Unfortunate you have a micromanager for a principal, but that "might" be better than none at all.  IMO, most admin types were failures in the classroom and quickly opted for a masters in admin so they could get out of the trenches and get paid for virtually nothing.  Does he/she actually have classroom experience?

If your state/county uses ASE or NATEF in the schools for curriculum guidance, you can choose two or three of their areas of emphasis as focus based on your classes and the equipment you have but use your project(s) as enrichment activities for your program.  It's easy enough to show math/science correlation in frame fab and welding.  YOU should be in charge of your curriculum and ultimate approval is from the school board with lots of input from local business.  I was lucky enough to have admin types who were mostly afraid of the vocational area and my biggest supporters were parents, small business owners and school board members, most of whom didn't have a masters in admin. 

Well, I think you're doing it right. It is school, and by teaching the kids all aspects, you are exposing them to more and increase the chance that they will find something they enjoy. It's also a great way to expose kids to science, who may not otherwise be interested. There is science in every aspect of an automobile. Perhaps the curriculum should be broadened. The way I see it is Auto shop encompasses all things related to an automobile. Auto body is a sub-group. By teaching them more they can begin to truly understand how the entire machine works, and if the choose to be mechanics, technicians in the up-scale places, they will have a head start on their competition.

If there was a course for building a hot rod when I was in high school, I wish someone had told me about it.



Lawrenceville, GA

Wanted to update you guys as to where we are at with the y-powered T. Certainly dont want anyone to think their generosity has gone to waste.

We were getting ready to fire the engine and on final assembly one of the main webs broke. We have another core here but it is completely seized. Have a lead on a couple blocks only 150 miles from here so that is promising. Once we get another block should just be a matter of machining it and taking all the parts from the broke one and putting them in the new one.

The T itself is outside sitting under a foot of snow. The principal decided that chassis fabrication does not fit the curriculum. He feels that building the hot rod is "body shop" and not "auto shop" so we have been butting heads alittle bit. I have quit updating the blog as in some peoples opinion again all it showed was body and not auto. There is a feeling that what we are doing is the realm of welding shop and not auto shop. Got tired of trying to defend my position so the blog is not active... Its all good though and when we get the new engine together the T will be brought back in and fired up.

Thanks again for everyones help and I promise you will hear and see this thing run!