We Need Two Honorable Paths to Graduation

Why is our educational system set up with the premise that every student is going to a four year university? This year I began my first year as the Associate Superintendent of our school system. One of my duties is to oversee our system's special education programs. A major requirement from the Georgia Department of Education is to write a 20+ page plan of how we are going to improve the graduation rates for our students with disabilities. We must examine local barriers to success. Things like access to the general curriculum, attendance, and discipline data. All of that is absolutely fine with me. BUT, we also need to have a serious conversation about the barriers that the state has placed not only for students with disabilities, but students who wish to pursue something other than a four year degree.

There is a need to provide two honorable and valuable paths to high school graduation. Why must every high school student be required to take four theoretical math classes in order to graduate? Currently, students must take at a minimum Coordinate Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, and Applied Math Analysis. What about the student who plans to run their own poultry farm, or HVAC service? Would it not be just as honorable for them to take Accounting and Principles of Finance instead? This way they would actually learn about how to manage their money, the positive and negative power of interest rates, how to make needed investments, and how to depreciate their equipment. Could a student not substitute an Economics class that focuses on things like the Gross Domestic Product and instead take a Business Law class in order to learn about contract law? Is this not an honorable substitute? At the moment, our country has over 3 million skilled job openings. Openings for welders, truck drivers, electricians, plumbers, etc. Isn't it time that we take a step back and re-evaluate what we are doing?

Let me provide an example of how our requirements are actually causing students to drop out.

Here is a typical schedule for a ninth grade high school student on a 4 X 4 block.

Fall                                                                             Spring

1    Biology                                                                                    Civics

2    9^th Grade Lit                                                                          Coordinate Algebra

3     Elective                                                                                   Elective

4    Elective                                                                                   Elective

If this student fails Coordinate Algebra and Biology his 10^th Grade schedule now looks like this:

Fall                                                                             Spring 

Biology                                                                                   World History

American Lit                                                                         Coordinate Algebra

Physical Science                                                                    Geometry

Elective                                                                                   Elective

Does the above schedule offer the student a better chance of succeeding this year than last? ABSOLUTELY NOT! This pattern repeats itself throughout the next two and sometimes three years. Often by the time students are in the 11th grade they are so far behind in passing classes that seemingly have no bearing on their future, they simply give up. 

There is one prominent person in our country who wants to change this and that's Mike Rowe, the host of the TV Show, Dirty Jobs. Please take a moment and watch the first seven minutes of the video below.

I know what you are thinking. We have CTAE classes in which these types of skilled trades can be learned. You may also be thinking that we have now opened up dual enrollment for high school students to attend technical schools in order to gain access to learn these trades. YES and YES, all that is certainly an exciting step in the right direction! Our next step is to provide some honorable and valuable alternatives to some of our academic classes for those who absolutely know that a four-year college education is not an option. Especially, our students with disabilities.

Our current governor speaks of revolutionizing education in Georgia (once the election year is over... hmm). I would tell him, let's truly do something revolutionary and let's do something that no other state in our nation has the guts to do.