Pathway to success: Career or college?
A new report published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education this week questions whether there is too much emphasis placed on college preparation, and not enough emphasis placed on preparing students for the workforce. A college education, the report says, is not the pathway to success for all students and shouldn't be presented as such. Career training, the report said, should actually start as early as middle school.
The release of the report, titled "Pathways to Prosperity," coincided with Baltimore celebrating, Career and Technology Education" month, a national event that promotes high-school students earning certifications in workforce programs before they graduate. In Baltimore, more than 6,000 students have career concentrations. Some showcased their skills in an event at North Avenue.
City schools CEO Andres Alonso headed to D.C. to present to the authors of the study, as well as other school leaders, where he said that in Baltimore, Career and Technology Education, or CTE, has emerged as a strong alternative to Advanced Placement courses, which offer students college-level courses in high school.
He told the group, that, "in the communities I served the parents are not asking about tracks, they are asking about their kids’ readiness to do well in the real world," especially in neighborhoods where the old commercial and industrial infrastructure has disappeared.
In a more extensive explanation, Alonso took a pretty strong stance in favor of the study's assertions. I thought his thoughts as a superintendent of an urban, predominantly black and low-income district, should be known:
"The discussion about career readiness/pathways versus college readiness/standards is specious. CTE programs have become more rigorous, and actually screen out many students who would benefit from them, and new high school exit criteria ensures that all students have to focus on academics, so the old dichotomy between a college ready track and a career track is an old paradigm that needs to be rethought.
The conversation needs to change to what do we need to provide so students are engaged, learn in ways that prepared them for college (if they want to go in that direction) or skilled careers; and how do we change the systemic dynamics in cities – especially those involving struggling neighborhoods – so that government and business are partnering with schools and higher education programs to support students in their learning. How do we get to a system of apprenticeship that rather than create a track, expands on the ability of students to make choices?
It’s not an either/or question, but a both/and question, in terms of what is needed."
Baltimoresun.com's 
Comments
Hurrah. FINALLY someone has recognized that not all students should or want to go to college. However, there is far more prestige for superintendents and principals to show students registered for honors, GT, and AP courses. Mind you, the students do NOT have to pass the AP exam, but high schools are ranked by the number of students registered and taking these courses, hence the race to become one of these top 100 high schools in the country. Are you aware that most Baltimore County schools only have honors and GT courses offered for English and science classes for freshman, thus setting up our low C students and D/E students up for failure. We need craftsmen, plumbers, electricians, and contractors. We need tellers, cashiers, secretaries, and more. Parents and voters need to share with their elected officials that they want courses offered for students who want a career in a trade or non-college career. Don't blame teachers for trying to pass students who have no interest in taking courses geared for college. Our governor wants to take away the requirement of a government course requirement for graduation. Well at least this is a course which is practical and needed for ALL citizens. After looking what is going on nationally in many countries today, our graduating students need to know how our country works. Maryland, get involved in what your child is being educated which is determined by Grasmick and county boards and not your teachers. In the Race to the Top and the need to evaluate teachers, Grasmick and O'Malley have forgotten that these teachers who needed further evaluation, have brought him the title education governor of the year in 2010 and he and Grasmick a number one status for Maryland education nationally. Now let's give our students the kind of education they really want, be happy with, and can go out and get jobs. By the way, I am a teacher of Baltimore City and county for 30 years.
Posted by: Diane | February 5, 2011 7:50 PM
Of course, not all students are going to college. But as Dr. Alonso said, the argument of whether students should be tracked for college or vocation is specious. The skills necessary to prepare someone to potentially go to college are the same skills that people need to be successful in whatever they do.
The world is more complicated than it was 40 years ago. Now everybody needs computer skills, math skills, solid critical thinking skills, reading skills, etc.--basically, all the things that come with a strong high school curriculum. Without all of those skills, how can you make informed decisions about buying a car, getting a mortgage, paying your taxes, looking for jobs, voting, and so on?
The other problem is that in this country, although the country depends on non-college careers, income inequality has gotten to the point that it is very difficult to get by on a vocational salary. The sorts of jobs that can be found often don't offer health care or reasonable amounts of flexibility. Much of the emphasis on college readiness boils down to the fact that most people recognize that the non-college route leads to a difficult life for many people. It doesn't have to be that way though, but when money becomes so concentrated at the top of the career ladder, the people at the bottom are the ones that suffer.
Posted by: Alan | February 6, 2011 10:34 AM