“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” – John D. Rockefeller

For many parents in America, the dream is the same: that their children will excel in school, get outstanding grades, and then graduate from a four-year collegiate institution before entering the working world. It is a dream that is taught in classrooms as the primary way to get success. However, there are those who wish to seek another way, one that aligns with their unique skill sets, but not nearly as promoted.

Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D-50th House) seeks to change that. Recently, she spoke with the PW Perspective about changing the narrative on vocational education, and how it is possible.

She spoke about what it meant to be awarded the 2022 Rookie Legislator of the Year by the Virginia Education Association. “It was such a surprise, and I was so delighted and honored to be the recipient. Even though I come from a technical industry as a business leader and a lawyer, much of my heart is in advocating for our entire education system; that’s from students to administration. This award meant the world to me.”

This comes on the heels of being the co-patron for several bills within the General Assembly. Chief among them is HB 191: Health workforce development; creates the position of special advisor to the governor.
“The general assembly has been responding to the high demand for a skilled workforce in healthcare, technology and skilled trades by making sure we have a handle on the needs out there,” said Maldonado. “We’re still hoping that incentive funds for public trade schools will come through in the budget process.”

It is the determination of the budget that still sits in the General Assembly, and she explains the importance of the process. “There’s so much that comes into putting a budget together. What many people don’t know is that it’s for a bi-annual budget, so when we come back next January, we are working on that approved budget,” said Maldonado.

“When our delegates and senators put forth legislation, there will be a budget amendment attached to it. If it makes it on the floor, then it really goes for budget inclusion. Sometimes the budget committee will not accept the bill, and it can die at that level. Right now where we are is that the appropriations committee, that’s the committee that takes care of how we spend for the good of the Commonwealth. We have the House version of the budget and the Senate version of the budget, and the two have to be reconciled. They’re trying to reconcile the differences, and some differences, particularly of note, revolve around the funding for education. There are some shifts there that we are really working to make sure that we have for teacher pay increases, school construction and for our ability to provide additional resources, and those resources can come in several expressions. They can be for what’s available inside the school, the kinds of programs that are created, developed, or expanded.”

Which is where the concept of expanding vocational opportunities for vocational careers comes into play. Maldonado, who grew up fixing cars after being taught by her father, understands the need for those types of careers to be exalted even more in the classroom setting. “Then of course looking at the value of what some call traditional tracks, and the language needs to be shifted,” she says, “because we call the ‘traditional’ path being that students go to high school and then to a four-year college, whereas the non-traditional path of them leaving high school for a vocational school, or apprenticeship.”

“We’ve got to stop using that terminology and appreciate that all paths lead to a productive way of being a productive member of society.”

Besides discussing the benefits of vocational paths with the middle class, one of her plans is to increase partnership with trade programs. “When I first came into the House of Delegates, I wanted to be clear about the career and technical education resources available throughout the state. I knew of some programs in Prince William County high schools as they have a career technical component, and I like to look at education as a complete thread, so I was looking at programs in Spotsylvania and Danville.”

“What I would like to see is an elevation of two things: The first is bringing the conversation and the embrace of career technical education on equal footing as a two or four-year college journey. There are many people who prefer not to go to college, and it’s not because they’re not intellectually competitive. It’s just simply another path, but we’ve created this historical narrative that it is a less than a path to take. We need to disrupt that, and we need to reframe that narrative to bring it to an accurate truth about its value.”

She continues, “the second part is that as we do that, it elevates the information that is disseminated. As students and parents, we don’t know what we don’t know, and there isn’t a large understanding about what the options are for CTE. The way we share that information is going to be important. There’s a natural default that we want children to go the four-year path, and there are some children who don’t want to go that path, and we want them to know that we see them and vocational careers are worthy as professions. I think if parents and the education system give permission about what is meaningful and a viable way to succeed; it allows us to create more space for the embrace of vocational education.”

“As we do that, we should look at elevating the current relationships with programs. There are flight programs that people don’t know about, and providing that information can make a big difference. We have some amazing universities and colleges that can provide opportunities and partnerships with our high schools, and to a greater extent, our middle schools. So if you know the true spectrum of opportunities at an earlier age, it will help the cycle of growth of our children.”

One reason Maldonado sees the vision of encouraging vocational career paths is that it removes the stigma attached to Black and brown students, who comprise most vocational classrooms, and often not by choice.

“There is a stigma that goes historically attached to those who go into vocational careers, and it runs across socioeconomic and racial lines,” says Maldonado. “We see more Black and brown children who are shepherded into those careers. I was an A/B student on the college prep track and my counselor told me my best option was to go to the 4 C’s (Cape Cod Community College). She said that to several high performing students of color that I know of. There’s nothing wrong with the community college track, but if that’s all students are told we can do, or that they are capable of, it builds a stigma that they’re not good enough.”

“There needs to be a language that encourages going the two-year and vocational path and the four-year path. Let’s look at the ratios of those who are shepherded into those paths. Telling someone that’s your only option impacts the psyche in those formative years, and we don’t question those who shepherd students in that direction. We need to look at equal access to opportunity, so our kids know they can do anything, and that it can be done well on the vocational path.”

“All of it is continuous education, so how can it possibly be a bad thing? It’s fueling the growth of our communities and nation.”

As she continues to champion for children to succeed on several levels, she discusses what it means to represent as a voice for those young women. “I see myself in each of them. I remember those times in life where there were those who held my hand when I was younger and they said, ‘I could do this.’ I needed that, and whether it was a woman of color or not, all of it mattered to me.”

“I see our beautiful young women coming across the rainbow, and we don’t always get to see the ripple effect of our work. Someone is always watching, and when you get it reflected to you, knowing that you made a difference, there’s no greater feeling. It is part of why I do what I do, because I didn’t see women like me growing up. It is an honor and a gift to give back to others coming up, just like those who did that for me.”

On April 21, 2022, PWCS Career and Technical Education will host a job fair for graduating seniors. Click here for more details.