[jpetito]

Hi Devin- thanks for following this- it exposes a gap in the way we do education in California, and in many parts of the nation. Some would call the lack of this kind of education a national security issue.

We've all but eliminated technical and vocational education, a place where both the academy-bound and not could have success with hands-on practical skills, and immediately get a job out of high school, or be better prepared for the university engineering programs.

As is, we (teachers & administrators) cast about for new programs like "mechatronics" or PLTW to fill the gaps. The 1717 issue of pulling the foundation out from under the students is a local matter that was mismanaged by admin-- armchair critique, but they could have at least put the word out in January and got some feedback so as to promote the new program with a smiley face.

FRC is big, has boxcar-loads of cash invested in it by technologically oriented businesses, gets bushels of volunteers because of the way educators have over the last thirty years dismantled and thrown out this kind of education.