Questions

I did community college for a short time and while it was fun, it was a major rip off.

College is for doctors, lawyers and people who need connections early in life.

My life would be so much easier if I had went to welding school or got into carpentry.

Still would have started a business.

When a student enters 9th grade, he or she sits down with a guidance counselor. They go over the student's grades, reading level, math scores, and interests. The counselor suggests college track or vocational track. If the student choose college prep, he or she has two years to show her or she can handle it. If grades are below a 2.5 GPA, they are put on vocational track.

Vocational track would teach a skill applicable to 21st century jobs, and schools would try to find apprenticeships for seniors. Now that may be limited in rural settings.

Right now IMHO, schools tend to put all students on a college prep track for at least the first two years of high school before the student is given a chance to take vocational education, and by that time, the student may have fallen behind and has to re-take classes.