Chandler school staff detail new semiconductor program
District: Program is one-of-a-kind among U..S. high schools
Courtesy of Chandler USD
Chandler Unified’s coordinator of emerging technologies, Janet Hartkopf, talks about a new semiconductor career pathway program starting in the fall of 2025-26 school year at Hamilton High School.
Chandler Unified School District’s coordinator of emerging technologies says there’s no framework for many aspects of teaching high school students about semiconductors and how they’re made.
Janet Hartkopf says that’s because teaching the technology is brand new to public high schools.
Hartkopf explained, during a Feb. 26 CUSD Governing Board work session she shared her newly assigned district task of coming up with semiconductor curriculum and program for the district with her University of Arizona colleagues.
“They said ‘Hey, we’re having t a big meeting about this; Why don’t you come on down and crash the party?’ So I did,” Hartkopf said.
That started Hartkopf on a journey that included going door-to-door at Chandler business.
“I couldn’t believe how many companies that applies to, here in Chandler,” she said.
Hartkopf went on to detail much of how the program is intended to work and some of its challenges and opportunities.
Two opportunities, she said, are probably a robust growth in CUSD/workplace networking and the formation of a potential school-to-job pipeline.
“There are about 25 businesses on our advisory committee,” Hartkopf said. “They’re extremely supporitve of what we’re doing.”
CUSD brags that semiconductors will be a first-in-the-U.S. semiconductor program in a public high school when the two-year career pathway program starts in the fall semester of 2025-26 at Hamilton High.
Hartkopf said CUSD’s program is cleared and approved by both the state and a key Chandler partner — the East Valley Institute of Technology, or EVIT.
She said since apparently, no high school ever tried to teach semiconductors, there isn’t really a framework, set of standards or goals or course structure to emulate. She said U of A has been instrumental in sharing some of its basics in what appears to be an introductory format, as has Austin Community College in Texas.
“Working with high school students is going to be a little different than working with adult clientele,” she said. “You have to explain what’s in it for them.”
Students will learn, among other concepts, about the basics of the fabrication process, sensors and pneumatics, mechatronics and troubleshooting, as well as more abstract concepts, a staff report states.
Hartkopf said the curriculum will be all online. She said she’s gone out to “Career Nights” and other special school events to take questions about the program.
“I’ve stayed 2.5 hours in order to dispelling myths and explaining their child doesn’t need to be a prodigy in order to be in the program,” Hartkopf said.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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