Chicago Public Schools Make Computer Science a Requirement For a HS Diploma

theodp writes: Less than 48 hours after the Chicago Public Schools hosted a three-hour "soiree" at Google's brand-new Chicago HQ, the CPS Board of Education voted unanimously to make computer science a graduation requirement for all high school students in the nation's third largest school district. Starting with next school year's freshman class, CPS students will be required to complete curriculum around computer science before graduating. "Requiring computer science as a core requirement will ensure that our graduates are proficient in the language of the 21st century so that they can compete for the jobs of the future," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. CPS is working with tech bankrolled and led Code.org and other organizations to further develop a CS education curriculum to implement across all its high schools. Nationwide, President Obama has a $4B proposal on the table to bring CS education to all K-12 schools across the nation, which is also spurring action at the state level, Officials from Code.org, Microsoft and Google joined Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee at the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington D.C. on Sunday to kick off a new partnership aimed at promoting CS. The new GovsForCS website notes that the Governors will be relying on Code.org for advice, explaining that the nonprofit "will provide the Partnership with resources related to best practices in policy and programs, and will facilitate collaboration among Governors and their staff, in person and virtually."

Comments

Re:So what is the way they want this done?

[gstoddart]

Ah, but you see ... this will give them even more ammunition to say "we're training them, but they're still not qualified to do the job", and then demand even more H1B visas.

Letting code.org drive the show here is basically putting the direction of education in the hands of corporations. That really won't end well. I can imagine a generation of kids getting screwed out of a relevant education, and forced to take subjects they're not interested in to get a high school degree.

That kid who is going to be an electrician or a plumber because he's not so into school? He might not be able to get his high-school diploma if he can't follow along.

Not everybody needs this, and this is entirely for self-serving outcomes of a couple of tech giants who have been allowed to hijack education.

Terrible idea.