U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson holds a TVHS shirt while surrounded by (from left to right) Capital Region BOCES District Superintendent Charles Dedrick, Principal Dan Liebert, Questar III BOCES District Superintendent James Baldwin and Operating Board Member President Robert Gibson.
U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson praised Tech Valley High School during a visit to the school on April 3.
“This is very impressive,” Gibson said. “You are doing everything possible that you can do to be part of the solution for the future.”
During an 80-minute stop at the East Greenbush-based regional public high school, Gibson visited classes and spoke with students about projects that ranged from bridge construction to human rights violations.
He also met with Principal Dan Liebert, Questar III District Superintendent James Baldwin, Capital Region BOCES District Superintendent Charles Dedrick, Operating Board Member/Questar III Board President Robert Gibson, and TVHS Business Partnership Coordinator Denise Zieske.
Senior Elizabeth Mosher describes a class to Gibson.
The congressman, whose 20th Congressional District includes 60 percent of Tech Valley High School students, also promised support for the school and its mission.
Recalling his 24-year military career that included tours teaching American politics at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Gibson said research points to the value of teaching through doing.
“The evidence I looked at in the military in increasing competence showed that the model that works best is the mentorship model,” Gibson said.
He added that the J-Term program at Tech Valley High School, which places students in work-based learning environments in the community, impresses him because of the internship element.
Students Mackenzie Stone and Pat Kervin show a project to U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson.
It was the congressman’s first tour of the regional public high school that draws students from seven counties. However, Gibson said he was well aware of the school and its way of teaching 21st century skills through project-based learning.
That is because TVHS senior Patrick Kervin, of Chatham, recently spent dozens of hours working in Gibson’s district office and learning about the inner-workings of politics for his senior research project.
Kervin, who was joined by students Rokeya Sultana, of Hudson, Elizabeth Mosher, of Averill Park, and Mackenzie Stone, of New Lebanon, in guiding the congressman through the school took the opportunity to thank the congressman for his assistance.
