More Than One Path to Success

There are many different post-high school options that students can choose from: college, the military, vocational school, and more. At Metea, 63% of students in the class of 2021 went to a four-year institution and 36% went to a two-year or technical school. However, that does not mean that success can not be achieved on other pathways.

“I think it depends on what a person believes that their right path is,” Harris said. “College isn’t for everyone so I don’t think you should put a lot of pressure on someone who wouldn’t feel happy choosing to go to a four-year college.”

In an article by Education Next, Michael J. Petrilli defines the tradition behind college and how the old saying “college for all” is misguided. There is so much more to a person’s post-high school life than college. Petrilli encourages students to spend more time in “workplace apprenticeships, not traditional high school classrooms.”

High school requirements, course-taking, and testing all reflect the education system’s policies. For Petrilli, these policies promote college and career versus college or career pathways. Administrators in the education system remain uncomfortable with separate high school paths for students with different goals, skill sets, and academic backgrounds. As a result, students become more likely to choose a four-year university based on their educational background rather than having a fair choice of what should be their post-high school life.

“On a very general level, outside of certain exceptions to some schools, for the most part, you are going to be walking out with a quality degree and it’s gonna be up to you to take that next step,” Gliffe said.