High School Education Act 1965

For some students, the question of what to do after high school may be a burden to even contemplate as it approaches quicker and quicker. The pressure to continue another four (or more) years of education after high school can be overwhelming considering twelve years of schooling has already been completed; why go right back to school again? When’s break time? Some people are simply just not ready for college and they know it, or at least until after they have had a long break or have had some time to recollect themselves. Technically speaking college isn’t for everyone, nor is it necessarily needed for a career. Luckily today, there are many other options that potential career seeking beings can get a head start on such as community colleges and trade/vocational schools. These alternatives to a four year college are considered to be a good start on a job (and maybe even a career). The best benefits of these alternatives involve the cost of attending, the student environment, and the degrees offered.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), brain child of President Johnson, was passed in 1965. ESEA was intended to mitigate disparities in access to quality academic services and learning outcomes endured by underprivileged and minority students by federally funding schools serving their communities. ESEA, later revised as No Child Left Behind, was to be one element in a larger reform agenda focused on urban redevelopment, vocational training and “EDUCATION AND HEALTH” (Thomas & Brady, 2005). In his 1965 State of the Union, Johnson proclaimed, “No longer will we tolerate widespread involuntary idleness, unnecessary human hardship and misery, the impoverishment of whole areas… ” Nevertheless, this intractable problem remains, as illustrated by recent National Assessment of Educational Progress findings:

People can attend trade schools or community colleges to obtain the knowledge needed in a short period of time to join the workforce sooner. While the salary for these occupations do not pay as well as a doctor , lawyer or teacher, they can still help you to be more successful. This option also isn’t as costly as obtaining four or two-year degrees . “Professor Lerman, the American University economist, said some high school graduates would be better served by being taught how to behave and communicate in the workplace”(Steinberg, 2010). Switching from a school environment to a workplace can be an issue for many graduates. Due to college and graduate schools being pushed to the forefront of focus there is a lack of preparation provided to the students who choose to go straight into the workforce after graduating high school. In some cases this results in poor work ethic, the ability to work well with others,professionalism and handling issues in a work environment. “Yet despite the need, vocational school programs, which might teach such skills, have been one casualty in the push for national education

TRIO would later evolve into a total of eight programs, yet keep the title of “TRIO.” Upward Bound (often referred to as Classic or Regular Upward Bound) would be joined by Upward Bound Math-Science, a program with a format similar to Upward Bound, but stressing and providing assistance in Math and Science, while encouraging students to pursue careers in these fields of study. Veterans Upward Bound was initiated in the 1970s to provide military veterans with the skills and support necessary to pursue a postsecondary degree (U.S. Department of Education, 2016).

With the NCLB’s focused emphasis on English and math standards, other educational areas such as the arts and sciences have been overlooked. The No Child Left Behind Act also focuses on bringing the lower scores up and not helping in raising the scores of those students who are already at higher levels leaving these higher achieving students behind in a push for equality. Although test scores have risen and the achievement gap between minority and white students has decreased, the No Child Left Behind Act has damaged the United States educational system by not addressing the needs of all students, forcing curricula to exclude arts, civics, foreign language and sciences, and emphasizing testing and not learning. It is time for a change.

On the other hand, there is an argument that the education system provides positive qualities. Some students are actually improving in the classroom and on standardized tests. In her book, Christina Fisanick found that “In Wisconsin, 87 percent of third-graders were reading at grade-level or above. This number was an all-time high, and a 13 percent increase over 2002 scores” (Fisanick, 17). Success for all is one of many purposes that come from the educational system. An education reform named No Child Left Behind signed in January of 2002 was to make sure all students were given the chance to improve. In other words, this act made educators work even harder to make sure all students were moving on and that no child was being left

The American public educational system is filled with an assortment of problems. Most students are graduating with less knowledge and capability than similar students in other industrialized countries. Classroom disruptions are surprisingly common, and in some classrooms, nearly continuous. The public education system is having difficulty adjusting to the no child left behind act. The No Child Left Behind(NCLB) is a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of American’s schools.

All careers from construction workers, to teachers, to attorneys are all important in today’s society, and it is important to let the adolescence to choose the path they take in their life. Sending fewer young people to college will not solve the country’s national debt problem. Companies will still send their work across seas in order for them to pay less and make more, even if the United States has enough labor workers in the country. Sending young people to college, or even a trade school, is better because they are gaining knowledge that they would have never had without attending a higher institution of learning.

Dual enrollment, four year universities, community colleges and trade schools. I’ve seen people with college educations that have terrible jobs and no real prospects, and I’ve seen people without degrees, or with technical certificates, that are wildly successful and happy with the choice they made. Yet we continue to see the disparities between those that have vocational training or a two or four year degree, and those that do not.

This article in the Times newspaper, points out problems and flaws with the 2002 U.S. No Child Left Behind educational legislation, which was designed to improve education in the U.S. Topics that are discussed include, teachers complaints that No Child Left Behind policy sets impossible standards and forces teachers to teach based on the test material, and how the bill originally came to life by the proposal of former U.S. president George W. Bush. The other topic

The role of the federal government in setting education policy increased significantly with the passage by Congress of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a sweeping education reform law that revised the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. "Federal policy has played a major role in supporting standards-based reform since the passage of the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) of 1994. That law required states to establish challenging content and performance standards, implement assessments…hold school systems accountable…" (Goertz, 2005, pg. 73)

We live in a society that places a high value on the professions and white-collar jobs (work performed in an office, cubicle, or other administrative setting), and that still considers blue-collar (jobs that often involve manual labor) work lower status. Parents want their children to pursue careers that will maintain or increase their status. Some people think that going to college is going to make you successful in life. However that isn’t true for some people. Not every student is suited to go to college, and not every student necessarily wants to go. For teens who desire a unique learning experience, a vocational high school program may be a good fit. High schools should prepare all students for college, but should offer vocational classes as electives. Students who take these electives can learn about a job as they prepare for college (Word Generation 3.13, 2012).

They believe that the purpose of high school is to prepare kids for college. Today, however, this is not true. Not only can students who attend vocational schools earn just as much money in the real world, but there is also a genuine need for this type of growing labor force. Sure, there is a need for a professional workforce that is college educated. But there is also just as great of a need for drafters who turn the ideas of the architects into actual blueprints. The doctors need the nurses to draw patient’s blood and record information. Furthermore, a recent article noted that “a lot college graduates who choose the conventional route end up underemployed in jobs like retail or food service.” Again, this is why high schools must encourage other avenues of education, such as vocational and technical schools that offer better chances of gainful employment and a better return on their educational investments.

After graduating from high school, many students consider going to a four-year university, or going to a community college in order to transfer into a university. The main question is whether going to a university is the right choice for them? According to Mike Rustigan’s article, “Is a college degree necessary?” he stresses the negligence of vocational education as college is not for every student (Rustigan, 2010). I agree with Rustigan’s statement because if everyone is going for a career in the white-collar area, that mean there will be a shortage of blue-collar workers. For example, if every student is going to become a doctor, who are we going to call when there is a water leak in the house? America needs to consider vocational studies as a main component in education because of the imbalance of blue-collar jobs, college is not for every high school student, and the competition from other nations.

Education is the main source to gain knowledge, to begin a successful journey to life's opportunities and advantages. The true value of an education is only what the students, teachers, and administrators make of it to create a foundation for the learners of today and tomorrow. I was born and raised in Pakistan. The education system is very different compared to the United States. Everything about America’s Education system was very new to me. It was shocking to learn about the racial injustices that persist here, even though education is free for all students in K-12. If it was not then one man can assume that the wealthy student that attends private and earn a higher quality education. Whereas, a poor student goes to public school where they cannot earn a great education. I was dismayed when I heard and read about injustice in schools. It is important for society to learn the ways students are funneled to prison from school, so that future generations will be prevented from this great injustice. Although the values of having equal rights in public school education have been diminished due to certain school policy rules. Relatively new school policies such as the Zero Tolerance Policy and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have influenced more too, "School to Prison Pipeline". No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2002 for students in grades kindergarten through twelfth. According to Posey, “It was designed to introduce national standards to a system in which students in