THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502100068
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Teenspeak
SOURCE: BY LANE DeGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
PUBLIC SCHOOLS aim to educate all students to read, write and perform basic math skills. But should all public high school graduates be guaranteed that they are marketable in the real world work place?
Last month, the Fairfax County School Board in Northern Virginia passed a plan requiring all students to have work experience before they can graduate. Students can serve as interns, volunteers or paid employees. But they all must hold some sort of job in order to get their diplomas. Requirements won't go into effect until fall of 1997. Initial phases of the project are already being put into place.
Some students at this week's Teenspeak at Dare County's Alternative School in Manteo, N.C., liked the idea. Public education should include the basic skills - and experience - needed to find a job in today's work force, they said.
Others disagreed. School is for learning the building blocks of life, they said, and employment and education do not have to mix.
Dare County's Alternative High School has about 58 full-time students, and most work part-time. Many live with friends or on their own, rather than with parents.
While opinions were split about Fairfax's work-to-graduate plan, all six students who spoke agreed that public schools should expose students more to the work force - and award credit for employment.
``I've been working since I was 11 years old,'' said Timothy Moore, 17, a senior. ``. . . You gotta know how to work to live.''
At school, Timothy said, instructors often act as parents, telling students not only what to do but also how to do it. Students learn more independent thinking and problem solving skills by working for an employer, and work experience augments academic instruction, he said.
Junior Tammie Drayer, 16, agreed. She said that a fraction of what she has learned in high school is useful in real life. Spend more time instructing students about the job market, she said, and less time on ancient history. She wants opportunities to shadow employees on the job more than one day a year.
``Down here, it might be hard for all students to have to work, because there are so few year-round jobs available,'' Tammie said. ``But everyone should get the chance to follow someone around at their work, at least. That's how you get to see if you really want to go into a certain profession.''
Senior Stacey Spencer said shadow days should become shadow weeks. She said that high school students should spend up to five days at a time following a professional employee.
``That's how you see what really goes on, day in and out,'' said Stacey, 17. ``And it shouldn't matter if the job you're following relates to your classes or not. I took a marketing class, but to get credit for working, we had to find a job in marketing. I was working as a nurse's aide at the time, but that job didn't count for anything outside the doctor's office.
Rather than making job experience a requirement, Sabrina Bell, Andrew McClease and Emma Ambrose said working should be an option. They agreed that students should receive some credit if they hold a job while attending school, but they said graduation should not be based on whether or not a student has work experience.
``It's hard to go to school and hold down a job at the same time,'' said Sabrina, 17, a senior. ``I don't have a car. Classes take up most of my day. Work should be the next step - after you graduate.''
Andrew suggested internships instead of paying jobs.
``You're required to graduate to have most jobs,'' said Emma, 17, a senior. ``You shouldn't be required to have a job to graduate.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
Sabrina Bell
Emma Ambrose
Andrew McClease
Stacey Spencer
Photos
Tammie Drayer
Timothy Moore
by CNB