The history of the Chicago school system has been parallel to and intertwined with the city's political system, producing a school system which serves a diversity of interests through a multiplicity of programs, with varying levels of effectiveness. Vocational education, in particular, now is conducted in one superior trade school, several excellent vocational high schools, a hierarchy of lesser vocational high schools, and, less effectively, in the city's comprehensive neighborhood high schools. Recently, federal programs, such as the Vocational Education Act and Amendments and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), have begun to have some influence on the vocational education program in Chicago. As a result, if the Chicago experience can be generalized, two separate systems of vocational education have begun to emerge in the United States. On one side, vocational education is offered by the public schools; is financed through state and local funds; has slowly developed over decades in response to political pressures; and offers a range of instruction to a wide variety of social and ethnic groups. At its best, it provides high quality training to able students who find jobs; at its worst, it provides vocational orientation courses to borderline students who have little interest in education and little expectation of success in the job market. On the other side is a manpower training program provided through CETA, federally financed and closely tied to local political leaders. CETA programs provide second chances for the school's worst populations, but have many organizational and staff problems. A link between the two systems is needed to more effectively serve the low-income, minority groups which neither system seems able to serve effectively, both in Chicago and elsewhere in the country. (KC)