<p>Emerald: I agree. When my kids were little, our teenage babysitter went to the local high school. Instead of taking "college prep" courses, she was allowed to leave school at noon and go to the "beauty school" next door for "hair classes". Sadly, after all was said and done, she realized she "hated" doing strangers' hair and had now lost her opportunity for a real high school education. She had to go to community college to "do high school"! It is ridiculous to let kids make such decisions. "Doing hair" (or nails) sounds like fun to a teen, but it can get old real fast.</p>
<p>That college professor is right. We need to have higher standards and make sure kids have a strong math, science, and reading foundation so that they can handle the "college prep" classes.</p>
<p>the fact that many state colleges have had to remediate their students in basic subjects is a sad statement. After all, if these kids can learn these very BASIC concepts at their state college than they are smart enough to have learned them in junior high or high school. </p>
<p>AND, many community colleges have simply become places for people to "redo" high school. </p>
<p>All the tax dollars spent on all of this remediation would not be necessary if things were done correctly during K-12.</p>