Students advise school leaders

[tonysam]

No, this isn't The Onion:

Mariah Gramolini has a vision for her school district.

“For every student who attends a Lyon County school to be able to do whatever they want after they graduate,” said the 17-year-old senior at Silver Stage High School.

And the people best equipped to prepare students to meet those goals, said Superintendent Caroline McIntosh, are the students. That's why the district organized a student summit Saturday where school board members met with students to discuss the direction the district should take to ensure success after graduation.

The suggestions from the summit will be compiled along with responses given from nearly 1,800 students in the district who couldn't attend the summit but answered an online survey.

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It would be a miracle of administrators actually listened to the kids and implemented their suggestions instead of regarding students as "data" to be manipulated.

[C_Lawyer09]

1. I have a few questions

Do some schools that you know of have effective work/study programs? When I was in High School, students on work study went to jobs, mainly service industry stuff, that didn't tie into career preperation of any type. The Germans seem to have been very successful partnering with business and industry, preparing students for good paying jobs immediately upon graduation. Our system seems to champion higher learning, college, college, college, but without any acuity, job placement, or cohesive plan. An example I have, is the many students who pursue C.J./Law Enforcement degrees, without being told they won't be able to realize future employment because of charges in the past. Lautenberg amendment related charges and other indiscretions that will act as permanent disqualifiers. Secondly, Do you think that schools that specialize in certain areas, like the trades are a viable part of the answer? Have any of your past students made suggestions to you that you think should be implemented?

[tonysam]

2. They used to have that where and when I went to high school.

I don't know if this is even being done now. It seems the trend has been away from vocational training, which is wrong, as far as I am concerned.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. As long as NCLB determines what we teach this is not going to happen

Sadly.