According to an article in today's NY Sun, vocational schools work better. The article said that 63% of students graduated in four years compared to 58% citywide, there was a 10% drop out rate, compared to the citywide drop out rate of 15% and 80% had high scores on the math and English regents compared with 55% or less of citywide. The article also said that vocational schools receive $265 less per student in funding and just 12% of career programs have been given state certification.
The article goes on to blame the low number on the Department of Education. For one thing, Klein has not supported career training. The Department of Education claims they are working on a plan to expand programs. A panel, consisting of labor, business and higher education groups has been working with department officials on a plan to improve career education but there is no evidence that the department will actually follow through on any of the recommendations.
For years, teachers have been saying that we need more vocational training. Now money is being spent on a panel to say exactly the same thing. The powers that be are still fighting vocational training. I guess nothing can be done to make a blind person see!
1 comment:
When I first started teaching, I worked for a voc-ed program, which was relevant for its students and therefore successful. But that was many years ago and in a different state.
The school district where I currently work is among the largest in my state. I doesn't provide voc-ed for students except for those who are already academically successful and not until their junior year in high school. There is one voc-ed school in the district and a dozen+ regular high schools. As it stands now, all schools are to focus on one thing, and one thing only: to make every student college-ready.
Trouble it, that philosophy hasn't cut down the drop-out rate.
We have a new (Democratic) governor, who would like to bring a vocational education diploma option to our students. It is frustrating that so many so-called experts on education around here are against it. We'll see how it goes.
Why is it that the people who run education are so often myopic?
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