Students have two basic choices after high school graduation: go to college or begin a career. Not every job that pays well requires a college degree, and not every student is going to get a college degree, so let’s prepare students for both.
I have introduced a pair of bills this year to support students in either path. Assembly Bill 1951, the Pathways to College Act, would allow school districts to replace the 11th-grade statewide test with a college-admissions test. AB 1743 continues funding for career technical education programs.
The Pathways to College Act expands higher-education opportunities for students by offering tests like the SAT or ACT during the school day at no cost to students. Long Beach Unified School District has been at the forefront of this effort and has seen an increase in the number of students attending college after administering the SAT to all 11th-grade students.
This measure would reduce the amount of testing and give students and teachers more time for instruction. The SAT or ACT is much more meaningful to students as they have a stake in doing well. Providing the college-entrance exams during the school day would increase the pathway to college by bringing the key to college acceptance right to their desks.
As a teacher for more than 20 years, I have seen many students fall off the path to high school graduation because they had no interest in a four-year university education, yet were being told that was their destiny. There was little to engage these students at school, and they opted to drop out.
The outdated, “one-size-fits-all” approach our state took nearly 30 years ago to push all students toward a four-year university degree stripped funding for the programs proven to engage students, reduce drop-out rates and provide skills for quality jobs: career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Today there is a shortage of welders, auto repair technicians, code writers and many other positions that require hands-on technical skills. When these jobs are not filled, the California economy hurts. Further, these jobs have decent salaries that support middle-class families.
Recognizing the need to ensure that students have multiple paths to success and the benefit of CTE programs for the economy, the state legislature set up a three-year funding plan to re-implement these programs into California high schools. We are in the last year of that funding plan, but we are nowhere near the goal of building comprehensive CTE programs across our state that match the needs of our students and our economy.
As a parent, a teacher and a realist, I recognize the need to support these programs with consistent state funding. AB 1743 not only extends funding for these critical programs for an additional three years, it also increases the annual funding from $200 million to $500 million. We must act this year, or we leave California students and the California economy behind.
As chair of the Assembly Education Committee, student success is my top priority. I am committed to equipping our students with the tools they need to pursue dreams of higher education and lasting careers because successful students will build a successful state.
