Submitted by Paula Riezenman, Jan 9, 2008 16:55

The best education I ever got was at Midwood H. S. in the 1950's, where I was able to take the Commercial Course and make a living for the rest of my life. ("Something to fall back on", my mother said.) Actually, I went to college in my 30's, after being an Office Manager for many years, and wound up teaching what I knew best--Business Education/Secretarial Studies, giving young women and then young men a chance to get out there and better themselves. It sure worked for me. I taught in several NYC schools, watched the changes and saw my program grow smaller and smaller, until finally I wasn't allowed to teach basic keyboarding anymore. (My principal said they didn't need it . . . they get it in elementary school now. Try telling that to my two-fingered typing teenagers!) So I taught it on the sly for a while and then retired when the DOE sent me a letter telling me that my license was going to be redundant in another year. I loved teaching. I miss the kids, but not the bureaucracy. I only hope that ALL Career and Vocational training make a comeback. It's so much fun to learn when you know that you're going to be able to take it out into the real world! Please . . . give them what they need!

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.