It is required that all students complete four credits of Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies as well as one Fine Art and Physical Education credit. On top of this, students must have half a credit for both Speech and Health and two World Language credits.
However, Career Technology Courses (CTE Courses), are not required to graduate. CTE offers more than thirty programs of study tackling fifteen career clusters. Through these courses, students can obtain certifications and licenses which can be used for resumes.
CTE courses help students decide what career path they might want to pursue. There are so many different careers to choose from and deciding on something so crucial can be tough for many students. CTE has broken down courses into categories, laying out pathways for students to take. This tough decision now turns into a learning experience in which students can decide what they want to do in the future.
These courses can also help those that already have a career path in mind commit to their decision. As of 2021, nearly 40% of adults that went to college regretted the major they chose. CTE courses would help students commit to their decision and find something they are truly passionate about.
Students often focus on getting the necessary credits to graduate and on maintaining a good GPA throughout their high school career. Since CTE courses are not required, many students choose not to take them.
Students ignore the many opportunities that come from taking CTE classes and focus on taking the “easier” classes to boost their GPA. Suddenly, students are taking classes that won’t challenge them as much as CTE courses do. CTE courses are meant to challenge students by learning about a new job and adopting some of the skills that might come with it.
FISD schools should make CTE courses mandatory for all students as an incentive to explore different career paths. By making these courses mandatory, people will feel more confident in their career choices and would be less likely to regret their major in the future.
Students would be able to notice their strengths and weaknesses as they expose themselves to different careers. This ability would help a student make decisions that better reflect their true self and make them happy as well as grow personal abilities that come from strengths.
The addition of CTE courses as a requirement would benefit students’ future greatly as they explore career paths they might be interested in. Making CTE courses a requirement would be an opportunity for students to grow confident they are making the right choices regarding their careers.
