For students who excel academically, Medford does a great job. We have very good honors and advance placement programs. We also have a liaison with Tuft's University that allows students to take college level courses to fulfill high school elective requirements. These students should have no trouble getting into the college or university of their choice.
We also have a good vocational school, which prepares students for work in various trades -- something we seem to have forgotten about as a country. Our assumption that all students will (or should) continue on to post-secondary education is misguided. For the U.S. to be strong, we must make sure that we have skilled vocational workers as well. However, I have had conversations with students from the Medford Vocational School, and they told me that they feel the equipment needs to be updated. As a School Committee member, I will look into how well the current vocational school serves the needs of those students who do not plan to attend college.
However, the area that needs the most attention is the middle. We should examine how well we serve those who are not sure that they will go to college, or who do not have a family history of post-secondary education, or who do not have a financial expectation of being able to afford college. Many of these students go on to 2-year programs, or choose to enter the work force before pursuing a degree. As a school committee member, I would not just focus on the extremes, but would look at what we need to do to improve the vast majority in the middle.
