Are public school students pushed into aligning their futures with career and technical education (CTE) instead of college to fit business needs, or college instead of CTE? Career education has been politicized and driven by school privatization for years. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The CTE versus college debate is unnecessary. Both are critical, and students should be able to explore both options.
CTE is more sophisticated than the old vocational education, which also served a vital purpose. However, four-year colleges in the U.S. are the envy of the world (even the National Review thinks so). Unfortunately, college attendance has become unaffordable, and the application process is daunting for low-income and underrepresented groups. This has made college elitist and a crisis for the nation.
Rising college costs began years ago, but Donald Trump also hurts colleges by demanding his conditions and targeting critical contracts, grants, and diversity programs, many of which are crucial for the well-being of Americans. Now he’s threatening college attendance for international students, many of whom become American citizens and do vital work after graduation. As president, Trump should bolster higher education. Why?
In 2022, NBC reported college attendance was down, noting in their subline:
An “alarming” number of people are rejecting college — and it could widen the fissures already polarizing American society.
And:
The United States has already fallen from second to 16th since 2000 among developed nations in the proportion of 25- to 34-year-olds with bachelor’s degrees. Countries ahead of it have increased their bachelor’s degree attainment during that time by an average of 177%, an analysis by an institute at the University of Pennsylvania found.
Manipulating students’ career choices has been a part of the school privatization movement for years. Here are a few examples.
Remember “Every Child-Every Day, College Bound?”
In 2006, Memphis school superintendent Carol Johnson advanced “Every Child, Every Day, College Bound.” Johnson saw this as a civil rights issue and wanted every child on the pathway to college. It bothered parents who knew their children didn’t wish to attend college, because they had other skills.
During that time, America was embroiled in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Students who couldn’t afford college might have found the military another route to college attendance and a career. However, some soldiers, sadly, would not survive.
Pushing college for all became part of a larger nationwide initiative focused on standards, college prep, firing principals, and making teachers reapply for their jobs. High school charters used career themes to attract students.
Johnson eventually included community colleges and trade schools in her narrative. She moved to Boston to further promote a controversial school reform agenda, and like in Memphis, closed many schools.
Should High School Be College to Save Money?
During the 1990s, AP courses allowed some high school students to take a few advanced college classes for college credit. High schoolers are pressured to take as many AP classes as possible today. AP might save on college costs, although not all AP courses work with every college.
AP is a program from the College Board, the so-called not-for-profit that sells high school assessments. In 2023, the College Board held $1,775,694,188 in Cash and Investments.
Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment involves high school students simultaneously enrolling in college courses. Like AP, students and parents might believe high schoolers should take college courses for college or a career to qualify for a job early. This could save money, but students might feel pressured and unprepared. It also might not be what they want.
Few Americans question the developmental appropriateness of making students earn college credit in high school. Who cares about rushing kids?
“Stop Trying to Make Everyone Go to College!” says AFT President Randi Weingarten (2025)
In April, AFT President Randi Weingarten said that higher education was under attack. Now, in a recent New York Times op-ed and on Amanpour, Weingarten advocates “aligning high school to both college prep and in-demand vocational career pathways.”
Aligning is like former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona’s messaging from 2022. Some find the idea of aligning students to anything a bit troubling. 
Weingarten recently discussed bridging work programs with Russlyn Ali, who co-founded the XQ Super Schools, now called the Institute, with Laurene Powell Jobs to rethink high schools. Most of these programs rely on partnerships with community businesses.
The Trump administration, with Linda McMahon, also focuses on aligning schools with business. Are students rushed into career choices too early, aligned to businesses, and could they be used as cheap labor?
To Weingarten’s credit, good high school counseling appears to be at the heart of what she’s describing. Public schools need more career counselors. She also doesn’t seem to be against college, but how much CTE should high school students get, and should CTE be favored over four-year college attendance? And then there’s that word, alignment.
In 2022, Bryant and Hillman in The Progressive wrote:
Aligning school curriculums to the demands of big businesses is no doubt helpful to these companies. And their efforts are bolstered by the fact that these courses are enormously popular in U.S. public schools.
However, career and technical education programs funded by major companies tend to narrow student learning to the needs of specific employers and can be harmful to students’ long-term employability, limiting their future opportunities.
To Sum Up
CTE can introduce students to valuable jobs that keep them focused on school and could lead to employment if students show genuine interest. CTE can be a lifeline for students. Life skills and broad CTE courses might appeal to all students.
But college prep coursework in algebra, geometry, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, physical science, English and foreign languages, American and world history, geography, literature, and civics, not to mention the arts, has always existed, and should never grow old.
Inside Higher Ed reported in 2024 Most ‘Good Jobs’ Will Require a Bachelor’s Degree by 2030s. Many careers already exist. A 2024 report indicated a continued shortage of physicians. Other high-demand areas include engineering fields like biomedical and aerospace, math, physics, computer science related to AI, and machine learning. Robotics and healthcare professions are also needed.
Most of all, high schoolers are still kids. They deserve an education that offers a variety of subjects and activities that provide joyful learning experiences, where they learn about who they are, not for them to fill the needs of industry, or be pawns in the push to privatize public schools, or what others choose for them.
In the meantime, where’s the public policy to make universities more affordable and provide easier access for capable students who would choose them?
Reference
Weingarten, R. (2025, May6). Opinion: Stop Trying to Make Everyone Go to College. The New York Times, Retrieved from https: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/opinion/college-technical-vocational-education.html
A lot of CTE is all mind numbing modules, canned curriculum. Counselors are pushed to suggest students leave high school as early as possible. It iscommon practice to double up to zoom out ASAP. A schedule looks like English 11/12 and a couple social studies together in one year, these are even semester classes to get them out. Science and math as well especially if there is no verified credit test attached. Those students perceived as higher risk for drop out are abig focus for rapid promotion SPED,ESL, Latino, and Black.
How very sad.
I took part in a conversation among principals and the Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum where she was flummoxed by the high failure rate in the 9th grade Careers class. She couldn’t get it in her head that a boring class that taught about jobs in the abstract was not a very effective way to get students interested in jobs.
Excellent point, Paul. I lucked out being at a school with a terrific career counselor. She had a series of short films of people doing various jobs. I’d show a film before every class for about 15 min. One day they’d learn about being an EMT in real time, the next day, an LPN or RN, and so on. They’d also learn about the salaries. I think there’s a program like this online now.
It sounds like Randi W is almost recommending that we bring back “tracking” from back in my day. They got rid of that system of “labeling” students once the self-esteem era gained favor. But I agree with her that we did our students a disservice by pushing them all to go to college, even tho they weren’t cut out for it. I taught at one of the top Technical HS’s in Florida which should be widespread throughout our country. Our students took their 4 years of coursework & graduated with a HS diploma. During their last 2 years, they go into a technical area of their choice. Once they get through the program, they then have to pass the exams for their tech area. Despite the technical credentials they achieve, the majority of our students go on to college. But if they don’t, at least they have a viable profession they can go right into out of HS.
Thank you. When I taught high school reading and several other subjects, students not college bound appreciated learning about the many careers that didn’t require college. In fact, I worked closely with the career counselor at my school to introduce students to the many jobs that didn’t require a 4-year degree. Most were not sure exactly what they wanted to do. I wonder if they’re being pushed to decide too early. Broad based instruction that could be applied to a variety of careers after high school seems better. The counselor also helped students sometimes get part time jobs in the community to learn about work.
I find it interesting that contemporary brain research indicates that executive function doesn’t mature until the mid twenties yet we continue to throw students into college at 18. Less than 59% of 18 year olds entering college finish within 6 years. There has to be a better way to help students find their purpose.
This is an excellent point. I’ve known students who took some time in college to explore careers and chose a little late in the game but are pretty happy now.
I started teaching.in the late 70’s when the emphasis was to push for College Prep, but at least for those who weren’t college material could get good paying jobs without a college education & still be able to make a living & raise a family & have a decent life. The college bound kids like me, could start college without knowing exactly what they wanted to do with their lives, but they had the time & were able to afford finding their way through their coursework without going into insane debt like nowadays. They no longer have that luxury, so they either don’t go to college because they can’t afford it, or they have to decide early on about their field of study without the option of changing their mind if they find that field is not really for them, or they will be spending much more if they have to take more classes than originally planned for.
Great explanation! This is how I remember it as well. The worry was to get in the lines to make sure you got the classes you wanted! My first year of college I spent thinking about nursing or teaching but there was little pressure to decide. Thanks!
The problem with any kind of “program” for vocational opportunity in the United States is that it denies the culture that rears our children. Whether we admit it or not, American students are raised to think they can do what they want. When we hyper focus on high stakes tests in elementary school, then children spend little time developing interests that could lead to meaningful work. Most of the discussion I read about on vocational schools starts with secondary programs when for many students that is too late. Through social media, particularly YouTube, students get the idea that this is what they want to do, not appreciating the experiences that make “influencers” authentic and successful. Too many students don’t know the rudimentary aspects of the work and dismiss labor when it is seen as monotonous because they have little opportunity to learn its value.
Student driven interests should be cultivated very early through such initiatives as maker spaces, the arts, or tech exploration. This would give the student some idea of where their interests lie when matriculating to specific vocational or academic specialties in high school. We must change our focus in elementary beyond basic core curricula and more into activity exploration. The education establishment should encourage an education that is customized to student interests that would prepare children to make better informed decisions about work. According to Google the average American adult will have over 12 jobs in their lifetime. Targeting specific jobs whether machine oriented in the twentieth century or technology focused today is a terribly unproductive way to prepare students for work in the future. It also keeps them from learning the most important idea that there is value in work.
Great comment! This reminds me of the late AFT president Shanker (I think it was him), who appreciated the varied topics connected to scout badges and considered them as possible educational activities. Many could be connected to subjects in school.
Sounds like progressive education that we have been trying to debunk for the past few decades.