To the editor: I couldn't agree more with your assessment that there are many other paths to success besides a college degree.
I have been a very happy resident of California for over 40 years after having traveled our great country as a young man. I was fortunate to be able to enjoy this luxury thanks to my technical and vocational secondary education in Delaware.
In the summer between my sophomore and junior years, my high school counselor placed me and many other classmates in a 40-hour-a-week job with a local railroad contractor, refurbishing and repairing train cars. I worked alongside grown men who were supporting their families and taught me to take the work we did seriously.
In my senior year, I went to classes in the morning and worked part-time as an electrician's apprentice at a manufacturing plant in the afternoon.
After finishing high school and a year of community college, I had the confidence to strike out on my own and visit any city I wanted, knowing that my experience and skills would get me a job. Realizing that I would never want to live anywhere other than Los Angeles, I started an electronic security company.
There is a proven model for successful vocational education in Delaware, and it should be studied and copied across the country.
Don Moore, Redondo Beach
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To the editor: Your editorial seemed to focus on the economic aspect of this issue. But it's not all about money: we must take into account intellectual development when talking about university costs.
College isn't for everyone, but it has some important benefits.
Those who attend and complete school are better able to analyse the language used to describe things and ideas, allowing the educated to better evaluate what is being told to them.
When we are educated, we are not convinced by ideas until we understand them. We become discriminating individuals who are able to classify ideas into “good” and “bad” categories. This allows us to consider options that may not be obvious.
Most of us get one chance in life to choose our destiny. Think carefully before you reject the college option.
David Ando, Torrance
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To the editor: As someone who had the good fortune and privilege of working in the California community college system for half a century, I appreciated the part of your editorial that said schools “play the most important role in preparing students for well-paying employment.”
Unfortunately, I think California residents don't realize that most nurses and police officers receive their education in the community college system. For those seeking high-paying positions in anything from computer technology to airline mechanics, our excellent community colleges can help you achieve your goal.
It is also necessary to recognize that our transfer students to four-year universities perform just as well as those who begin their college careers at those institutions.
As someone who has worked for more than 50 years in the system, I am a strong advocate for the approximately 2 million students who attend California's 116 community colleges.
Donald L. Singer, Cardiff
