FEATURE SOME
SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN THE RUNNING
FOR THE COOL SCHOOL COMPETITION.
>> Fiona: AND IT'S ALL PART OF
OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GO PUBLIC
COOL SCHOOL.
JEN TELLS US MORE.
>> Jen: WE ARE KICKING OFF
ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR WITH OUR GO
PUBLIC COOL SCHOOL CONTEST.
LAST YEAR WE FEATURED SO MANY
DISTRICTS, HIGHLIGHTED SOME
AMAZING PROGRAMS AND STUDENTS.
THIS YEAR WE'RE KICKING IT OFF
WITH SAN ANTONIO ISD.
WE ARE AT CAST TECH HIGH SCHOOL.
IT FOCUSES ON BUSINESS AND
TECHNOLOGY.
THERE'S ONLY FRESHMEN IN THE
SCHOOL THIS YEAR, BUT THAT'S NOT
STOPPING THEM FROM CELEBRATING,
RIGHT, GUYS?
[CHEERING]
>> I HAVE ALWAYS KIND OF HAD A
DREAM OF MAKING MY OWN GAME, BUT
BECAUSE OF COMING HERE I HAVE
HAD THE IDEA OF MAKING MY ENGAGE
BUSINESS.
>> Jen: THAT'S RIGHT.
BUSINESS IDEAS ARE FLOWING AT
CAST TECH HIGH SCHOOL.
>> SOME OF THE CONCEPTS THEY
COME UP WITH ARE MIND BLOWING.
WE GIVE THEM SO MANY CAREER
PATHWAYS HERE.
THEY ARE NOT ONLY GETTING THEIR
REGULAR HIGH SCHOOL COURSE BUT
THEY ARE LEARNING BUSINESS
CONTENT, ART AND MEDIA CONTENT,
AND A COMPUTER SCIENCE
BACKGROUND CONTENT.
THEY ARE GETTING THREE DIFFERENT
PATHWAYS TO CHOOSE FROM.
>> Jen: INSIDE IT'S MORE LIKE
WE'RE WALKING INTO A
PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE.
>> IT'S DESIGNED WITH LOTS OF
WORK SPACE THAT'S OPEN FOR
STUDENTS THAT'S MORE LIKE THE
NEW WORLD.
>> Jen: YOU WANTED TO COME TO
THIS SCHOOL.
TELL ME WHY.
>> BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE
OPPORTUNITY OF GOING TO THE
SCHOOL AND THE NETWORKING AND
THE BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT THIS
SCHOOL HAS AND HOW MUCH THE
TECHNOLOGY FIELD IS GROWING AND
HOW I WANT TO GET INTO IT.
>> Jen: AND YOU'RE HOW OLD?
>> I'M 14.
>> Jen: AND YOU'RE ALREADY
THINKING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE.
ILLIANA IS ONE OF THE FEW GIRLS
AND THAT'S OKAY WITH HER.
>> COMING FROM A CATHOLIC SCHOOL
AND COMING HERE WHERE THE
MAJORITY IS GUYS.
>> Jen: SO YOU'RE
REPRESENTING.
HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
>> POWERFUL.
>> Jen: SURROUNDING COMPANIES
ARE TEAMING UP WITH CAST TECH TO
SERVE AS MENTORS.
>> WE HAVE A BOARD FUL OF
INDUSTRY PARTNERS.
SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE NEARB
INCLUDE TECH BLOC AND GEEKDOM,
RACKSPACE, AT& USAA,
WHATABURGER, UNIVERSITY HEALTH
SYSTEM.
THE LIST KEEPS GOING AND GOING.
>> I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA THAT
OUR KIDS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES
TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES AND
COMMUNITY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
COME INT OUR CLASSROOM, DONATE
THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE AND ACT
AS MENTORS FOR MY STUDENTS.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY I HAVEN'T
HAD BEFORE AS A TEACHER.
>> THE TEACHERS KNOW WHAT
THEY'RE DOING AND THEY KNOW HOW
TO MAKE THINGS FUN.
THEY KNOW HOW TO DO PROJECTS AND
STUFF LIKE THAT, SO NO CLASS IS
BORING.
EVERY CLASS WE'RE DOING
SOMETHING.
WE'RE ALL CLOSE, PRETTY MUCH.
>> Jen: WE HAD SUCH A GREAT
TIME OUT AT CAST TECH AND IN
CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THERE IS A
LOTTERY SYSTEM SO ANYBODY IN THE
ENTIRE CITY CAN GO THERE.
ANYBODY.
YOU JUST HAVE TO APPLY.
SO THERE'S KIDS FROM ALL OVER
THAT GO THERE.
BUT HERE LIVE WE ARE JOINED BY
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND
SUPERINTENDENTS.
I HAVE KEVIN BROWN HERE WITH ME,
ALAMO HEIGHTS SUPERINTENDENT.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE UP IN THE
COOL SCHOOL RUNNING HERE IN THE
NEXT TWO MONTHS.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Jen: SO WHAT PROGRAMS ARE
YOU EXCITING TO HIGHLIGHT?
>> WELL, I THINK FIRST OF ALL I
WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALL
THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE
THEY ALL ARE DOING SUCH GREAT
WORK.
WHEN SCHOOL STARTS THERE'S MAGIC
THAT HAPPENS IN EVERY CLASSROOM.
I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT
TO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS WHO
WORKED SO HARD ALL SUMMER LONG.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE REALLY
EXCITED IS OUR ROCKET PROGRAM.
IT WEIGHS 600 POUNDS AND IT GOES
THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND.
IT'S AN AMAZING THING.
WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT LANGUAGE
PROGRAM THAT WE HIGHLIGHT, A
SPANISH IMMERSION AND DUAL
LANGUAGE PROGRAM, AND A STRINGS
PROGRAM.
WE HAVE 800 CHILDREN THAT REALLY
CAN PLAY ALMOST AT A LEVEL OF
PROFESSIONALISM.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF ALL OF
THEM.
EACH ONE OF THESE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS IN SAN ANTONIO HAS
AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHOICES FOR OUR KIDS.
>> Jen: THESE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
THEY'RE DOING AMAZING THINGS,
WOULD YOU AGREE?
I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS
GOING ON THAT WEREN'T THERE --
I'M REPRESENTING TODAY.
I'M A DRAGON.
YOU SAID YOU STARTED AT
SOUTHWEST.
>> I WAS A TEACHER AT SOUTHWEST
HIGH SCHOOL AND I LOVED MY TIME
THERE.
I HAVE ALL KINDS OF CONNECTIONS
WITH THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND
JUST HAV BEEN AN HONOR.
I FEEL LIKE I GET A GREAT
EDUCATION BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT
THAT OUR CHILDREN TODAY ARE
GETTING MUCH MORE OFFERINGS THAN
WE HAVE AND JUST QUALITY
PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT.
AND SUCH ENGAGING WORK THAT THEY
GET TO DO EVERY DAY.
>> Jen: THE CHILDREN ARE DOING
AMAZING THINGS AND I'M EXCITED
TO GO OUT THERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, I AM WEARING
SOUTHWEST.
THEY ARE NEXT.
SOUTHWEST ISD.