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 took every electronics class I could in HS and Middle School.
It took me almost 20 years, but eventually I could laugh at the jocks in HS.
Shop classes should be offered, but not required for everyone!!
And, conversely, those who concentrate on shop should not have chemistry, physics, calculus, etc. required!
There may be a few people who need a bit of both. Let them have them!
BTTT
I ended up taking electronics and drafting. The electronics courses became quite useful, not so much as a career, but in everyday life.
My son made a gorgeous box with a maze inside. You shook the box certain ways to get the marble to the end. Cool..
High school back in the sixties.
Wood shop, metal shop, couple years tv repair.
Ended up with a GED. Refused to play the games.
Pulled six figures for a lot of years before retiring.
And you can’t outsource trades guys/gals.
Minus the random blowing up of people, Kaczynski was right about technology.
The first half of his book scared me because I was in total agreement.
Luckily the book turns.
I think people are happier with some simplicity and reality in their lives.
It’s nice to see that actual, tangible results of one’s work.
An engine turning over, a hand crafted box, a painting, etc.
Nothing is real anymore, just bent spine iPhone eaters..
I am sure they will be cutting out profiles of MLK in wood!
I have gotten involved in school board elections.
We turned a 4-3 liberal majority into 7-0 conservative majority. It didn’t last long the liberal counter attack just produced a 5-2 liberal majority in the last election.
The counter attack was led by retired educators who like the current educational curriculum.
Outsiders have zero chance at changing the liberal education monopoly.
These are performance driven classes that cannot be "dumbed down". The student has to perform to accepted industrial standards. Many classes of this type enable professional certification at the end of training. That testing is done by a professional organization or third party.
I know, I was a CTE instructor for 16 years after I got out of the military (9 active duty and 15 years in the reserves) and also 12 plus years of Quality Assurance in the largest aerospace company in the US.
No panic. No lockdown. The teacher just asked to borrow it to show off to his other classes. A week or so later, he returned it and I walked home with it. Even the class bully didn't mess with me that day.
Nice. We used to be normal.
I’m not certain what happened…
Learned these skills from Boy Scouts and my engineer father.
I still use a pair of pliers I purchased in 1963.
I always laughed at the jocks in high school, but sometimes there were repercussions.
That’s impressive. Sears?
“I wish I had taken the carpentry and bricklaying classes my school offered. Not only were you taught the basic skills, but you got to build foundations and framing for real houses—and you could start the classes as a freshman.”
Thankfully, our local school never stopped the “shop” classes. The high school students even built the new green houses for agriculture club. The Ag club grows tomato plants from seedlings during the school year and has a tomato plant sale each spring. I believe the shop students also built the storage building for the football team’s gear.
As those students get older and start a family, simple household repairs will come easy to them. Many will find a aptitude and joy in woodwork and end up making carpentry a career.
As I said, I’m glad to see shop classes return. Hopefully, there are enough experienced tradesmen willing to fill the need.
True that. Remember setting the point gap at top dead center?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.