Posted on 07/26/2023 12:25:01 PM PDT by CFW
As school funding became a matter of standardized test scores in reading and math, the budget tightened for classes that taught woodworking and printmaking. From the 1990s to the early 2010s, students took fewer credits in shop class — or as it is now called, Career Tech Education — according to data from the National Center of Education Statistics.
Instead, the priority turned toward securing students spots in four-year degree programs.
But with more job openings in the trades and more questions around the value of a four-year college degree, high schools are turning their attention back to equipping the next generation with hands-on technical skills.
In 2015, 125 CTE-related policies were approved across 39 states, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education — boosting funding for CTE programs was one of the top categories of those policies.
And during the 2016-2017 school year, 98% of public school districts offered CTE to high school students, though the types of programs varied widely, according to the Department of Education. That comes after a years-long lull period, which means many high schoolers missed out and only discovered opportunities in the trades years after graduation. But as demand for trade labor grows, so too does the focus on CTE in high schools.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
I still have a cutting board I made from 1992.
The problem is, like the standard classes, these will be dumbed down to the lowest level.
Yup. The left will try to make itself look like heroes despite the damage they ahve done over the decades by pushing college like they have.
They will NEVER admit they were wrong.
I remember back in the old days, they had shop class for boys, and home economics for girls.
I know nowadays, some people would think it outrageous that classes were set up segregated by sex.
“Why do you listen to a shop teacher missing fingers?” - Tim Allen
In the ‘60s anyone caught smoking behind the building during Auto Shop was sentenced to wet sanding ‘the truck’ while others took a break.
In High School l actually learned how to operate a Lathe and an Arc welder. I took auto shop and we had two actual lifts. We would do basic tune ups even some minor repairs for faulty. I was lucky to go to HS before the world went insane but even then (late 60’s) there were signs.
I still have a folding stool that I built in the 8th grade, probably ‘82, as sturdy and functional as it always was. I still use it!
That would have been invaluable experience.
Back when a normal guy could work on a car.
Now you need a computer with $20k software, and hands like an Okinawan woman.
Growing up we had a very nice end table. It looked like all of the other nice furniture in the house. It wasn’t until I learned much later that my dad had built it in shop class! (Probably around 1934 or so).
My brother has it now.
“home economics for girls”
Yes they did and this young man signed up for it based on an older buddy telling me too. My class had about 20 girls in it and only 1 other guy.
Good times!
A guy I went to school with became a plumber——Then became a millionaire. He worked very hard & built up a strong business.
At my junior-high the boys and girls swapped for one fall period; boys in home economics, girls in shop. Was useful.
It’s like Amish woodwork. They’re fantastic and worth the cost.
It lasts forever.
I helped outfit CTE programs across Texas and Oklahoma with AV technology starting in the 90’s and again in the 2010’s.
Some programs, like at Edcouch Elsa ISD in the RGV, made very good use of the technology and offered great programs.
Now, their programs were geared toward what was needed in the RGV - cooking, hair dressing and some programming. Not much shop or mechanics as I remember. But any kid that tried was ahead of the current Tik Tok generation.
I hired a kid from another high school, that let him get his Cisco certification, and he was well on his way into a great career when he left us.
I’ve thought of becoming an electrician, but my work is going nowhere.
Electrical distribution design has so much work, it’s crazy.
And, work is 5’ away and clothing optional…
My 2 kids, one of each sex, now in their forties, each had both shop and home-ec.
In High School l actually learned how to operate a Lathe and an Arc welder. I took auto shop and we had two actual lifts. We would do basic tune ups even some minor repairs for faulty. I was lucky to go to HS before the world went insane but even then (late 60’s) there were signs.
*************
That was before the schoolmarms had completely taken over the education sector.
If a schoolmarm can’t do it, it’s not worth teaching the subject.(sarcasm)
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