Here is a link to a story about a CAP middle school program being cut in Maryland: http://www.gazette.net/stories/071008/lanhnew170540_32365.shtml
Apparently the school had a grant for a full-time instructor for it that has run out so they're cutting the program.
Is it standard for CAP middle-school programs to have paid instructors?
Apparently the instructor was from the Army, but I suspect that was a mistake on the part of the reporter.
^ Usually not paid instructors, but teachers who also volunteer their time as CAP Senior Members.
Wow....if that person was getting paid for "teaching" CAP as an elective, they sure did a nice job getting that job!
Cut the program.......that's a shame. Maybe get a volunteer in the area to charter an actual SQD if there are 70 Cadets.
I started a middle school program this past year as an after-school club. I'm already a teacher at the school though. We're growing rapidly, but also have a parent squadron close by. There's also one other middle school flight attached to our squadron that runs like mine.
There's a huge middle school program on the edge of Houston that is a day time elective class. Actual CAP membership is optional as I understand it, but all the kids go through the MSI (now SEP?) curriculum. Over the past few years it has expanded to include high school kids who maintain their membership, 6th graders at another campus down the street, I think two full-time instuctors, and I think 2 paid TAs.
I actually had the opportunity to interview for the second teacher position but had to decline at the time. They have a great program running and are one of the largest cadet units in the nation.
I think the School Initiative is an awesome program. I worked with a few key players a few years ago, and have to say it can be an advantage to inner city youth.
I am still getting hung up on the need for paid instructors though. CAP is a volunteer organization, why can't we get volunteers to fill the spots, or teachers that take on CAP as additional duty in the school without pay. The average member volunteers in cap without pay, why can't these instructors. They would not be getting paid if they went out and volunteered at a regular unit.
I fear that we are going to see a big difference between the advantages School Cadets get over their regular SQD counterparts.
In PAWG there were teachers who volunteered to become CAP Senior Members and run the units in the schools, with one person as a paid administrator for all the school units. This gentleman even went as far as running a summertime program for any and all cadets out of the Philadelphia schools that met for a few weeks here and there every day during the summertime. I have to say the Cadets were great, the volunteers and teachers were even greater. The Philadelphia model is what NHQ under the direction of Col Applebaum will hopefully get nationwide.
I can't say enough about the MSI, and SEP. They give kids the opportunity to do CAP in areas where there are not many local SQD's. They also are embraced by the local communities, as places for teens to go to instead of the local corner and buy drugs.
If I could devote my CAP volunteering to the MSI or SEP full time, I would do it in an instant. I believe that the Schools may become the future of the Cadet Program.
We just recently had a School Teacher inquire to our squadron about how to establish a CAP middle school program. My Squadron Commander is handling this through channels but I was curious if anyone can point me in the right direction for resources about this program and/or have experience with a program like this. Thanks
Here's the information from the NHQ webpage.
http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cadet_programs/library/cadets_after_school.cfm
That sucks. In AFJROTC we have paid instructors though.
Quote from: C/Martin on November 10, 2010, 06:49:57 PM
That sucks. In AFJROTC we have paid instructors though.
And....?
The CAP Middle School Program is a great idea in concept. Very difficult to execute. Funding is the main problem.
The problem with the program is CAP is all SELF Pay, inother words a public school makes it difficult to finance. We depend on Grants that are annual and can be dropped at anytime. You cannot ask a public school student to pony up money for uniforms, dues, and such. National HQ has never had funding for this program.
The program can work great if properly funded.
And yes the instructor is paid.
We have churned a lot of school programs and units.
Quote from: C/Martin on November 10, 2010, 06:49:57 PM
That sucks. In AFJROTC we have paid instructors though.
AFJROTC instructors are actually paid for by the School District. The Air Force supplies uniforms and textbooks, but the schools have to fund the teachers if they want the program...this middle school with the CAP program lost the funding for the job, probably would not have saved a AFJROTC unit either.
^That is not quite true. The AF subsidizes the salaries of the instructors. CAP middle school instructors are given "extracurriclular" money in some school districts; some do not get anything. This is the main reason why the programs are not very successful nation wide. There is plenty of money for educational programs at this level however, we need a better system to identify these sources and exploit them (IMO).
Quote from: FW on November 30, 2010, 10:13:45 PM
^That is not quite true. The AF subsidizes the salaries of the instructors. CAP middle school instructors are given "extracurriclular" money in some school districts; some do not get anything. This is the main reason why the programs are not very successful nation wide. There is plenty of money for educational programs at this level however, we need a better system to identify these sources and exploit them (IMO).
I do stand corrected the AF does subsidize half of the basic instructor rate but the lionshare comes from the school district. ultimately the point is that schools are eliminating programs deemed unessential and as regrettable a decision that is...that's just the way it is
Quote from: FW on November 30, 2010, 10:13:45 PM
^That is not quite true. The AF subsidizes the salaries of the instructors. CAP middle school instructors are given "extracurriclular" money in some school districts; some do not get anything. This is the main reason why the programs are not very successful nation wide. There is plenty of money for educational programs at this level however, we need a better system to identify these sources and exploit them (IMO).
Let me amend your statement. There is still plenty of money from the FEDS that is wasted on failed educational programs. Boot Camps and such do not work. At Risk Youth Programs and such. If we had a vision for the School Program and a funding amount for startup, then we have somewhere to start with Congress (notice I did not say the Air Force). We have no strategic plan or idea of funding a startup. Funding for one School per State or Wing. At this point we have nothing of the sort.