Automobiles had a special allure for adolescents in the 1950s and ‘60s. A driver’s license and a set of wheels meant new freedom, and cars were prominent in teenage social life, as captured so aptly in the film American Graffiti. The technical magic and finding out what makes cars go played a major role as well, instilling a love of cars in teens of the day that has endured over time. Charlie Goodman, founder of Shifting Gears, USA, a philanthropic organization made up of classic-car aficionados, and Tom O’Neill, founder of the Tiburon Classic Car Show and a member of the Shifting Gears board of directors, are among them. They continue to have a passion for cars, but finding teens who share their enthusiasm is rare. “There’s so much other technology that’s more enticing to them,” says O’Neill. Rather than simply lamenting the waning interest, though, he and Goodman decided to do something about it.
After O’Neill wrote a story for fellow members of Shifting Gears about the difficulty they face when they try to find young people to work on cars, Goodman challenged him to go beyond talking about the problem and join him in finding a solution. They began with a casual conversation and some brainstorming over lunch in 2019, just as the 2018-2019 Marin County Grand Jury released its report for that year, The Status of Career Technical Education. The report confirmed their suspicion that students who are interested in technical training are often steered in another direction, and it contained some startling statistics. The grand jury’s research showed that the focus in local high schools is on preparing students to attend four-year universities, and of the approximately 2,000 students who graduate from Marin high schools each year, 77% go on to college as expected. However, just 51% of those college-bound students complete their studies and earn degrees, and when the remaining number is added to those who don’t go to college, the total who might find another path more satisfying is significant. The report concludes that although Regional Occupation (ROP) and School to Career programs for high school students are well established, the county isn’t doing enough to offer options to young people who are more interested in pursuing opportunities in vocational education than academics. “It was a confirmation of what we were intuitively finding,” says O’Neill, and recognizing a need that was going unfilled, he and Goodman came up with an idea for a class in automobile appreciation and preservation that’s distinct from the two traditional auto shop classes that Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and Terra Linda High School in San Rafael offer. Among the differences, the class would be open to students at high schools throughout the county, and it would take place in the evening, so students would be there by choice, not just to get credits.
Cars lead the way
The pair approached Mary Jane Burke, then Marin County Superintendent of Schools, and her team at the Marin County Office of Education to pitch their concept for the new class and got a positive response. Next, they began working with Ken Lippi, Deputy Superintendent of Schools and director of the ROP and School to Career programs, and Jesse Madsen, Director of College and Career Readiness programs, to create a curriculum. Lippi explains that Goodman and O’Neill wanted to be involved, so they worked with them to design a curriculum that would fit the state’s framework using the standards for automotive repair. The class—Car Appreciation and Preservation Program—is fully accredited, and Terra Linda High School began offering it to students throughout Marin County in the fall semester of 2019.
Working with Goodman and O’Neill was a departure from usual practices for MCOE. Lippi explains that they’ve had great partners in the past, but Goodman and O’Neill are unique. “The Grand Jury says that more technical education is needed, and that’s what Tom and Charlie are so great to pick up on,” he says. Shifting Gears is currently paying for the cost of the class, which is close to $7,000 a year, but, says Lippi, “There’s a difference between giving a check and getting involved.” He describes Goodman as tireless, passionate and hands-on. He frequently visits classes and takes cars, such as his classic Model T Ford, to classes so students can see them up close, and he’s engaged and helps make sure the class is high quality. “He tunes into these kids so well,” says Lippi. “It’s unique to find someone who’s as passionate for all the right reasons.”
John Callas, a former auto mechanic who teaches two ROP auto technology classes at Terra Linda High School during the day is the CAPP teacher. He spent 10 years as an employee and 30 years as an owner-operator before turning to teaching and sharing his love for cars with students. “I felt that all the years working in the industry would go to waste if I retired and didn’t teach anyone what I know,” he says, explaining that he’d always wanted to teach automotive classes, but it took an injury and an advisory meeting to put him on the path to a new career. The opportunity came when he met Madsen at the advisory meeting, and while Madsen is now his supervisor, Callas considers him an advisor and mentor as well and says, “Teaching is not easy, and if I didn’t have mentors, the outcome might be different.”
Lippi explains that the State of California has a career technology teaching credential that allows people with industry experience to become teachers with a preliminary credential and, in Marin, a recommendation from Madsen. They have three years to complete teacher training, and “We provide a lot of support to these industry professionals,” he says. He observes that they are experts in their particular subjects and bring incredible knowledge to their classes, but they might not have experience working with kids, so each is paired with an experienced teacher who is a coach, while Madsen provides oversight.
CAPP meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in a classroom with a shop filled with automobile parts next door. Callas explains that the class is more project-based than his day classes, so students spend more time working with their hands and less on academic work. They get credit for the time they spend in class and a pass or fail grade, whereas students in day classes require a grade for their GPA. “Students come to class to learn, and in the evening, they are here because they want to be. The students know much more … and want to learn all about cars. That’s why I enjoy this class so much.” he says. He adds that the time Goodman, O’Neill and other members of Shifting Gears spend with the students sharing history and cars is invaluable, and the students enjoy having them. “Charlie and Tom are awesome,” he says, and the students ask them lots of questions and are prepared to respond to questions the men direct at them.
Goodman says that during the first week of class, the students are very quiet, because they’re from several different high schools and don’t know each other. By the fourth week, however, they’ve become friends while working together to learn hands-on. “It’s mostly shop time,” he says, and they take apart engines that have been donated and then reassemble them, and they learn about carburetors, hydraulic brakes and manual transmissions by working on them as well. The school has a pickup truck so they learn to drive a stick shift, and “They have a great time. Every single one kills it, and they’re laughing, because they don’t get it right,” he says. They also learn skills that will serve them well in the working world. In one exercise, each student stands up to talk about his or her favorite car, and in another they make a presentation about an automobile pioneer. “We’re not just teaching the mechanics,” he says. Kids also acquire personal skills, such as earning to put out their hands, look an individual in the eye and say they’re part of the program and would be happy to answer questions. O’Neill also suggests that they have business cards. “This is a little bit of what’s lacking in our education system,” says Goodman. “We’re trying to do a little bit at a time.”
Mike Westbrook, vice chair of Shifting Gears and general manager of Ford Lincoln Fairfield, visited in April with an electric Ford Mustang Mach E for students to see. He told students that electric cars are the future, saying, “You can’t have everything gas.” One student, however, questioned the environmental value of electric cars, pointing out that they require coal-operated chargers. Westbrook finds that they’re bright kids, who are engaged and eager to learn, and they’re respectful and ask good questions. Callas gave them insight into job opportunities, explaining that jobs in an auto shop are specialized, so some people might work only on electric cars, while others might focus on diesel trucks, and Westbrook reported that trades in the auto industry pay well. His dealership has 40 mechanics, and the lowest-paid employee is earning $100,000 a year plus benefits. He adds that the knowledge students are acquiring can have many applications, and while some might go on to fix classic cars, others might become engineers and design the cars of the future.
To enrich learning, Shifting Gears also arranges for students to go on field trips. When they visited Blake’s Auto Body in San Rafael, the staff at Blake’s had fenders and hoods waiting for them. They gave each student a hammer and told them to make a dent, and then they taught them how to mend the dents and paint the area they’d repaired. The class also visited Franzini Brothers upholstery shop in San Rafael, and “One of them [the students] absolutely loved the sewing machine,” Goodman recalls. In addition, Shifting Gears arranged a weekend outing to Sonoma Raceway in March, where students could see racecars up close and get inside.
Now at the end of its fourth year, CAPP continues to prove its worth. “The class is up and running and is very successful. It’s a model for growth.” says Lippi. And as such, it’s part of the inspiration for creating a CTE center to give high school students a variety of options in vocational education.
The Road Ahead
The State of California’s education system offers two types of workforce training and skills development. ROP consists of courses students take for credit, and among them in Marin County are a medical pathway at Terra Linda High School, an evening class in construction technology at Redwood High School in Larkspur and a digital audio class at Strawberry Hill Music, a post-production studio in Novato. Those who complete the medical technology program and want to pursue a career in the medical field can start as medical assistants at Kaiser Permanente or begin the College of Marin’s Medical Assisting program with seven credits.
CTE is an umbrella term for the workplace component, and classes prepare students to either go directly into the workforce after completing high school or move on to a technical college such as the Universal Technical Institute in Sacramento for more advanced hands-on training. Madsen reports that students who aren’t going to college are asked what they plan to do after high school, and finding jobs in retail stores and food services are common answers. He explains that expanding CTE programs would give them better opportunities, and says, “Giving them skills so they can make more money than entry level is a target.” Until now, MCOE hasn’t had a location where it could expand its CTE offerings, but with financial support from Shifting Gears, that situation is about to change. A new building is under construction and will be ready for the fall semester of the 2023-2024 academic year.
“This center is going to meet a need in our community that’s unmet,” says Lippi, adding that it will serve students with a passion for working with their hands and those who must help support their families or put themselves through school. “We hope to give them the first step on the career ladder,” he says.
The structure is much like an outdoor lunchroom with four posts and a roof, and it will have a fence on two sides and a shipping container converted into three classrooms on another. The outdoor classroom will provide space for hands-on activities in construction, welding and some plumbing. The initial cost for the center is $1.6 million, and so far Shifting Gears has raised more than half the amount needed for building and staffing and welcomes donations from the members of the community who understand the value of technical education. “If we waited until the state got all the money to the county, we’d be old men,” says Goodman, and he adds that Shifting Gears would like to offer scholarships and take kids on field trips as well.
“The money is turning about to be the easier side,” he says, reporting that the search for teachers is a greater challenge. “In California, we’re not paying enough,” he explains, and the cost for an industry professional to get a teaching credential is close to $7,000, which is also a stumbling block. So far, they’ve found someone to teach plumbing, a teacher for welding, which is currently offered at Tomales High School, and they have leads on instructors for electrical and construction classes. CTE will begin with two introduction-to-the-trades classes and then two to three weeks each of automotive, electrical and construction classes and four weeks in construction. The goal is to provide full-semester classes, with additional subject areas, perhaps culinary skills for one, joining the lineup of offerings as time goes on.
Marin County Superintendent John Carroll, who took office in January after Burke retired, fully supports the CTE center. “Marin County is fortunate to have strong and vibrant Career Technical Education programs underway in many of our high schools,” he says. “It is a high priority for our office to support these programs and to expand them through the Marin CTE Center so that many more students have access to programs in a wide array of industry areas. It is important that our schools provide multiple pathways and opportunities for our students. The hands-on learning and real-world experiences provided through CTE classes is one of those important paths.”
Goodman and O’Neill believe that offering technical education might require a culture change in Marin County, where many parents are reluctant to look beyond an academic path for their children, and schools focus on academic performance. However, they point out the importance of having a new generation learn the skills necessary to provide the services people want to access locally. In addition, “These kids have grown up in Marin County, and we’d like to keep them here,” Goodman says. “We’d love to have our children living and working in Marin County and earning a living wage.”
He hopes Sonoma and Napa counties—and perhaps San Francisco—will follow Marin County’s example. He’s willing to help them get started and says, “Here’s the model. Take it and run with it.”
