re: Do They Still Teach Shop/Home Ec?

Are you from Vicksburg??

Yes, high schools still teach what used to be called "shop" and "home ec," though these programs have evolved significantly and are now part of a broader framework called Career and Technical Education (CTE), (CTAE here in Georgia to include Agriculture).

Under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV), and more recently, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act of 2018 (Perkins V), federal support for CTE has been expanded to modernize vocational education and better align it with the needs of today’s workforce.

Perkins V emphasizes career pathways, industry partnerships, and academic and technical integration, ensuring that CTE is not just about learning trades, but about preparing students for a range of careers in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand sectors. It also promotes equity by requiring states to develop performance indicators that include outcomes for special populations and underserved students.

Perkins V plays a critical role in funding these programs, supporting professional development for CTE educators, and encouraging collaboration between high schools, postsecondary institutions, and employers to create real-world learning opportunities.

In the early 90s our shop teacher would let you fight until he saw blood. Then he would stop the fight, give you both a coke (to drink or for your busted eye) and make you sit in his office together the rest of the day.

He also bought materials out of his pocket for a welding competition. We would weld deer stands and he would set them outside the shop to sell. The nicest ones would bring the most money and he would give you the profits.

Shame none of that would be allowed now.