Is DISD's Pick Your Path Program Limiting Students? 

How Endorsements Affect Us 

 

By: Rachael Gerron, 10

 

In the 2014-2015 school year, DISD started a "Pick Your Path" program. The name it's self creates a daunting expectation, to already have your life planned out as an incoming high school student. 

 

The program has 5 categories called endorsements. The endorsements are Arts & Humanities, Business & Industry, Multidisciplinary Studies, Public Services, and STEM. You are required to choose one your first year of high school.

 

Last year, as an incoming freshman at Woodrow Wilson High school, I had to choose the Preforming Arts endorsement because I was interested in the theater program and wanted to try it out. After a year in theater, I decided it wasn't right for me. When I told my counselor that I wanted to get out of the preforming arts endorsement she was very irritated and almost insulted. I switched to art, not because that's what I want to do in the future, but simply because I had to choose something.

 

This year at Bryan Adams, I wanted to take psychology, so I had to switch to a social studies endorsement. When it came time for me to pick my classes for next year, I couldn't choose any of the classes I wanted because they weren't in my endorsement. 

 

I had to settle for classes I didn't want and give up classes I was really interested in. Electives are the only thing we had a choice in and now it's almost like that has been taken away. 

 

At such a young age we are expected to know what career we want, but the truth is most kids don't have a clue. The solution for this is defiantly not to limit us to a specific field. This especially true with students who have no idea what they want to do. We need to explore options to see what our strengths and weaknesses are. We need to have the freedom to experiment in different areas.  

The pick your path program pressures students into picking an endorsement that could possibly be the wrong fit for them. 

 

We are constantly growing as people and students. We don't all has a set plan, so this endorsement system isn't affective for everyone. We need to explore different paths instead of being expected to "pick our paths".

 

02.14.17