Too Snobby for Shop

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0803/jjacobs.html ^ | July 21, 2003 / 21 Tamuz, 5763 | Joanne Jacobs

[paltz]

With a few years of experience, an auto mechanic at a dealership can earn $80,000 a year. But high schools are eliminating auto shop classes, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The equipment is costly, industrial tech (shop) teachers are hard to find and students' schedules are filled with college-prep classes. Students assume the only way to make a living is to go to college, but many don't have the motivation or the academic skills to earn a college degree. Only about half of students who enroll in college ever earn a degree; most of those who graduate won't be earning $80,000 a year.

[Straight Vermonter]

In many areas, that have similar requirements, teachers teach outside of their subject area on an "emergency" basis. In other states (like in VT) teachers are either elementary certified or secondary certified. There is no requirement for training in the field they teach.

[BobS]

Since i'm going to be a college professor, maybe the plumbing skills will come in handy. : )

You know, you have a good point. I bust my but working in engineering when other opportunitinies are in everyone's bathroom and kitchen. And help is ALLWAYS needed, because folks don't like being "inconvenienced". I'm just an average white guy, too!

[handk]

A sharp businesswoman once told me that; "Money is a substitute for confront". In other words, you can't "confront" growing your veggies, so you get them at the supermarket instead.

For $250 you could have bought a decent chain-saw, did it yourself, stacked the wood to dry for your fireplace at a later date, and could have wound up with a brand-new chainsaw to boot (plus the firewood).

Your net worth would not have decreased by $250 (the new chainsaw a simple conversion of paper wealth into physical wealth), you probably would have had fun using it to cut up the tree (remember the Rush parody bit with the chainsaw audio track?), but instead the $250 went into some other guy's pocket for 15 minutes worth of work.

[Conservababe]

Funny you should mention tree downing.

I had a large, and I mean large, oak tree in my back yard. It was dying and becoming dangerous.

I called all over to get estimates to fell it. The problem was that no one could get that machinery in to ride in the little booth to cut the limbs, because of other trees and uneven terrain of my natural yard.

Finally, after many months, I heard of a man who still climbed trees to fell them. I called him out and he gave me an estimate.

When I saw him and his two other helpers climb that tree, saw off limbs and trunk by degrees and finally fell it, I was glad to pay the $800.

But, I am guessing that they are the last of the breed of professionals who used to do that sort of work.

[July 4th]

If there's one class I wish I would have taken in high school, it's auto shop. Granted, there was a major stigma attached to the class, but guys who had no clue about cars came out with a lot of practical knowledge. I also remember that one of the local dealerships routinely donated their old electronic diagnostic stuff - that's perhaps the way to keep these programs alive.

[radiohead]

maybe i'm weird, but one of the proudest days of my life was when i bought my own plumber's snake and used it.

my son thought i was nuts.

i am woman, hear me roar, etc. etc.

nothing wrong w/being an average white guy. they are usually the nicest ones. (late hubby was average white guy)

[eggman]

Not exactly a dying breed. There are several companies I know of that do this work. Davey Tree service was just out this week to trim a tree on our property that grows under an electric transmission line. They couldn't get the truck close enough so they climbed up the tree and trimmed it.

Most companies will stick to the easy jobs if they can keep busy.

[eggman]

I'd just call you smart in that you probably saved yourself a good bit of money and got the satisfaction of fixing it yourself.

Me, I'm just too suborn and cheap to pay somebody to fix something. Don't think I've had a repairman out here in at least 15 years. I took shop in school but I learned a lot more from my dad. I just tinker with things and usually spend way to much time but get it working. And if I can't fix it my younger brother can. You just can't be afraid to learn something new.

[Amelia]

The PRAXIS test(s) are used to determine whether or not beginning teachers have adequate knowledge of their subject matter.

A different test was being used when I obtained certification, so I have no personal knowledge of this PRAXIS, but I know we've had trouble at times getting new science teachers because our system doesn't like to hire teachers who haven't yet passed the PRAXIS.

A couple of years ago, there were news stories about all the new prospective teachers who were unable to pass the test, particularly minority teachers, but I haven't heard much about that lately.

[Movemout]

I thought "is" is a verb.

[Amelia]

In other states (like in VT) teachers are either elementary certified or secondary certified. There is no requirement for training in the field they teach.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 94% of Georgia teachers are "highly qualified" - but sadly, Georgia students are 50th in the nation in SAT scores.

Odd, huh?

[MalcolmS]

>>>For $250 you could have bought a decent chain-saw, did it yourself, stacked the wood to dry for your fireplace at a later date, and could have wound up with a brand-new chainsaw to boot (plus the firewood). <<<

Or he might have brought the tree down on his house, and severed a limb with the chainsaw.

Felling trees is a skill and art to be respected. Beginners should also get a set of personal protection equipment, hardhat, goggles, gloves, etc.

[MarkL]

... students' schedules are filled with college-prep classes... And many can't read well enough to understand the manual or use the diagnostic data on the computer screen. Qualifying for a skilled trade is more demanding than qualifying for most colleges.

I wonder which college prep courses this writer is talking about, that don't prepare a student to "read a manual?"

Mark

[MarkL]

The dirty little secret is that master plumbers make much more money than college professors.

But what high school councelor is going to tell a student that plumbing is a highly lucrative field?

And plumbers, electrician, HVAC technicians, etc, are jobs that can't be outsourced over-seas...

I've got an aquaintance who couldn't get a job with a BSEE right out of college. Through some family connections, he managed to get into an electrician program, and he's now both a "real" EE and a journeyman electrician... Quite a combination...

The problem is that too many in "education" feel that it's demeaning to get one's hands dirty and actually do some work.

Mark

[MarkL]

I thought "is" is a verb.

It depends on what the meaning is "is," is...

Sorry, you know I couldn't leave that one alone...

Mark

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Yes. Cutting down trees is one of the most dangerous of pursuits. Trees have to be cut in a certain way to make them fall in the correct direction. They can sometimes twist and fall in unexpected ways. Families of professional loggers often have at least one death in their family from tree-cutting. Even a small diameter tree can easily kill you as it falls.

[freedumb2003]

I thought "is" is...

Channeling Clinton?

;)

[Freedom4US]

Don't forget the concept of "planned obsolescence"!

That's part of it, but the technology has changed. I'll bet high schools used to offer radio and tv repair too, back when those items were easily repairable. Consumer products today aren't designed to be repairable it would seem.

[pickemuphere]

Also interesting to note that the author, presumably a professional writer, is ending a sentence with a preposition.

"Is" is a form of the verb "be." I may be mistaken, but I don't believe "is" is a preposition.

[_Jim]

Don't forget the concept of "planned obsolescence"!

THAT is truely an overused saw - I have *never* been on a project or in a meeting where we 'planned for obsolescence'.

The objectives were always, however: cost of components, cost of manufacturing (labor), meeting applicable safety requirements (e.g. UL listing, etc.) ... HIGHER levels of integration *can* lead to non-repairable units (not repairable at the user level) BUT this more than offsets the cost of new units ... BUY a quality product and the service you'll get from such items will be more than just proportional - the TROUBLE is, MOST PEOPLE BUY CHEAP (on the basis of initial acquisition PRICE alone)!!