Career-Technical Education

Words: 860
Pages: 4

Career-Technical education has been a vital part of high school education for generations. Incidentally, career-technical education is also a fiercely debated topic among the education community. Sarah Butrymowicz is a data editor for a news website focused on education called The Hechinger Report. Butrymowicz wrote an article titled, Push for Career-Technical Education Meets Parents Resistance, which delves deeper into the issue of career-technical education. Specifically, the publication discusses the opposition school districts are facing, while they are attempting to make career-technical education classes a requirement for graduation. The author effectively communicates the issue using quotes from experts, and relevant statistics. This …show more content…
One example of this, is when Butrymowicz quotes Kenneth Gray, who is a professor of education at Penn State, who said, “I’m convinced that for a whole lot of people, they would much rather have their kid go to Yale and turn out to be a bum than go into career and technical education and be successful.” (Butrymowicz) The author’s use of this quote greatly supports the advocates side of the career-technical education debate, but the fact that a Penn State professor of education said this, definetly adds to the ethos of the article as a whole. Another example of this, is when the author discusses the oppositions reasoning. Butrymowicz chooses to quote Kimberly Green, a member of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education, “I wouldn’t say the tide has turned… The label is still a barrier.” (Butrymowicz) Green is discussing how career-technical education seems to have a negative connotation attached to it. The author’s use of this quote, helps define why the opposition feels the way that they do. A member of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education would be considered well versed on both sides of the issue, and because of this, it builds on the ethos and credibility of the …show more content…
The first statistic this article utilized came from the U.S. Department of Education. The statistic stated that, “…those who concentrate in career and technical education classes in high school are more likely to graduate from high school: 90 percent earned their diploma in the 2007-2008 school year, compared with about 75 percent overall.” (Butrymowicz) This is a strong quote that really helps the audience understand the reasoning that the advocates have for wanting to make career-technical education a requirement. This quote also helps build the logos of the article because it shows the audience that this issue is well researched, and there is evidence to support the arguments. The next statistic the author chose to use was taken from a statement by Scott Himelstein, who is the director of the University of San Diego’s Center for Education Policy and Law, in which he stated that, “Policymakers need to gather the political courage to start promoting career and technical education, given that only a quarter of high schoolers in the state will go on to get a four-year degree…” (Butrymowicz). This statement effectively provides evidence that supports the advocates, and further explains why they are advocating to make career-technical education a larger part of education. This statistic is especially effective, because not only does it provide a strong piece of data that adds to the logos of the