High school graduate/ Now what?

As a senior, you are all hyped, can't wait for

the big day in June.. Test, prom's, pictures,

and all that goes with it... Then the big day

comes... but the day after? Then what?

Some get summer jobs, and putting money

to the side for the fall.. College bound.. and

the newness of that.  They say that less than

50% of those that enter.. make it out of the

other side.. be it 4 years or more.  Wonder

if the price of education has anything to do

with that.  After all you can almost buy a house

for less.  Especially those who end up going

for 8 years or more.

Some head to the 2 years worth local college's.

Heard they fare better.  Not a lot better but

somewhat better.  And then they decide if

they want to go on with more.. adding 2 to

4 more years. By this time getting a passion

for what they want out of life.

The other one, which I like so much better..

is Vocational schools.  The numbers are

higher for those who enter. I would guess

because when they finish, they are almost

guaranteed a job. Some of those schools,

there are employers knocking on their doors

before they graduate. And that is why I like

it.  As college you spend the first year and

somewhat the 2nd year.. redoing what you

did in your senior year of high school, before

you get a serious start on your goal.

But what about the others. The ones who don't

have the money to go to any school. And their

grades aren't high enough for scholarships?

Whose summer job becomes the job of life.

Add a wife and children to that.. and it is hard

to come out of the hole. Not that there is any

thing wrong with working Wal-Mart, local gas

station, McDonalds and etc. After all someone

has to work them.. but rarely go on

to management because they want a degree to

climb that ladder to higher paying jobs.

When I went to school there were some classes

that let to jobs. There was secretarial classes.

Our school has a beauty shop. Also in those days

every high school had a auto shop in it. Again

almost a great heading for a job at that time.

But time has changed. High schools rarely leave

you with any more than the white piece of paper.

Which a dollar and half and that paper buys you

a cup of coffee.

We went to a movie on Saturday night. The man in

front of us, was telling us that he was starting a new

class. He was starting a class of teaching how to

overhaul airplane engines. In high school.

What a great idea.  And we told him so. He was really

looking foreward to teaching the class. 

Now if we could just find more like him.. to step up

to the plate for those kids whose parents can't afford

the extra schools.    I know with all my kids, I couldn't.

Some of my kids went back to school after they worked

for a while. One went into the military to get that education

and still goes to classes as he works civil service.

I don't know what Common Core is.. but it sure would

be nice if it included vocational classes.

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