Choosing a Career in What Grade....???

[mandr96]

What is this "Career Cluster" crap about? The board of ed is expecting kids (most who have not even gone through puberty) to choose their career before they go to high school?!!! Most people aren't even sure when they enter college!!! How are they supposed to know what they truly want to do if they are not able to experience a little of everything? And so much for any creativity....... Are we producing well-rounded individuals that become "employers" or robots that become "employees"???

 

[kwillia]

What is this "Career Cluster" crap about? The board of ed is expecting kids (most who have not even gone through puberty) to choose their career before they go to high school?!!! Most people aren't even sure when they enter college!!! How are they supposed to know what they truly want to do if they are not able to experience a little of everything? And so much for any creativity....... Are we producing well-rounded individuals that become "employers" or robots that become "employees"???

Your are missing the boat on this one, mandr. Your child has an opportunity to develop a certain skill set, at no expense to you, that will give them the ability to seek gainful employment while they figure out what they wanna be later in life. Let's say a student decides to take advantage of becoming a certified mechanic by the time they leave high school. Does that mean they are destined to be a mechanic all of their life? No. Does that mean they now have a skill set that will allow them to get a job straight out of high school making way more than burger boy/girl who's parent didn't take make them take the "career path" opportunity serious.... you betcha!

 

[kwillia]

As for you wanting your child to beome an employer rather than an employee. Get a grip. All good employers were once employees. In fact, the best employers are the ones that can take the lessons learn of being an employee and apply those lessons to becoming a better employer.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Your are missing the boat on this one, mandr. Your child has an opportunity to develop a certain skill set, at no expense to you, that will give them the ability to seek gainful employment while they figure out what they wanna be later in life. Let's say a student decides to take advantage of becoming a certified mechanic by the time they leave high school. Does that mean they are destined to be a mechanic all of their life? No. Does that mean they now have a skill set that will allow them to get a job straight out of high school making way more than burger boy/girl who's parent didn't take make them take the "career path" opportunity serious.... you betcha!

I wish they would start turning more high schools into the new one in Charles County off Rt. 228. I can't remember the name, but the concept is a "technical" school where students learn trades - cosmetology, mechanic, engineer, etc.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

I always wanted to be the guy who stuffed the cotton in pill bottles, but all I could do was listen to a band called Solo4 and didn't study in skool..

 

[kwillia]

I wish they would start turning more high schools into the new one in Charles County off Rt. 228. I can't remember the name, but the concept is a "technical" school where students learn trades - cosmetology, mechanic, engineer, etc.

We have that in St. Mary's too. There is an awesome tech school in Leonardtown and it is available to all of our high school students. They have a MASSIVE list of trades, from brick laying to a course sponsored by NASA for budding engineers. The sad fact is that many parents do not encourage their children to take advantage of the golden opportunity. That is why we have so many high school graduates who have to continue living off of their parents until they finally decide what they wanna be when they grow up.

 

[kwillia]

I always wanted to be the guy who stuffed the cotton in pill bottles, but all I could do was listen to a band called Solo4 and didn't study in skool..

Soooo that explains your tampon stuffing fetish K_Jo keeps rambling about...

 

[MMDad]

I Always Wanted To Be The Guy Who Stuffed The Cotton In Pill Bottles, But All I Could Do Was Listen To A Band Called Solo4 And Didn't Study In Skool.. :Ohwell:

:Fixed:

 

[Mikeinsmd]

We have that in St. Mary's too. There is an awesome tech school in Leonardtown and it is available to all of our high school students. They have a MASSIVE list of trades, from brick laying to a course sponsored by NASA for budding engineers. The sad fact is that many parents do not encourage their children to take advantage of the golden opportunity. That is why we have so many high school graduates who have to continue living off of their parents until they finally decide what they wanna be when they grow up.

:buddylee: JK stick, I had to.

Yanno those who learn trades are commanding top dollar now. It's hard to find good, skilled trade workers. Our union electricians are making $31.65/hr plus excellent benefits and will easily surpass $40.00/hr over the next 4 years.

Kids keep getting degrees in; "Would you like fries with that" and can't find a job out of college.

 

[harleygirl]

I always wanted to be the guy who stuffed the cotton in pill bottles, but all I could do was listen to a band called Solo4 and didn't study in skool..

I think Solo4 was a little after our time sweetie......... Heck I watched Supernova last night and did not even know Motley Crue, Metallica or Guns and Roses had even broken up until I saw the band members on the show with their new group!! I still remember skipping high school to go buy Peter Frampton tickets......

 

[Mikeinsmd]

I think Solo4 was a little after our time sweetie......... Heck I watched Supernova last night and did not even know Motley Crue, Metallica or Guns and Roses had even broken up until I saw the band members on the show with their new group!! I still remember skipping high school to go buy Peter Frampton tickets......

Have you seen how FAT they've all become?

 

[kwillia]

:buddylee: JK stick, I had to.

Yanno those who learn trades are commanding top dollar now. It's hard to find good, skilled trade workers. Our union electricians are making $31.65/hr plus excellent benefits and will easily surpass $40.00/hr over the next 4 years.

Kids keep getting degrees in; "Would you like fries with that" and can't find a job out of college.

Exactly! We aren't only talking about blue collar courses and certifications either... they offer a number of white collar courses too. I imagine it would give a student a leg up should they decide to continue their education after high school. I would think a college who had to chose a student based on high school activities would favor a student who followed and stuck with a career path rather than mosey about for 4 years.

 

[harleygirl]

Have you seen how FAT they've all become?

Yup..........and old too!! Then I realized that I was aging right along with them...... And I thought Peter Frampton being bald was bad!

 

[Chasey_Lane]

We have that in St. Mary's too. There is an awesome tech school in Leonardtown and it is available to all of our high school students. They have a MASSIVE list of trades, from brick laying to a course sponsored by NASA for budding engineers. The sad fact is that many parents do not encourage their children to take advantage of the golden opportunity. That is why we have so many high school graduates who have to continue living off of their parents until they finally decide what they wanna be when they grow up.

No, I'm talking about a high school that is specifically geared towards trades, not a vo-tech center; Charles County has had a v-tech center for many, many years. Here's the high school I'm talking about: http://www.ccboe.com/northpoint/

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Yup..........and old too!! Then I realized that I was aging right along with them...... And I thought Peter Frampton being bald was bad!

We don't look anything like them...... they've hoed some long rows (pardon the pun). Frampton is older than us too.

 

[sunflower]

My son is almost 11. He said he wants to be a police officer, or a mechanic.

 

[oldman]

What is this "Career Cluster" crap about? The board of ed is expecting kids (most who have not even gone through puberty) to choose their career before they go to high school?!!! Most people aren't even sure when they enter college!!! How are they supposed to know what they truly want to do if they are not able to experience a little of everything? And so much for any creativity....... Are we producing well-rounded individuals that become "employers" or robots that become "employees"???

I can only speak for myself, and I know that after I graduated from high school I had no idea what I would do with my life. A tech school might have been enticing if there were any at that time and if they had anything of any interest to me. I grew up with dreams of becoming this or that, but in actuality they were only dreams. Perhaps a career cluster would at least get a student to think more positively about what they wanted. I followed my fellow classmates from 6th grade that said they would take college classes in 7th. Took me less than 2 months to figure out it was not for me. Who is to say directing a kid to any education field, which they pick, is good or bad. Seems to me that offering them a specific direction is a good thing. They get to pick out where they want to go and then also get to say they made a wrong decision or not. Isn't that part of education?

 

[Dupontster]

We have that in St. Mary's too. There is an awesome tech school in Leonardtown and it is available to all of our high school students. They have a MASSIVE list of trades, from brick laying to a course sponsored by NASA for budding engineers. The sad fact is that many parents do not encourage their children to take advantage of the golden opportunity. That is why we have so many high school graduates who have to continue living off of their parents until they finally decide what they wanna be when they grow up.

My son is in his 3rd and final year there.....He's taking Residencial Wiring...Hope he can at least learn how to change a light bulb...

 

[dt5255]

What is this "Career Cluster" crap about? The board of ed is expecting kids (most who have not even gone through puberty) to choose their career before they go to high school?!!! Most people aren't even sure when they enter college!!! How are they supposed to know what they truly want to do if they are not able to experience a little of everything? And so much for any creativity....... Are we producing well-rounded individuals that become "employers" or robots that become "employees"???

I agree with you. My son had to pick his "Cluster" in the 6th grade. When He got into high school and decided in the 11th grade that he wanted to go to the Tech Center to take electrical class they said that he couldn't do that because it wasn't in his "Cluster".

 

[Pete]

I wish I had this back when I was in school. Maybe my dream of being a rodeo clown would have come true