The High School Journal

This research examines a community struggling to define the type of education needed for its children. After years of being a minority culture in a much larger school district, a small group of individuals in the community petitioned the state to begin a new school district. Community members indicated a desire for an emphasis on vocational skills so students would be more employable. The teachers, most coming from outside the community, wanted a more liberal arts curriculum with an emphasis on analytical thinking skills. In the nearly twenty years since the district's formation, a random autonomy has come to define the curriculum efforts made by the professional educators. Unless there is a significant effort to arrive at a community and school consensus, it is unlikely that an empowering, relevant high school curriculum will be established.