This point of view may reflect concerns voiced by parents who feel that by looking at jobs, job training, and community involvement, schools are giving up on their kids academically. Fewer students will be college-bound and academic achievement will drop. Students will be tracked into specific jobs. Future employment requires high levels of academic knowledge and specialized skills. The cost of public education will go up.
States determine the credential that is going to be awarded.
Skill certificates have been used for years by community colleges and receive acceptance throughout the nation. If a local partnership does decide to use these tools, the skill certificate will enhance, not replace, the diploma, since school to work is based on a solid foundation of high academic achievement. One of the greatest barriers is the belief that students with disabilities are served by separate programs. Parent groups also indicate that some STW partners may be discouraging the inclusion of students with disabilities in STW programs because of the perception that students with disabilities already have adequate resources available to them through special education, work experience, and transition programs. Some STW administrators may feel unwilling to involve parents of students with disabilities if it is their perception that students with disabilities already have access to well funded job training programs, or if they believe that by serving students with disabilities they are taking support away from students without disabilities who may have fewer options.