Chicago's new requirement for high school students: No plan, no diploma

[Dastreus]

God forbid we get them to think about what they want, instead of going headfirst into something, fail spectacularly because they realize its not something they really wanted, end up in debt and spiral down.

That's exactly my point. Having a teen pick what to do with their life is a shit idea. Same as people who go into college for a thing, and find out "oh shit, I don't want to do this at all".

[Crissi]

- Job offer? Given how many jobs require high school or equivalent, there's a good chance a teenager won't have a job offer until after he/she has actually graduated from high school.

- School or apprenticeship? So the plan is to get into debt and then try to figure out what you actually want to do, just so you can be allowed to graduate?

- It doesn't say "gap year plan", it says "gap year program". There's actually a pretty significant difference between the two, and there's almost always a hefty price tag associated with a gap year program. Is the message supposed to be "pay $2500 to do this gap year program or you don't graduate?"

- Military? Funneling more teenagers into a military that they've only joined because the school threatened to withhold their diplomas doesn't seem like a very good strategy.



Then the focus should be on better career counseling; not forcing students to make a choice that they'll almost assuredly be ill-equipped to make. If you tell a student "have a plan or you won't graduate", then don't be surprised when students make terrible choices simply out of desperation to graduate.

Why can't students figure things out after they've graduated? I graduated without any sort of immediate job or college plan and I've certainly turned out better than some of my colleagues that immediately walked into a job or into college because they were led to believe that they were supposed to do that without a second thought.

The real winner in all of this? The for-profit college sector, as they're gonna make a killing on the "gotta have a plan" students.

The student will be doing one of those anyways, since the alternative is nothing but laying around.

Apprenticeships arent that expensive, and are a good alternative to people who know they dont do well in college

military provides structure and future stability, regardless of how you feel about it. Its a road to sucess that people can take if theres no other feasible option for some reason (bar disability).

Not familiar with gap year programs, but I cant imagine those costs wouldnt be covered if its something significant like, a year in Africa to help out. Kind of like going on missions through your church.

The alternative to all those listed is to lay on your ass and do nothing, which isn't acceptable. That's why I'm ok with a plan being mandatory. You can even change it later (well, cant change from going into millitary to other things but...) , just make one and think about it first. You have a whole lot of currently driftless kids who have never thought of anything about their future falling through the cracks because they're running headfirst into failure instead of thinking about it.

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That's exactly my point. Having a teen pick what to do with their life is a shit idea. Same as people who go into college for a thing, and find out "oh shit, I don't want to do this at all".

That chance is lessened if they've critically thought about it first, which is what a plan helps you to do.

[vhatever]

They are gonna need plan in the absence of an education.

[Dastreus]

That chance is lessened if they've critically thought about it first, which is what a plan helps you to do.

Then we need to start with a mandatory critical thinking course, because teenagers cannot do that. Have you ever seen or been a teen? Very dumb people.

[breadisfunny]

meanwhile gang recruitment rates SKYROCKET when they subsequently drop out and need some source of income! great plan chicago.

[Crissi]

Then we need to start with a mandatory critical thinking course, because teenagers cannot do that. Have you ever seen or been a teen? Very dumb people.

Obviously I have.

and ok, so mandatory future planning class. Does the same thing, and specific critical thinking can and should be included within their other courses.

[Sixnalia]

It took me almost 3 years to find my "path", I half-assed it and went to a community college for an ultra basic Associates degree, which still cost a fair sum. Even after going to Uni, I changed my "path" from being a certified teacher to going into the tech industry. So I had an English Degree, teacher certification, and a desire to do tech.

Took a year go self study and earn certifications while working odd jobs. Got a couple internships with Pall Aerospace, and now work for a smaller company as a tech specialist/SQL specialist.

So it took me 6 years before I found a true path, rather than making it up as I went along. Cost me almost $20,000 (would've been far higher, but I fought for every scholarship I could), for degrees I don't need. And then finally find what I want to do, and self studied instead.

I don't think most of the low income students in high school are going to do that. They'll be more likely to drop out which will further worsen the education system that is already trying to strangle itself.
This will only make Chicago's problem worse.


This makes me happy I didn't get into teaching. It only exists as a worst case back up plan for me.

[Kellhound]

Stupidest. Idea. Ever. School exists to prepare students, not to force them to make up their minds what they are going to do immediately after school.

[Sunseeker]

I don't mind requiring students to develop a plan, but to force them to actually gain entrance to a job, college, tech school or even the military is absolutely absurd.

Getting a diploma shouldn't require 3rd-party private approval. Much worse require you to join the military, that's disgusting.

[callipygoustp]

USA - all about freedom!

[Kithelle]

Not a completely bad idea, at least it would help Weed out the useless people that have School Funding wasted on them.

If they got the grades to actually graduate...how was it wasted...I'm sorry but this sounds stupid.

So what you're saying is someone who dropped out in say his junior year is just about the same as someone who finished his/her high school education but doesn't know exactly what they will do or want to do something that doesn't fit what *they* think qualifies?

That's just moronic...

[Glnger]

Obviously I have.

and ok, so mandatory future planning class. Does the same thing, and specific critical thinking can and should be included within their other courses.

yes, we had "advisory" class in middle school, and high-school. I personally paid no attention to it, and did the bare minimum to pass all those "hurdles" I personally needed 2 more years to figure myself out while I worked on my Associates, luckily I had a family that was willing and capable to cover this "wasted" time, while I did work small jobs, working on cars and general labor. A lot of my closer friends from HS ended up going straight to work and are mostly your stereotypical simple minded /voting against self interest because of the "self made man" mantras or gun culture, with no ability to defend their votes/party in the larger context of the consequences like 22 million people losing healthcare so a few people making $750,000+ can see their taxes go down.

[Zeek Daniels]

dont really need a plan for the future. First of all they arnt paying to go to class they are forced. So fuck them. They got the grades for your stupid diploma so give it. First of all if a student is done with highschool and doesnt want to go to college and just gets a part time job to pass time till they figure out what they want to do with their future or if they want do do something not work related why are you getting involved in their life post highschool?

[Kellhound]

USA - all about freedom!

We are talking about Chicago, its not known as a bastion of freedom, safety, or good government.

[Cerus]

Stupidest. Idea. Ever. School exists to prepare students, not to force them to make up their minds what they are going to do immediately after school.

US schools haven't been designed to properly prepare students in a long, long time. It goes downhill the higher you get until they wind up graduating college with a liberal arts degree and a blueprint for the latest safe space. They're in debt, have no clue how the world actually works and expect everything to be handed to them with no actual work while they go out and protest.

[Kellhound]

US schools haven't been designed to properly prepare students in a long, long time. It goes downhill the higher you get until they wind up graduating college with a liberal arts degree and a blueprint for the latest safe space. They're in debt, have no clue how the world actually works and expect everything to be handed to them with no actual work while they go out and protest.

Interesting view, and one I will disagree with concerning college, seeing as I am currently attending school.

[Endus]

This is incredibly stupid.

I've known a lot of people who took a year off between high school and college, backpacking and traveling for some of it, working for the rest. Withholding their diploma is idiotic. By all means, include this kind of planning in the curriculum, but you can't require that kind of outcome unless you're providing resources to provide it. If you're guaranteeing graduates a job placement if they want one, or college entrance, or the other stuff on that list, then you can make that case. I've had university programs with work placements required for graduation, and the university got you that placement, because it was part of the program. Working over the summer to help fund your program might be a good idea, but it isn't a requirement of graduation for the most part.

All this does is reduce graduation rates for those who most need that diploma. There are better ways to ensure people have plan for their future.

[unfilteredJW]

What the fuck are they hoping to accomplish?

What you do after HS shouldn't have any impact on getting your diploma.

Serious eyerolling going on.

[Kyr]

so let me get this straight... if you don't have at least a job offer beforehand then you don't graduate... so that means it would make it even harder to get a job offer afterwards because you didn't graduate. how is this supposed to help people?

[kail]

So students will wing up a "plan", are they forced to follow through with it?

Stupid move on multiple levels. I'd advocate in teaching graduating students the common and basics of what happens next. Beyond that, give them the diploma if they pass the classes.