WAKEFIELD – State Senate Candidate and current Wakefield Town Councilor Ed Dombroski today called for expanded access to vocational-technical school opportunities for students interested in pursuing that educational path.
“We need to reimagine and re-prioritized our approach to a 21st Century Education,” said Dombroski. “I support individualized education paths for each student to realize their full potential. An important part of this includes vocational-technical education. I believe every child who wishes to pursue a vocational-technical education should be granted enrollment, period.”
Dombroski points to the many student applicants to Northeast Metro Tech High School – the vocational-technical school for students living in Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winchester, the district Dombroski is running to represent in the state Senate – where student demand currently far exceeds capacity.
“Right now, there are more than 600 students who have expressed interest in enrolling in Northeast but cannot be accommodated,” said Dombroski. “Students from schools like Northeast graduate with a skillset that makes them immediately highly employable in a wide range of trades as well as many sectors that will dominate our economy going forward. At a time when we are seeing unprecedented labor shortages, failing to keep pace with developing a skilled labor force is a failure for our students and our state’s competitive edge. We need to do better by our students.”
Northeast Metro Tech recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $317 million facility that was overwhelmingly passed in a special election this past January across all 12 of the member communities.
“The landslide vote in favor of the new Northeast Metro Tech school shows the commitment of our communities to the importance of vocational-technical education,” Dombroski said. “However, all indications are that even with the expanded capacity of this new school, ever-increasing interest in enrollment will mean students will continue to be shut out of this opportunity.”
Dombroski proposes that any student, as a matter of right, should have the opportunity to attend a vocational-technical school, just as one is given the opportunity to attend a traditional high school.
“For too long the Legislature has failed to make vocational-technical education the priority that it deserves. I am disappointed that my opponent, Sen. Jason Lewis, in his position on the Joint Committee on Education, has failed the students of our district by not making vocational-technical educations a priority.”
Dombroski has made expanded vocational education a top priority in this race. “From the day we launched our campaign, I have been steadfast in my commitment to expand these important educational opportunities. Speaking with residents across our district, they make clear they value the need to do more for our students, with vocational education a top priority,” he said.
Dombroski is running for the Fifth Middlesex State Senate seat that represents Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winchester. He is an attorney and small business owner and has served on the Wakefield Town Council for six years, following three years serving on the Wakefield Finance Committee. Dombroski is endorsed by Governor Charlie Baker. More information can be found at www.EdforMA.com.
