CTE Requirements Create Questions
By: Dylan Jennings
Writer
Buhach Colony High School has decided to add Career Technical Education (CTE) classes to its educational system. This will not necessarily affect the sophomores, juniors, and seniors this year, however, it will definitely affect the freshman in the coming years. The CTE system is thought to bring a better education to the school, however, many complications arise with it. Students will have difficulty finishing their A-G requirements in addition to these CTE requirements. Buhach Colony administration is trying to come up with solutions to this problem and one possibility is the idea of adding another class period to the schedule. Let’s dive in and see what CTE has to offer.
Writer
Buhach Colony High School has decided to add Career Technical Education (CTE) classes to its educational system. This will not necessarily affect the sophomores, juniors, and seniors this year, however, it will definitely affect the freshman in the coming years. The CTE system is thought to bring a better education to the school, however, many complications arise with it. Students will have difficulty finishing their A-G requirements in addition to these CTE requirements. Buhach Colony administration is trying to come up with solutions to this problem and one possibility is the idea of adding another class period to the schedule. Let’s dive in and see what CTE has to offer.
Students Charlie Gomez and David Chavez build a small engine which is a CTE requirement for next year.
Photo by: Dylan Jennings |
The career technical education program is a program that is supposed to help students connect what they’re learning to the real world in addition to gaining key skills to help them get a job after they graduate. This program encourages students to explore and prepare for careers in finance, marketing, psychology, criminal justice, and more. Think of the CTE program like this: you, a student, are about to embark on your high school journey. Instead of just getting a completely well-rounded education, which has been what high schoolers for years have been getting, you will also be getting an education focused on skilled trades, applied sciences, modern technologies, and career preparation. Simply put, this program is like a vocational school.
Principal Lance Morrow says, “CTE courses are designed to, not just teach employable job skills, but to teach life skills as well.” The administration is excited about the idea of bringing CTE to Buhach. They believe that it will something that will definitely allow for the students to be successful in years to come. Morrow also states, “ It teaches life skills such as teamwork, responsibility, perseverance, problem solving, and many more.” However, CTE does have its problems. In addition to receiving 20 credits of CTE classes each year, students now need to fit more class into their busy schedules. This creates a new challenge for students. Not only do they have to fit in classes for their A-G requirements, students also have to fulfill their CTE requirements. One solution to this is to take classes that will work for both CTE and the A-G requirements. |
Counselor Olga Powell says, “We are trying to push students to take these classes, because they will be beneficial to these students. They can get both their A-G requirements and CTE requirements out of the way all with one class. Some of these classes include welding, small engines, computer apps, computer programming, food and nutrition, culinary arts, and more. Mostly classes that fit under the agriculture, business, and engineering descriptions will count towards both. Counselor Matt Lawler also said, “The administration is considering adding another period to the day.” There are multiple solutions that the administration is trying to establish to fix the problems that arise with CTE. Who knows, maybe the CTE program will bring about a new kind of change in the student. One that will help these students in the real world, but for now we have to wait and see what effect this program will have.