Officials’ field trip to Philly high school spotlights the future of vocational education

Imagine being a high schooler getting a pop-in quiz from the mayor and the governor: That’s what happened Tuesday morning on the 4th floor of the Murrell Dobbins Career & Technical Education High School, where juniors and seniors taking Digital Media and Graphic Design classes welcomed Gov. Josh Shapiro, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and educational leaders to get a first-hand glimpse of the type of vocational education taking place in North Philadelphia’s West Lehigh neighborhood. 

While some students worked on producing video segments, others created digital imagery and physical graphics ready to be printed onto a sweatshirt, and another worked through interactive media in virtual reality. 

“It is my view as governor that every single Pennsylvanian should have the freedom to chart their own course and have the opportunity to succeed,” Shapiro said Tuesday, noting how his administration has prioritized state investments in vocational education during his time in office. “And the way you have opportunity is by having an amazing education as a foundation, and the way you create more opportunity is within our education space. You’ve got to make sure that there’s all kinds of different pathways to opportunity and success.”

Officials toured the classes before holding a panel discussion on Dobbins and the importance of investing in career and technical education to create pathways for students who may not need a four-year degree to pursue their passion. 

“It opens up so many doors … they really want you to have that real-world experience,” said Savannah Black, a Dobbins student who said the school created enormous opportunities for her after she moved to Philadelphia from California. “People want to express themselves because they don’t know how – they don’t have that source. And when they come to our school, they realize they have an outlet for that, and it goes deeper than academics.”

Black added that CTE schools are crucially important for students who, like her, don’t normally have an outlet to let their thoughts and creativity flourish. 

“Most kids, they don’t express themselves with their voice. You have to see the products of their work,” said Black. “I don’t like to talk, but if you see my work, it’s a message.”

Shapiro and Parker – alongside School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington Sr.; Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress; and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers – met with school officials and students to talk about schools like Dobbins and how offerings like their digital media communications courses can help students connect with a medium and express themselves in new ways. 

“I taught in the 1990s and many times at that moment … people thought everybody had to go to college. We had to get rid of our vocational schools because vocational schools were used in a stigmatized way and that was a big mistake,” Weingarten said. “Pathways marry passion and purpose, so kids see possibilities.”

Shervon Thompson, who graduated from Dobbins in 1996, is now the principal of her alma mater. Detailing her past, from studying cosmetology to earning a degree in education, she said Dobbins “changed my trajectory.”

“There are people out there that are in need, so when you look at the dollars that are being spent, you’re looking at families and trajectories that are being changed,” Thompson said. 

Tanden, who heads the Democratic think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through ideas and action, said the organization’s work in the career and technical education space stems from the idea that students “should be able to have a strong, middle-class life whether they go to college or not.” 

“It’s really important that we ensure that we are investing in all our students,” she said. “The jobs of tomorrow will take multiple pathways.” 

In his annual budget, which has yet to pass in Harrisburg, Shapiro proposed allocating an additional $5.5 million for CTE to springboard off previous investments. 

The successes of vocational schools like Dobbins, he said, are proof that investment in education can lead to economic development. 

“When you listen to Savannah and how great it’s going, the investment matters,” said Shapiro. “It’s why I’m staying at the table with Republicans and Democrats fighting for a budget that invests in public education.”