Business education is often an overlooked subject in school. At Morgan, most of the students that take the business classes are upperclassmen and according to business teacher Ryan Richetelli, “Seniors and juniors should be the ones taking Personal Finance to understand finance before going off into the real world.”
Morgan offers multiple business classes. You have the option to take Business Applications, Personal Finance, Accounting 1, Accounting 2, and Entrepreneurship. When asked, Mr. Richetelli said, “Personal Finance is the most important class. It’s the most real-world and applicable one.” The class teaches students about loan calculations. Whether it’s student loans, car loans, or mortgage loans to have an idea of what is going to be waiting for them after walking the graduation stage.
In the last few years, Morgan has seen an increase in interest in the business department from the students. This year, the interest was amplified with the addition of the 8-period schedule, which leaves room for more electives. Despite the interest in his classes, students have found that they struggle greatly. Mr. Richetelli said, “They struggle because they don’t come into the classes with any prior knowledge.” Those basic skills that Mr. Richetelli is referring to are the use of spreadsheets, Excel, and formulas. He notes that students lack any experience in spreadsheets which is why he recommends taking Business Application to build the understanding.
Big changes are coming to the business department this year. Connecticut put in place a new Personal Finance mandate. The mandate will require the class of 2027 to take Personal Finance as a graduation requirement. When asked about his thoughts on the mandate, Mr. Richetelli said, “Better late than never. It’s an important class that students need to take.” Mr. Richetelli is working in collaboration with the administration to figure out the best route to go to ensure all the requirements for the mandate are met. He doesn’t expect much change in his curriculum, but he recognizes that teaching all the Morgan students will be a challenge and a heavy workload.
Students Share Opinions on Business Classes
We asked students about their experiences in Mr. Richetelli’s classes:
How have Mr. Richetelli’s classes helped extend your learning?
“Rich has helped with our knowledge about what life will be like in the real world (post-school). Unlike other teachers, he has given us a perspective about how hard it is to live and support yourself, and your family. He gives us examples and paints a picture of real-life scenarios, and teaches us how to avoid/get through these challenges.” – Patrick O’Neil
“Mr. Richetelli has helped me realize all of the real-life challenges and shows us how to overcome them.” Wyatt Luke
Even though most students valued Mr. Richetelli’s classes and his instruction, Senior Luke Perrotti criticized the structure of the class. He felt that there was “a lot of talking”. He does recognize that the material in the class is helpful.
What has Mr. Richetelli taught you that you didn’t know before?
“I learned the pros and cons of having a credit card and a debit card, this comes with the knowledge of how important credit scores are to make purchases for yourself. I’ve learned that having a credit card at a young age has pros for setting up my future. How to take care of and organize my finances using spreadsheets, and forms. How to calculate the best ways to do different things with my money using spreadsheets. He showed us how hard it is to find a home that is inhabitable for an affordable price. These things gave us an important perspective on reality that will give us an advantage in life.” – Patrick O’Neil
“Mr. Richetelli has taught how to play the “game” of finances.”- Wyatt Luke
