High schools are failing to educate our students for college and careers
Opinion by Linda Murray/Thoughts on Public Education
Linda Murray is Superintendent-in-Residence for The Education Trust-West (ETW)
The debate around the mission of our nation’s high schools runs hot. Should all students take a core curriculum that prepares them to go to college if they choose? Or should some students take a lighter academic load and be trained in workforce readiness skills that will lead directly to jobs or some further post-secondary workforce training? At The Education Trust-West, we have long argued that all students should take the minimum coursework necessary for application to our state university systems – commonly called the A-G requirements. While not every student will go to college, the choice should be theirs. Students should not be limited in their job potential because they do not have the academic skills needed for both college and good careers. In our view, the A-G requirements benefit all high school graduates no matter what post-secondary path they choose. (more...)