The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives. Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs. This week’s profile focuses on the Law Enforcement Services and Forensic Science program, which is offered at Cherokee HS, Creekview HS and River Ridge HS.
Jason Hubbard traded his patrol car for a classroom, and hundreds of students since have benefitted from his law enforcement expertise.
The Creekview High School teacher began his career as a math teacher 30 years ago, but after five years of teaching, felt called to serve as a police officer. After a few years serving as an officer, he missed working with students so much he decided to return to the classroom. In 2008, Mr. Hubbard seized the opportunity to blend the two by beginning the career education program in law enforcement at Creekview HS.
“It’s a wonderful content area to teach,” Mr. Hubbard said of the Law Enforcement Services and Forensic Science program. “The students really enjoy the classes and talk about them often.” [Click here to see more photos from his classes.]
Mr. Hubbard, who also serves as a deputy sheriff with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office Reserve Unit, said, in addition to skills specific to law enforcement, students also gain employability skills that will serve them no matter the career path they choose. In addition to the opportunity to earn industry certification, students gain three hours of University System of Georgia college credit by passing the End of Pathway Assessment exam. The program also counts as a fourth science toward graduation requirements.
For one of his favorite lessons, Mr. Hubbard creates a mock crime scene. Students play the role of investigators tasked with conducting blood spatter analysis to determine a theory for the crime.
“It is always amazing to see how great they do with their interpretations,” he said. “In my program, it is the lab where the students display the highest order level of thinking. It is very impressive.”
Senior Allison Cantrell said the classes helped determine her plans to pursue a degree in criminology, with a minor in forensics. “Being able to learn and gain knowledge of different aspects of the criminal justice world allowed me to know if I was interested in the subject matter before getting to college,” she said.
Mr. Hubbard sees many of his graduating seniors pursue careers in law and order. One of his first success stories recently completed her 10th year in law enforcement and currently serves as a sergeant and shift supervisor for the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.
Within the Pathway, classes offered include: introduction to law, public safety, corrections and security; criminal justice essentials; and forensic science and criminal investigations. Students can earn NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute) Criminal Justice industry certification and can compete with their school’s SkillsUSA chapter in state and national events.
This Pathway prepares students for careers including, but not limited to: lawyer, law professor, judge/magistrate, administrative law judge/adjudicator, probation officer/correctional treatments specialist, sheriff/deputy sheriff, private detective/investigator, judicial law clerk, criminal investigator/special agent, forensic scientist, court reporter, police detective, police patrol officer, paralegal and legal assistant.
The average income range for careers in this Pathway in Georgia is $53,000 to $136,000. Local and area employers for this Pathway include, but are not limited to: CCSD Police Department, Cherokee Sheriff's Office, Canton Police Department, Woodstock Police Department, Holly Springs Police Department, Ball Ground Police Department, Cherokee County Clerk of Court, local law offices, Georgia State Patrol, GBI, FBI, CIA, U.S. Marshals Service.
Original source can be found here.
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