Please use this thread to discuss if everyone should go to college.

Absolutely not!  Higher standards does not mean that everyone in our nation should be college educated. " Experience is the best teacher" was a phrase that I learned in my coursework in college.  The job of education systems is to prepare students for the world of work, whatever that may be.  Apprenticeship is way of preparing that person.  Many trades should be passed on this way, and areas opened up in our Education Nation for these types of teachers!  Trade and technical schools allow students who are not college-bound to develop job skills.  Vocational tracks should be developed as early as 6th grade, in my opinion. 

As the way the question presents itself, is very limited. College is required to be completed to enter certain professions that our educational systems have developed. Is it required that children have to attend grades k-12 to master the information required for employment opportunities? No I don't think so.  There needs to be a re-evaluation of high school level models for graduation. Graduation ratse can be higher if students were motivated in doing what they desire and not what their parents desire them to be. Early College High School models are great for those students who want to attend college and gain college credits so they can get into the meat of their professional choice and not spending so much money on history and english classes that will not be the main part of their profession.  I believe that no matter what profession one chooses that there is continuing education for that professional to continue to receive if it is lawyers doctors, nurses, teachers, plumbers, electricians, social workers, industrial workers etc. Education levels just don't adhere to 'white collar professions". We as a nation have to change the whole educational system from K through grad school.

No a Apprentice is the same as college and as a CTE teacher we should beable  to prepare them for one. The problem is the elected officals see no vaule in it.

Please join my blog and let's hammer out these issues.  I have a great portion of my book devoted to this very topic.  My opinion is that college is a useful tool if there is going to be some type of employment in the industry once the degree program is completed.  There aren't many industries in place anymore where a job is guaranteed except for the in demand positions. 

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We cannot answer that question. It is up to each individual to answer.

The problem is we do NOT give teens enough information EARLY enough to become motivated and focused enough to decide. They hear 'go to college' or you will not have a good life but they do not see the relevance in high school to begin the process. THEN they get out and over 75% attempt college but over 45% of those don't finish. If you ask them why I doubt it is because they 'just didn't want to go.'

As a high school teacher and mother of 3, I knew that the missing piece is building skill and a sense of urgency starting at HOME. The challenge and missing piece there is that PARENTS do not know how to participate authentically in this process past about 6th grade. We have to empower kids earlier to value education and what it offers them, help them find their life purpose then they can answer that question themselves.  I started working to create a DO-ABLE solution to offer parents/teens and schools if desired and a decade later, a project called Get totally Real! was born in my classroom. Thousands of kids later, parents became involved and a Parent Companion was born...www.getreallearning.com

It seems that the majority of those graduating from HS are focused on going to college due to  influences provided by the general educational system and family i.e......you need to go to college to be successful.

It doesn't seem to be common knowledge that 80% of the jobs available in the US today require additional education beyond high school but not a 4 year degree.  IMO the lack of direction towards other occupations that require high level knowledge and skills provided to secondary students is primarily due to parental apathy and the perpetuation of the myth of a 4 year degree makes you successful by those that work in our education system because that is what they have at a minimum.  

Obviously I am a proponent of something other than a 4+ year degree.  I work at educating the HVACR industry workforce and constantly see a huge need for well trained and qualified technicians, contractors, building officials, facility maintenance techs, etc.  All of the trades are in a similar need for good people.  The opportunities for serious workers are spectacular in many of the trades type occupations.  The HVACR industry was listed as the highest growth occupation by the US DOL occupation handbook in 2011.  

I have been involved with PTE or CTE (whatever the current title is) for 20+ years and continue to see a lack of serious promotion to the national HS population by anyone.  Why is that?  What are the barriers that keep this news from being common knowledge?   

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