J. M. Wright Technical High School
Encyclopedia
J.M. Wright Technical High School, also known as "J.M. Wright Vocational-Technical School" and, more familiarly, as "Wright Tech", is a vocational high school
run by the state of Connecticut in Stamford, Connecticut
, United States
. Enrollment at the school has been shrinking in recent years, and state officials are actively considering transforming the school into a training center that would have students graduate from their hometown high schools. Wright Tech is one of the worst-rated schools in the United States.
The school offers training in seven trades. For the class of 2007, the most popular were automotive technology; electrical; and hairdressing, cosmetology and barbering. The other programs are plumbing and heating, health technology, and autobody.
Students at the school have come from Stamford, Norwalk
, Easton
, Fairfield
, Weston
, Wilton
, Westport
, New Canaan
, Greenwich
, and Bridgeport
. In recent years, however, more students have been coming from the immediate Stamford area. In the Class of 2008, 38 percent of students were from local school districts and 62 percent from Bridgeport. However, in the Class of 2011, 82 percent of students were from Stamford.
Trailblazers Academy, a charter school with 150 students in grades 6 through 8 run by the nonprofit Domus Foundation of Stamford, was been housed in the Wright Tech building starting 2000, though it has since moved to downtown Stamford. Many Trailblazers students are those who have struggled in traditional schools. As of the 2006-2007 school year, about 98 percent of the students were from Stamford.
Sid Abramowitz, principal since 2005, announced in March 2008 that he would step down at the end of his third school year. He said he had made the decision in December and told staff members starting in January. Abramowitz raised standards at the school, which weeded out a number of disorderly and unserious students, according to parents. But the school's already-declining enrollment dropped further, resulting in the state Board of Education nearly deciding to radically alter the nature of the school.
Under Abramowitz' administration, school uniforms became a requirement and a system was established to hold teachers accountable for student lateness and other behavioral problems. In 2007, 66 percent of the school's sophomores met the reading proficiency standard of the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT), up from 32 percent in 2006.
"The school has become more orderly under Abramowitz", according to an article in The Advocate Test scores also have improved since 2005, and entrance requirements also have become more stringent.
But enrollment continued sliding. In 2002-2003 enrollment was at 445. By 2007-2008 it was 250 to 300. In 1984 it was 714. Abramowitz said in late 2007 that he was still working on getting more students to come to the school and it would take a few more years of work changing perceptions of the school and building relationships with area middle schools. He said he wanted more state funding for advertisements. In 2007 the school had a total of 58 graduates.
According to state officials, some reasons for the decline are because of a smaller pool of eligible students, competition from technical education programs offered by the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
, an inter-district magnet school in Stamford. Before 2007, J.M. Wright canceled carpentry, drafting, manufacturing because of low enrollment, but in 2001 the state also added information support services, network systems, programming and software development programs, among others. A health technology program was added in 2005.
A $41 million plan to renovate the school, including upgrding classrooms and improving technology, was postponed in 2007 because, state officials said, vocational schools in Groton
and Norwich
were found to be in more urgent need of the money. The renovation plans call for upgrading all classrooms, installing air conditioning, and providing new technology for the culinary arts, auto repair and other programs. An expanded library and a new two-story atrium (including a balcony) at the front entrance is also a part of the plan.
is the only technical school in the state to follow that model and state education officials pointed to increased enrollment at that school while enrollment is down at Wright Tech. High school graduates also attend the school for training, although most students there are still in high school.)
But a decision was postponed for a year after an outcry from backers of Wright Tech, including some state legislators, local business people, alumni and Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele
of Stamford. Some said they feared the change would be disastrous for the school because few teenagers would want to change from taking classes at high school to taking them at Wright Tech starting in the 11th grade.
As an alternative to changing the school immediately, a task force of state legislators, business leaders, educators and others was set up and scheduled to start meeting in January 2008. The task force is to focus on how to modify Wright Tech to draw more students.
Abramowitz, the principal, said in late 2007 that he preferred having both a four-year high school and a career academy at the same time in the school building in order to show the state which model attracts more students.
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High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
run by the state of Connecticut in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Enrollment at the school has been shrinking in recent years, and state officials are actively considering transforming the school into a training center that would have students graduate from their hometown high schools. Wright Tech is one of the worst-rated schools in the United States.
The school offers training in seven trades. For the class of 2007, the most popular were automotive technology; electrical; and hairdressing, cosmetology and barbering. The other programs are plumbing and heating, health technology, and autobody.
Students at the school have come from Stamford, Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, Easton
Easton, Connecticut
Easton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck....
, Fairfield
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
, Weston
Weston, Connecticut
Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census. The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about to the southwest.Like many towns in...
, Wilton
Wilton, Connecticut
Wilton is a town nestled in the Norwalk River Valley in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It is located in Fairfield County. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 18,062. In 2007, it was voted as one of CNN Money's "Best Places to Live" in the United States.Located along...
, Westport
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, New Canaan
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
, Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, and Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. In recent years, however, more students have been coming from the immediate Stamford area. In the Class of 2008, 38 percent of students were from local school districts and 62 percent from Bridgeport. However, in the Class of 2011, 82 percent of students were from Stamford.
Trailblazers Academy, a charter school with 150 students in grades 6 through 8 run by the nonprofit Domus Foundation of Stamford, was been housed in the Wright Tech building starting 2000, though it has since moved to downtown Stamford. Many Trailblazers students are those who have struggled in traditional schools. As of the 2006-2007 school year, about 98 percent of the students were from Stamford.
Adult education
The school offers a variety of programs for adults during the day and evenings, and adults may participate in all technical offerings offered to high school students during the school day. Programs offered to adults include licensed practical nursing, a program for certified nurse assistants, and apprenticeship programs.Struggles to improve the school
The school is one of 14 in the state called "dropout factories", a term used by education researchers, in which 60 percent of the students who were freshmen eventually leave school before graduating.Sid Abramowitz, principal since 2005, announced in March 2008 that he would step down at the end of his third school year. He said he had made the decision in December and told staff members starting in January. Abramowitz raised standards at the school, which weeded out a number of disorderly and unserious students, according to parents. But the school's already-declining enrollment dropped further, resulting in the state Board of Education nearly deciding to radically alter the nature of the school.
Under Abramowitz' administration, school uniforms became a requirement and a system was established to hold teachers accountable for student lateness and other behavioral problems. In 2007, 66 percent of the school's sophomores met the reading proficiency standard of the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT), up from 32 percent in 2006.
"The school has become more orderly under Abramowitz", according to an article in The Advocate Test scores also have improved since 2005, and entrance requirements also have become more stringent.
But enrollment continued sliding. In 2002-2003 enrollment was at 445. By 2007-2008 it was 250 to 300. In 1984 it was 714. Abramowitz said in late 2007 that he was still working on getting more students to come to the school and it would take a few more years of work changing perceptions of the school and building relationships with area middle schools. He said he wanted more state funding for advertisements. In 2007 the school had a total of 58 graduates.
According to state officials, some reasons for the decline are because of a smaller pool of eligible students, competition from technical education programs offered by the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
The Academy of Information Technology and Engineering is a college preparatory, inter-district public magnet high school based in Stamford, Connecticut. AITE serves the communities of Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, Norwalk, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Wilton and Weston, all of which are located in...
, an inter-district magnet school in Stamford. Before 2007, J.M. Wright canceled carpentry, drafting, manufacturing because of low enrollment, but in 2001 the state also added information support services, network systems, programming and software development programs, among others. A health technology program was added in 2005.
A $41 million plan to renovate the school, including upgrding classrooms and improving technology, was postponed in 2007 because, state officials said, vocational schools in Groton
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
and Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
were found to be in more urgent need of the money. The renovation plans call for upgrading all classrooms, installing air conditioning, and providing new technology for the culinary arts, auto repair and other programs. An expanded library and a new two-story atrium (including a balcony) at the front entrance is also a part of the plan.
Proposal to change to a two-year training center
In November 2007, the state Board of Education was ready to transform the high school into a training center (or "career academy") where students would transfer as juniors or seniors for a year or two of training and receive their diplomas from their hometown high schools. Bristol Tech, in Bristol, ConnecticutBristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
is the only technical school in the state to follow that model and state education officials pointed to increased enrollment at that school while enrollment is down at Wright Tech. High school graduates also attend the school for training, although most students there are still in high school.)
But a decision was postponed for a year after an outcry from backers of Wright Tech, including some state legislators, local business people, alumni and Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele
Michael Fedele
Michael Fedele is an Italian-American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 107thThe State of Connecticut recognizes Michael Fedele as the 107th Lieutenant Governor, using a standard that had counted Colonial period lieutenants as well as counting lieutenants who had...
of Stamford. Some said they feared the change would be disastrous for the school because few teenagers would want to change from taking classes at high school to taking them at Wright Tech starting in the 11th grade.
As an alternative to changing the school immediately, a task force of state legislators, business leaders, educators and others was set up and scheduled to start meeting in January 2008. The task force is to focus on how to modify Wright Tech to draw more students.
Abramowitz, the principal, said in late 2007 that he preferred having both a four-year high school and a career academy at the same time in the school building in order to show the state which model attracts more students.
Student activities
The school has a National Honor Society chapter, a Student Activities Association (which approves requests for fund-raising, student activities, and purchases made from student activity funds), a yearbook and a local chapter of Skills USA VICA, part of a national vocational student organization serving trade, industrial, technical, and health occupations.Sports
FALLFootball
Soccer
Volleyball
WINTER
Boys' basketball
Cheerleading
Girls' basketball
SPRING
Baseball
Softball
Track