We should face facts, not every student will be a scientist or a doctor or a lawyer. Some students will struggle with any academic directed career. I believe it's time to direct some of our excellent efforts in career and technical training to develop those students not headed to college for a jump on their careers. If we don't, we will send thousands of our students out into the minimum wage jobs of fast food restaurants and basic retail jobs. First, we should look at the career and technical education (CTE) we offer our students and ask why are most of them directed at careers and training that will require many years of college to finish. While we must be focused on college and university destinations for many of our students, we need to equally focus on those students who will either not attend schools of higher learning or never finish. It's one of the reasons that our taxpayers support West-MEC, our local overlay school district for CTE education.
There is room in our schools to teach students some trades. I suggest that DVUSD strongly consider the options to provide training in plumbing, heating and air conditioning, welding, electrical, carpentry, and even heavy equipment operation. We have the facilities available to us, the trades need educated workers, and our students can go to work immediately after high school graduation.The advantages are many. First, we will keep students in school who might otherwise simply disappear and never graduate. Some of those students will be fascinated by learning for the first time in their academic experience and may go on to college to become architects or electrical or civil engineers. Most importantly, Deer Valley won't be sending those students out unprepared and ill-equipped to be productive members of our community.
As a side benefit, we can train those future doctors, lawyers, and scientists how to fix a leaky faucet in their homes or do other minor household repairs through elective classes within the CTE program.
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