Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) of Virginia is making it easier for young high school graduates to enter the workforce. The legislation aims to transform how high schools prepare students for the future.
McAuliffe signed legislation on Thursday to change high school graduation requirements so graduates who decide not to head to college could be more prepared for employment. The legislation will also create a "Profile of a Virginia Graduate," which will identify the skills a student needs in high school and change statewide graduation requirements to meet expectations listed in the profile.
The move comes as an effort to modernize Virginia's approach to education and employment, according to Huffington Post. The changes will start by the fall of 2018.
The late state Sen. John C. Miller envisioned that high school students would have a choice with regard to which track they would want to pursue during their junior and senior years. Tracks could lead to post-secondary education, or work towards earning credit for industry certification, internships or apprenticeships.
In both cases, students will be exposed to training, guidance, courses and community colleges that are designed to ensure they are prepared to tackle whatever follows after high school. "Our students deserve much better and I know that our high schools can do so much more than they've done," according to McAuliffe.
Miller, who sponsored the legislation said that instead of sitting in an algebra 3 class where most students cannot see its relevance to what they want to do in the future, courses that could best prepare them for their career choice would be offered. The new proposal shed light to the fact that not all students want, need, or should go to college, according to the Richmond Times.
McAuliffe explains that high schools do not work the way they should anymore. Currently, high schools were built for the Industrial Revolution and has not changed much since the 19th century although graduates are competing for jobs in the 21st, McAuliffe said on Thursday.
The Democratic governor's plans to redesign Virginia's education system will not be limited to the state's high schools. He also announced on Thursday his intention to add an overall state budget of $1 billion for K-12 education and high education.
