Reply to I dislike the anti-education attitude of people who try to convince youth that college, grad school

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]School districts need better counseling and career coaching.

I'm in a district that does this but most don't.  Starting in sixth grade students tailor their school experience to what they actually want to do.  Middle school is pretty standard still but high school is completely different.  The traditional college prep model is only worthwhile for 4 year degree seeking students around one third of the population.

For the rest of the students, specialized skill classes, internships, apprenticeships and the like are a much better use of high school time.

Germany gets this with their 4yr university 2 yr college and trade tracks.  [/quote]

Internships and apprenticeships are usually pretty hard to set up.  A lot of kids preferred paid work instead.  A lot of companies dont want to deal with the hassle or safety issues of having a teen around.  Oftentimes, the company insurance wont allow hiring below age 18.     At least in MCPS, students need to find their own internships, so it become a huge barrier for students with limited connections.

I teach career prep courses.  Most careers have extensive series of exams.  Math, reading, study/organizational skills are a necessity.  I often compare them to prepping for AP exams.  You need often need to study on your own for a month to get ready and take practice exams.  For example, there are multiple ways to become an aviation mechanic (military, apprenticeship, trade school), but you have to take a series of seven FAA exams to get a full airframe and powerplant certification.  This is includes written, oral, and practical exams.  That is common in the trades.

Students absolutely need academic skills to be successful.   The days when kids could drop out of school in 8th grade and go to work in a factory ended in the 70's.[/quote]

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