CUT COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS TO ATTACK INEQUALITY Vocational high schools have higher graduation rates with a much larger percentage of graduates going into well-paying jobs. As someone else posted, this proposal makes too much sense to be serious considered. And teacher unions will rise up en masse in opposition. And watch the liberals here scream and rant because it comes from a Breitbart site. Attack the messenger ignore debating the message @ http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Govern...-Cut-College-Enrollments-to-Attack-Inequality
That's just common sense. Most people in high school are not going on to college and could benefit from some useful vocational education in the high schools; they type that high schools used to routinely provide 50 years ago. But I've noticed with education policy, common sense is most unwelcome. We'll have to spend millions on giving every kid an IPad first.
I would simply do this, but it makes to much sense for the government. A standard education K-8 focusing on a breadth of common citizen knowledge, two years of High School in general subjects then three more years with three tracks all focused on challenging the student. 1. Academic Heavy with a pre-college focus ending with a High School Diploma and an Associates Degree paid for by the government. 2. A Moderate one with some pre-college counting as 30 college credits transferable to any institution of higher learning and certification in some area of employment (leave able to be employed in a type of work such as culinary arts, retail and so forth). This might be good for trade careers where an associates degree or other options lead to employment OR the associates is expected for higher level positions but not required for entry (child day care worker for example). 3. Career Training three years of work leading to a trade level certification diploma one year of general employment skills then two years of formal career training this could be done jointly with community colleges or other trade schools AND the High Schools. And for special education students or students with weak skills in some academic areas I would offer a hands-on heavy option with two years of basic coursework and on-the-job training so they leave with a diploma and at least can demonstrate meaningful skills this could be paid work or volunteer work with classes backing them up. This would be for students who would otherwise not likely earn a diploma without intervention avoiding dropping out. This might be called an Practical Skills Track.
Sometime in the 1980s, we abandoned vocational education. Not exactly certain why, but I do know that when I went to high school (graduated 1983), vocational training was strong in the high school I attended. When I taught in 1992 (yes, different school in a different state), there was almost no vocational education, despite having facilities that were semi-up to date.
