Kern County high schoolers might have more choices to complete their graduation requirements. The Kern High School District trustees are considering adding career technical education courses as an option for students to take instead of a fine art or foreign language. It's part of Assembly Bill 1330. The state legislature wants to give students flexibility in reaching their graduation requirements. While some say technical skills will lead to jobs, critics say it could cut students from needed exposure to arts and culture.
"The California State Legislature believes that the California students needed to have more options and more ways to get career technical education into their graduation program," explained Michael Zulfa, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction for KHSD.
The board discussed the option at Monday night's board meeting which was packed with students.
"Shop would have been cool. I've always wanted to take that kind of class," said Adam Tolan, a high school senior. When asked if he would have chosen that over choir or Spanish, he said, "Yes, yes, I would."
And, that's the concern for some parents. Students who choose the career tech path would lose exposure to arts and culture classes.
"It could be a problem for some kids only getting technical training and not getting foreign language and choir and art," said one parent at the meeting. "But, that's their choice around 9th or 10th grade."
"The vast majority of our students do receive those and still would be able to complete a career technical education path." explained Zulfa. "Any given campus you might see anything from multimedia publication to pre-engineering courses, to ag courses -of course in this area that's a very popular option."
He said it's an option that could lead to a future in a trade, something students might have not discovered otherwise.
"There's a need for students to have skills that they can have a career with," said one parent.
The board plans to hear more public comment in March. If they do allow the permissive law, it would take effect next year.
