News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Monterey High School working to facilitate continued growth in dual enrollment and other post-secondary opportunities.
Principal Bree Wheeler said the school now has an advisement period every Friday with fewer students per teacher, allowing teachers to help students understand what dual enrollment programs might be best for them individually.
“Those teachers can really push those opportunities and I think that’s good for the teachers to know what is also available,” Wheeler said. “And so when they see those students who think that they are up for that challenge, they can also kind of persuade and talk to them about those opportunities.”
The school hosting a Dual Enrollment Night on Thursday to educate parents about the new opportunities being presented to their children. Wheeler said the event will have a station for general Dual Enrollment information and stations dedicated to Tennessee Tech and Vol State programs.
Wheeler said the school has generated more online dual enrollment programs in recent years. This allows students can take classes online while at home or in the school’s dual enrollment facility, even though there may not be an in-person option for that program at Monterey High School.
“Even though they are 18 and they do get to make some decisions about their own educational future, parents are still the support system and they are still kind of driving the bus of their education,” Wheeler said. “So for the parents to understand the opportunities is very important.”
She said students got a preview of the event at school Thursday so that they can be prepared for the more complicated elements of the dual enrollment process that will be discussed.
“Not all students have the full awareness of the next step,” Wheeler said. “And so, to have the parent’s knowledge of what’s out there and especially the financial burden that we can relinquish from them to offer these free classes, it may be things that they want to push their child to do.”
She said most parents did not have access to these programs when they were in school, so this event is a great way for them to develop some insight into what dual enrollment is and how it can benefit their children.
“Sometimes we can’t offer all of these things in-house in Monterey,” Wheeler said. “So our goal is to give as many opportunities to all of the students so that we can, like I said, take the same classes that a Cookeville High School student would have or that would be offered to Upperman High School so they all can have the same opportunities to grow with their education.”
Wheeler said the school has generated more online dual enrollment programs in recent years. This allows students can take classes online while at home or in the school’s dual enrollment facility, even though there may not be an in-person option for that program at Monterey High School.
“Even though they are 18 and they do get to make some decisions about their own educational future, parents are still the support system and they are still kind of driving the bus of their education,” Wheeler said. “So for the parents to understand the opportunities is very important.”
