Give students relevant choices on classes

Give students relevant choices on classes
BY JOEL SHELTROWN • JUNE 11, 2008

With the Michigan Merit Curriculum now affecting students throughout the state, many parents and teachers have come forward with serious concerns. They question whether this cookie-cutter approach is the best way to give our students the opportunities and options they need.

Recently, we have seen signs that these requirements may drive many kids away from school, causing a disastrous increase in the dropout rate. Dr. Derrick Fries of Eastern Michigan University predicts that our state will see a 300% increase in this area over the next few years as students quit school rather than struggle through a curriculum that seems irrelevant to their futures.

Already, Macomb County is reporting that 25% of ninth graders -- the first students required to complete the Michigan Merit Curriculum -- have failed one or more of the core classes required for graduation. If this trend continues as Dr. Fries predicts, it could mean up to 60,000 Michigan children leaving school without a diploma every year. Especially in today's labor market, 60,000 dropouts every year will spell disaster for both our children and our state.

It does not have to be this way. If we take a commonsense approach, we can ensure that all of our students receive an education they know is relevant to their futures.

As a parent, I understand how important and how challenging this is. Different students have different needs and goals. Some, like my older son, need a college-prep curriculum that prepares them to earn PhDs. Others, like my younger son, need a curriculum that prepares them to become law enforcement officers. You cannot argue that one curriculum is better than the other unless you also believe that PhDs are more important than police officers.

To ensure all of our students access to a relevant curriculum, I have introduced legislation that provides students the opportunity to take career-technical classes and count them toward graduation. This career-tech curriculum requires the same number of credits as the Michigan Merit Curriculum and is still rigorous. However, students could also count up to four career technical classes toward high school graduation, allowing them to choose relevant courses.

With such an option, students can get an early start on training they will continue after high school -- whether that occurs at a college, community college, or on the job.

Success in the global economy will not come from graduating cookie-cutter kids. America's greatest strength has always been our ingenuity, and it will push us to greater heights in the coming years provided we embrace our unique heritage and continue to encourage talent and creativity in our students.

STATE REP. JOEL SHELTROWN, D-West Branch, represents the 103rd District, covering four northern Lower Peninsula counties, in the Michigan House. Contact him at 517-373-3817 or at dist103@house.mi.gov.