16: BHS Superintendant Mike Poore talks how Ignite is changing education

Currently Mike Poore is the Superintendent for Bentonville Public Schools. He officially assumed this position on July 1, 2011. Mike began transitioning in the spring of 2011. He is excited that his vision for Bentonville Schools closely aligns with a community that seeks to be the best in all that they do. Under his leadership, the school district has opened 3 new schools and has plans for 2 more schools to open, Bentonville West High School in the fall of 2016, and our 11th elementary school in the fall of 2017. Bentonville Public Schools consistently ranks as a top performer in academics, arts and athletics Mike is leading the way by forming partnerships with the business community in a STEM program called Ignite. Idea was Hatched: National, Regional, and Local employers need graduates with professional skills and certifications Employers feel that young employees are not work-force ready Workforce of tomorrow must know how to collaborate, innovate, and communicate Ignites Basic Concept Partnership with K-12, Business Community, and Higher Ed can yield an approach that prepares students through rigor and support Give students projects that are meaningful and that capture their passion and they will exceed expectations Students learn best when they can explore and when they are backed up in their learning with highly trained business and community leaders along with a strong instructional leader Ignite empowers students to be co-constructors of their education and leverages community resources to support learning. Delivery Ignite will use our own campuses and satellite campuses to support this project based environment. We also hope to eventually have a regional career tech center. Bentonville Schools is in the process of delivering to six community needs with the following professional strands: IT Solutions, Logistics Management, Construction Trade, Culinary Art, Med-Prep, Digital Media/Global Business Solutions Ignite is becoming a reality as a result of multiple partnerships with both small businesses as well as the largest organizations in this community. To learn more about the program contact Mike at [email protected] Contact Us: Jeff Amerinejeff@startupjunkieconsulting.comwww.startupjunkieconsulting.com Jon [email protected]