I completely agree with mapk96 and have been saying the same thing for years.  Where's wood shop?  Where's metal shop?  At least when those classes were around in intermediate school they got kids who wanted to be around the machines comfortable with them.  Now?  Kids are forced to read and do math ad nauseum.  Fine for the kids who are going to college but what about the ones who, as mapk96 said, could make a good living working with their hands?  Putting all the eggs in the college basket is another example of how short sighted the DOE is.