LANSING – State Representative Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) has announced a plan that will add a vocational option to the current curriculum for high school students. Sheltrown met with the House Education Committee before a standing-room-only crowd last week to discuss the legislation that will give students the option to choose Career Technical Education (CTE) coursework or the current Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC). Students would receive the same diploma no matter which path they choose.
"The Michigan Merit Curriculum leaves our students with little or no time in their schedules to take career technical classes," Sheltrown said. "These classes are specialized to prepare our students for the jobs of the 21st century. Students are shortchanged when schools have to limit and sometimes even take away CTE courses."
Both the Michigan Merit pathway and the Career Technical pathway have rigorous standards that allow students to use a handful of credits to focus on the tailored skills they need to succeed after high school.
Sheltrown was joined in front of the Committee by Michigan State University professor Yong Zhao, and Tim Bartik and Kevin Hollenbeck from the UpJohn Institute. The experts explained the importance of CTE options.
"The CTE program is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the employers in our local communities," Sheltrown said. "My plan is vital because not all high school students can be expected to follow the same educational path. CTE prepares students for the good-paying jobs that will be available to them after graduation, and it's imperative that we ensure access to it."