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ERIC Number: EJ1044033
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0148-432X
EISSN: N/A
Look beyond the Label: Reframing, Reimagining, and Reinvesting in CTE
Jackson, John H.; Hasak, Jonathan
American Educator, v38 n3 p34-39 Fall 2014
Over the last several years, government and philanthropic studies have been drawing attention to declining postsecondary attainment in the United States. With soaring college costs, many high school graduates are carefully weighing whether to attend college at all. High school students today face a pivotal decision: if they decide to enroll in college, they are likely to do so without the guarantee of a job after graduation at a time when student loan debt has already surpassed a trillion dollars. The prospect that future jobs will rely less on traditional bachelor's degrees has muddled the "college-for-all" message and the notion that educational attainment leads to successful careers. The opportunity for students to take advantage of CTE is not accessible in its current state. First, after decades of poor course offerings and an image of vocational education as the second-rate program for students tracked out of a four-year college, reframing and rebranding is needed. Second, a clear gap has emerged between the academic skills students lack and the skills most CTE instructors have been trained to provide. Third, CTE must have stronger partnerships between the private and public sectors so that students who graduate from four-year colleges or CTE pathways can earn similar salaries regardless of the institution they attended. Finally, to attract students and meet labor market demands, we must reinvest in CTE to provide up-to-date course offerings, curricula, and campuses.
American Federation of Teachers. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4400; e-mail: amered@aft.org; Web site: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A