is one thing, in terms of conversations that

22:46 - that I listen to, and, and hear other executive directors talk about,

22:50 - that is a challenge that seems to be very common across the state.

22:54 - Some question to you, Andrea, early childhood.

22:55 - So I think one of the biggest challenges we're seeing is exploding numbers.

23:00 - Especially post-Covid.

23:02 - But it didn't really slow down.

23:04 - So, you know, we got children that had not been in school

23:07 - for three years, so they had not been exposed to

23:10 - what you would typically have that 3 to 5 year old population exposed to.

23:16 - But then the funding is, is always been a challenge.

23:19 - One of our other executive directors who has long been in this space that I worked

23:23 - with in Delaware County, gave a history for every one of the funding.

23:27 - And it's always been just a really odd way to look at how we fund this.

23:32 - Here's your money, here's how many kids we expect you're going to see.

23:35 - It doesn't matter to us that you're telling us

23:37 - you're going to see a thousand more kids than that.

23:39 - And here's the money.

23:40 - And maybe on the back end, we'll make it up to you.

23:42 - And often we do.

23:44 - In the back end, we get made whole again.

23:46 - But that's a whole year of providing services,

23:49 - waiting to find out whether or not you're going to be made whole.

23:52 - It's a really odd funding mechanism, and it has not been figured out yet.

23:57 - And I think part of the challenges that it lives between the Department

24:00 - of Health and the Department of Education, so it's super challenging.

24:04 - And the needs of the kids are huge.

24:06 - The opportunities are shrinking.

24:08 - Parents are having difficulty with the tuition,

24:11 - and making sure that kids get out into quality places is really important,

24:15 - because we don't do as much center based work here in the midstate

24:19 - as I have seen in, let's say, the southeast,

24:22 - where the services and the expectations are just very, very different.

24:25 - And not one IU has the exact same story, even though doctor McKenzie and I

24:29 - because geographically we're close, we have similar geographics.

24:33 - We have a similar number of districts.

24:35 - We have a similar footprint.

24:37 - We have a lot in common.

24:38 - And still yet we're still very different when it comes to

24:42 - what's the answer to this.

24:44 - But it seems like not to, you know, not to kind of jump around here,

24:47 - but it seems like when you're talking about intermediates broadly,

24:52 - without being too flip about it,

24:53 - when you've seen one intermediate unit, you've seen one, you know, there is now.

24:57 - Absolutely.

24:58 - And I think that's what makes it a challenge for, for anybody

25:00 - not in the system to really understand in terms of the role you all play.

25:05 - Because if I'm understanding correctly, the role that you play with your districts

25:10 - different than what you play, let alone as you get out to,

25:12 - you know, northwestern, Pennsylvania, that sort of thing,

25:15 - because it really is adapting to the local challenges.

25:17 - It is very unique.

25:18 - I mean, I at

25:19 - most of my career has been in the southeast, so and working in school

25:23 - districts that were in Delaware County Intermediate

25:24 - Unit, Montgomery County Intermediate and Chester County Intermediate, and then

25:28 - coming to Lincoln Intermediate Unit.

25:30 - I mean, they are all operate differently.

25:32 - And that's the one thing that I, as a new executive director in Pennsylvania,

25:37 - just kind of learning from colleagues that share have a similar role.

25:41 - There is a, there is a uniqueness to our work.

25:45 - And, and a lot of it's driven based on, the regional needs.

25:48 - Huge challenge when you came to Lincoln Intermediate Unit,

25:51 - not not from the organization, but just coming out of a different environment.

25:55 - And your experience with those intermediates,

25:57 - was that a kind of a radical shift for you?

25:59 - Now? I wouldn't say it was a radical shift,

26:00 - because as a superintendent, I was very, connected into our intermediate

26:05 - unit where we leveraged a lot of supports from the intermediate unit.

26:08 - So I had a working knowledge of the intermediate units

26:11 - and what they could do in terms of supporting districts.

26:13 - So I just try to bring that

26:14 - same mindset and framework to the role of the executive director and,

26:18 - and be a, be a, a support and appear to superintendent and school leaders

26:23 - and to make sure that they knew that our organization would be able to flex

26:26 - and be able to be in a position to serve their needs to the best of our ability.

26:30 - So you touched on Andrea, CTC, I think northern Dauphin County

26:34 - you mentioned I wanted to ask you both just about where you see the role of

26:38 - AI use and workforce development headed, again, a topic

26:42 - that seems to be gaining a lot more, attention, a lot more steam,

26:46 - a lot more interest from, I think, legislators in terms

26:49 - of what we do to prepare kids for the workforce of tomorrow.

26:51 - Where where's your AI? You fit into that?

26:53 - So here's another way that I use your different many.

26:56 - I use run the technical schools in their area

26:59 - so that they're under the umbrella of the intermediate unit.

27:01 - I came from Delaware County Intermediate in where we ran the tech schools.

27:05 - Out here.

27:05 - We don't run the tech schools,

27:07 - but I am the superintendent of record for both of the tech schools.

27:10 - So it's a very different level of influence between overseeing

27:14 - and running, as opposed to what is more of a titular title,

27:18 - but a level of support that I provide to the administrative director there.

27:22 - I think there's such opportunity there.

27:24 - Like I was speaking to our capital area Pathways to Teaching

27:28 - and the work that we do with transition,

27:29 - with students with disabilities looking to be employed,

27:32 - which I think could be expanded greatly upon

27:35 - because I think our kids are able and worthy of doing much

27:39 - more interesting work than they're actually given an opportunity to do.

27:43 - But I think that, again, because we have the opportunity to breathe

27:46 - and look and see what is the next job to be done,

27:49 - I think we're a wealth of information and could really support

27:53 - what comes next in your particular region working with your workforce board,

27:57 - working with your your CTCs, working with your school districts

28:01 - who are also having a big footprint in the CTC world?

28:05 - We were speaking to a pre-engineering program in one of our schools,

28:09 - and the districts are like three of them.

28:11 - We're like, well, we have we have that already.

28:13 - Like we don't need that

28:14 - because it's really higher level math and higher level science to get you ready

28:17 - for college, less resource workforce and the role EU plays going forward,

28:21 - I think very similar.

28:22 - What did you say? I just shared?

28:23 - I came from an area where the IU's ran the tech schools and coming into IU 12,

28:29 - we support the tech schools, sorts of different, approach.

28:32 - But I think, again, the same, a level of support in terms of being able

28:37 - to connect the right people, to work with school district superintendent,

28:41 - executive directors of the CTE schools, business leaders,

28:45 - and being able to share that responsibility

28:48 - and to be able to structure supports for them

28:51 - so that they're successful in delivering programs.

28:53 - I mean, I'm very involved and active in conversations in the three counties

28:57 - with their tech schools,

28:59 - with their tech school leaders and meetings with their superintendents

29:02 - and their tech school leaders.

29:03 - So, again, just being a partner in education, I really think is

29:07 - what, you know, our role is in terms of supporting workforce development.

29:11 - I feel like we've just scratched the surface.

29:12 - We're out of time, but we need about a four part,

29:15 - series of episodes here just to cover all the different, components to it.

29:19 - And certainly as we look, even further out around the state

29:22 - with all the differences and, the varied services and approaches you all take.

29:26 - But thank you both for being here. Really appreciate it.

29:28 - Thank you so much for having us.

29:29 - Thanks for tuning into the Keystone Education Report.

29:32 - Today, we explored the essential role Pennsylvania intermediate units play in

29:36 - supporting students, educators, and school communities across the Commonwealth.

29:41 - From school services to innovative programs, their work

29:44 - continues to shape the future of education in meaningful ways.

29:49 - Join us next time as we continue to examine the issues, challenges,

29:52 - and opportunities impacting public education throughout Pennsylvania.

30:05 - This program has been paid

30:07 - for by the sponsor and does not reflect the views of PCN.