I have always felt that the school's apparent mission to get every student into college is wrong, including them touting the college attendance figure as some kind of achievement (for the school). We've gotten to the point that many freshmen college students can't even pass the remedial math and English courses they have to take before they could even hope to take real college courses.

And this is carried into the business world, where many jobs consider a college degree as a pre-requisite, whether it really is needed or not. We've gotten to the point in which failure to get a college degree is considered to be a failure in life, meaning that one is not good for anything.

We've got to change our ways. A good technical education should be as valued as a college degree. And that should include advanced technical training beyond high school that does not involve a college degree. High schools should not be allowed to publish data on how many of their students got into college. They should only publish data on how many graduated from college or got an advanced technical certificate - all as one single number. No distinction.

This needs to start in high school where technical skills are taught as being as important as Physics (my degree, which I have never really used).

Thanks, David and Todd.

There was once this school called Eastern Vo-Tech, and they had some nationally recognized automotive programs. Then someone decided that every student had to go to college. With a little tweaking and remodeling, we wouldn't need to build a brand new complex. There is plenty of vacant space that could be re-tasked in the county to accomplish the task. It would be a worthy investment.

Vo-Tech Schools should be complimented with Apprenticeship Programs as extended education opportunities. When builders were required to complete an apprenticeship the quality was much better in my opinion. Now anyone can pretend to be a builder or remodeler with minimum if any requirements.

AMEN to Mike and Josh!!! There are so many kids that would benefit from really good, hands on, rigorous technical programs and they get lost in the boredom of the "so-called" college prep program. There is ample that both high school and college are missing the mark when it comes to preparing a work force. Going to college is about business - its about huge unit sites taking federal, state, local and private dollars to operate. It's about federal grant programs. It's about companies like the College Board making expensive tests, publishing expensive test prep books, charging school systems form test prep professional development.........it's a giant money circulating machine and the big losers are many kids and our economy. They have done a great job marketing the idea that every kid needs to graduate from a four year college or he/she turns out to be a loser. It's time for us all to wake up and get Agrippa on what's really best for kids and the economy!

Sorry for the typos - typing on an iPhone sucks!

I almost hate to throw this out there, but why is it so important that illegal aliens need to go to college?

Oh man OT - you better look out for the darts! I have been trying to make this argument on the other threads and been branded as a racist piece of sh*t. It as become an argument about morality rather than common sense and economics.

I graduated from Mervo (Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School) in Baltimore City even though I was definitely a college bound student. It was the best thing I could have ever done! I now teach in my field and have taught and/or are very familiar with the schools mentioned. In the last 5 years or so they have been pushing college for all of my students whether they are capable or not. The county still has Eastern Tech, Western Tech and Sollers Point Tech. They all are exceptional Technical schools but unfortunately the emphasis is on college and not on obtaining marketable skills for those students that either cannot afford college or are really not college material. I am glad to see that this topic has come up again.

We absolutely need more Vo Tech schools in the county!! A few years ago, my son applied to Eastern for the automotive program; unfortunately, he was not selected because there were 300 applicants for only 25 vacancies!! This fact alone should have alerted someone in the school system that available slots for those that desire a technical education are grossly unbalanced. I was also disappointed to learn that Eastern only chose applicants who were in the top of their class. I guess they are able to reach Blue Ribbon status by only choosing the smartest kids for the programs. The sad part of this is that the school system doesn't want to recognize that not every student desires to go to college. Let's begin to recognize that there are some very creative, hands-on children out there who desire and would certainly benefit from a vo-tech school education instead of trying to brain wash them into believing that without a college degree, they're not worthy of a good job.

Even for those who are college bound a Vo Tech school can be a valuable experience. I have worked with Electrical Engineers who have never used a soldering iron and Mechanical Engineers who have never used hand tools. Guys don't know how to do anything practical anymore because nobody taught them. A little bit of practical experience early in life can go a long way. A few practical courses are a lot more valuable than some of the other nonsense they are teaching in schools today.

You could help a lot of students with the $2 million you could save by eliminating the Auditor's Office with no loss of service and huge savings to the pension system.

A few years ago, a lot of my white collar friends lost their jobs to newer computers and outsourcing of their jobs to foreign countries. You can never outsource a plumber, heavy equipment operator or electrician. I think vo tech training, along with academic courses, is great. With the high price and enormous debt of college, Vo Tech schools are the way to go.

How about Baltimore County's west side?