Anna Lackner, a student from Frassati Catholic High School and author of the 21st proposal, claims that requiring high schoolers to take technical and skill-based courses would be highly beneficial to the futures of students. It would allow for the exercise of  their interests and exposing them to new concepts, activities, and possible careers. Presented to Committee B at the Texas Capitol YMCA Youth and Government Conference, this particular proposal would require all public, Texas high schools to provide trade and skill courses for their students. Lackner explained to the committee that while technical professions tend to be successful and are vital aspects of society, in recent years the number of skilled workers in America has dropped.

According to Lackner, 68% of tradespeople have struggled to hire skilled workers over the past year, and “27% of skilled workers are within 10 years of the social security age of retirement”, which is 62 years of age. Because of this, Lackner asserts that it is “crucial” for high school students to be introduced to trade and skill-based classes, in order to bring about a fresh and interested generation of skilled workers and tradespeople. 

Lackner then described how trade and skill courses can expand student’s mindsets and interests in careers, professions, and their futures. She states that students with well-rounded experience will graduate high school with a better preparation for their futures, and “the labor shortage in skilled trade jobs would be lessened and over time completely alleviated.” 

Lackner’s plan for executing her proposal is stated as requiring “every student in a Texas public high school to complete a minimum of one semester of a technical or skill based course in order to graduate”. These courses would be approved by the TEAC, or the Texas Education Agency’s Career, and would be included in the required 5 credits of electives in order to graduate. A minimum of 5 technical, or skill based, courses would be offered by each school. 

Lackner categorizes a few of these course subject examples as “agriculture, food, and natural resources; architecture and construction… business, marketing and finance… human services… law and public services…” and so on. 

Val Cabello, a supporter of the proposal, explained her personal reasoning for her views. She claims “much of the economy is built on skilled labor”, and without the presence of trade jobs and skilled workers, many economic and social factors would suffer, such as the development of new companies, employability, creativity, innovation, and productivity. 

Of course, not everyone agreed with Lackner’s proposal. Matthew Garcia, in opposition, explained that the proposal would impose unfair responsibilities on high school teachers. He claimed that “in the last 20 years, teachers’ salaries have degraded”, and asserted that the nationwide rising number of public school teachers leaving the profession, the declining salary, and the expectations teachers are already assumed to have achieved, are all factors against the intention of the proposal. 

In response, Lackner relented that the teacher shortage was a valid issue, but was “not covered in her proposal.” She instead believes that the concept of providing interesting and niche courses within high schools, more students, as well as teachers, will find more interest in the classroom, and school as a whole, creating “well-rounded individuals” and possibly renovating the teacher shortage. 

Currently, this proposal is pending its results from the committee.


Shown above: The Senate Committee schedule outside the State Affairs Forum committee conference at the Texas Capitol

Written by: Abby McAdams