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It's not your father's Oldsmobile fix-it class any more

Jeffrey Weiss, in The Dallas Morning News Richardson blog, reports that Lake Highlands High School fell just short of achieving a rating of "Recognized" this year from the Texas Education Association (TEA) because its drop-out rate was over the limit by just two students. LHHS plans to appeal the result, as it claims there are at least four students counted as drop-outs who simply transferred to other districts without notifying the RISD.

What caught my attention were reader comments such as this from "PegTxEx":

"Ugh. This makes me physically ill. I wonder if these two students would have stayed in school if they were learning a 'trade' through some of their classes."

I wonder how many Richardson residents are unaware of just how rich the course offerings are in the RISD? RISD recognizes that a university degree is not right for everyone. RISD offers a wide range of career and technology education (CATE) courses including trade and industrial education in fields such as

• Building Trades - LHHS only
• Electrical Systems - BHS and RHS only
• Metal Technology Systems - RHS only
• Cosmetology - LHHS and BHS only
• Criminal Justice - LHHS only
• Geographic Information Systems - PHS only
• Transportation Systems (Automotive) - RHS only
• Infinity Project (Engineering) - PHS only
• Project Lead the Way - BHS STEM Academy only
• Robotics - RHS only

Through CATE and other programs, RISD does seek to provide a benefit for all students to stay in school, whether they intend to go on to college or not. Its because of this proactive approach that RISD has been "Recognized" by the TEA four years in a row, the largest school district in the state to be able to make that claim.