[quote=Djshakes]. . . Well, there is a reason WI schools are better than CA. All the money they dump into schools out here and the kids don’t even have elective choices.[/quote]
Djshakes, their USED to be many “electives” available here. Now a CA public HS student gets about 3 electives their entire 4-yr HS “career.” I think since 2000, their has been a sea change in public HS curriculums. The “push” is now towards “A-G” requirements for CA public university admission purposes. I think many kids are pushed in this direction when they have no aptitude for it and would be better off learning the latest wheel alignment and suspension technologies at a low-cost “ROP” program and gaining HS credits at the same time, as was done in years past. As another Pigg stated here, public schools are now simply “teaching to (standardized) tests” and nothing more. HS’s may still have a storage room of good used band instruments, but the staff to teach instrumental music was cut long ago.
Its a function of education budget cuts all around and the political “push” to get every student admitted to college (even if just cc for the first couple of years). I think this mindset is just prolonging the “growing up” process for students. And it doesn’t help that massive budget cuts are causing many students to have to stay in college 10-12 semesters to get all their credits in for graduation, incurring even MORE debt on their student loans. Upon college graduation, not only are they entering an unkind economy and dead job market in many areas, their student loan payments are becoming due within six months of graduation. Upon deferral, the balance keeps growing. It never goes away, even in BK.
What’s wrong with taking ROP in HS to learn a shorter course in cosmetology, specifically nails? Even though I’m not a customer, this business seems to be booming all around me. The newly minted “nail technician” can get an $800 – $1500 mo part-time gig at the age of 18 and still live at home while contemplating the direction they will take. Maybe even pay cash for a newer car if they don’t have one. This is what we did in the “olden” days. We didn’t have student debt or car payments “straight out of the gate” in life.
What do Piggs think of again allowing ROP to replace some of the academic graduation requirements in CA high schools with 6 mo – 2 yr “Certificate Programs” (at no cost to the student)??
