Outstanding student

Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008 | 2:07 a.m.

The accomplishment of 17-year-old Pamela Matsumoto is an example of why February was designated National Career and Technical Education Month.

Educators wanted to bring attention to the success they’ve experienced in recent years at schools that offer vocational and academic courses.

Matsumoto, a senior at the Clark County School District’s Southeast Career and Technical Academy, is the first National Merit Scholar finalist in the school’s 42-year history. She is among 15,000 finalists nationwide. In a few weeks, 8,200 National Merit scholarships will be awarded to students in this elite group.

An assistant principal at Matsumoto’s school foresees success for this outstanding student. “She’s going to be recruited (by colleges) like a football or basketball player,” Faron Springer told Las Vegas Sun education reporter Emily Richmond.

Vocational schools began to see major advances after Congress passed the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act in 1984. The late Rep. Perkins, D-Ky., had long pushed for greater funding and a higher academic priority for high school students learning occupational specialties.

When the act was reauthorized in 2006, the term “vocational” was formally dropped in favor of “career,” which more accurately reflected how this area of education had evolved.

Today, career and technical schools have a much stronger emphasis on academics than the vocational schools of the past. Thousands of these schools across the country prepare students for college as well as the workforce or the military.

The School District is expanding its investment in these schools. The Northwest Career and Technical Academy opened this academic year. So far it has received 2,100 applications for the 510 open spots in the 2008-2009 freshman class. Four more campuses are scheduled to open over the next two years.

Despite their success, President Bush has proposed cutting all federal funding for career and technical education in his new budget. For the sake of students like Matsumoto, who is looking forward to a career in health care, we hope Congress restores the funding.