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In high school, students are often pushed onto one of two paths: the college track paved with Advanced Placement and dual-credit classes or the career and technical education route built around hands-on training and workforce readiness.

But what if our students didn’t have to choose between the two? Imagine a student who excels in AP English discovering, through an internship at a tech company, how their passion for the written word can lead to a lucrative career in technical writing. Or a student earning a welding certification who enrolls in business classes that challenge them to think beyond employment to entrepreneurship.

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As district leaders, we have to ask ourselves: Despite our best intentions, have we unknowingly limited students’ potential by creating rigid pathways that separate academic achievement from career exploration?

For Danbury Public Schools, it’s a question we needed to answer for our own students. What we discovered in talking with other innovative schools across the country changed our entire approach to career-connected learning . Today, DPS is considered by members of the National Career Academy Coalition a model to be studied on a national level; and as its superintendent, I have been named to the Connecticut Career Pathways Commission to speak on the district’s approach to career-connected learning.

Today, 90% of public high schools have CTE programs, and each looks completely different. In some cases, CTE is designed as alternative vocational pathways, giving struggling students an “out” from college preparation. In others, tech-focused, dual-credit courses are reserved for top-performing students.

As home to Connecticut’s largest high school, DPS understood this divide all too well. The district offered a CTE program, including a successful Certified Nursing Assistant pathway. Despite overwhelming interest, only 60 students could be accepted each year, closing opportunities for many qualified and motivated students.

Meanwhile, graduation rates and student engagement were on a downward spiral. Recognizing that career opportunities aligned with students’ interests increase their motivation and hope for the future, DPS sought to create an equitable learning experience for all students, not just high achievers.

Building on best practices from National Career Academy Coalition model schools nationwide, DPS launched The Academies of Danbury High School, the Northeast’s first wall-to-wall career academy model. With eight academies — including Clean Energy, Green Design, Information Technology and Cybersecurity — students can explore 21 career pathways.

The academies are challenging the misconception that career pathways are only for those students heading directly to work after high school. Durable skills built through real-world, hands-on experiences — like critical thinking, adaptability and conflict management — are lacking among new hires at every level of industry. Employers report that many young workers, including college graduates, are missing the critical skills essential for professional success. By equipping students with workplace competencies now, we can give them a meaningful advantage whenever they enter the job market.

Unlike traditional career programs that layer electives into a traditional classroom structure, the new generation of public school academies are built around exploration. There’s no “general track” here – every student follows a career-connected pathway that allows for job shadowing, project-based learning, certifications and internships. The model ensures opportunities once reserved for a select group of students are available to everyone, including those who thrive in areas often overlooked by CTE programs, such as the arts and humanities.

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Just as important, students are not sorted into pathways by a transcript or test score. They are empowered to discover their own path. In Danbury, freshmen are embedded in a year-long exploration of their interests, career goals and available opportunities. Through a variety of activities, including career fairs and industry field trips, they gain the insights needed to rank the pathways they plan to pursue in grades 10 to 12 based on their passions instead of their GPA. That freedom gives students a sense of ownership over their education, which becomes a powerful catalyst for engagement.

Finally, career exploration should open doors, not lock students into a single pathway. Educators must work with students to switch pathways if needed and adjust electives to meet their evolving interests.

For example, a student pursuing a CNA certification may discover a hospital setting is not the right fit for them. However, through their Academy pathway, they may uncover aligned opportunities in fields such as social work or biomedical research. By adjusting their plans in high school, students avoid costly major changes in college and the debt that comes with them.

One of the most significant deterrents to building a robust CTE program is the high price tag. Investing in advanced instructional technologies, hiring additional staff and retrofitting existing buildings is often out of bounds for districts on tight budgets.

Ensuring that a highly-trained workforce is ready to solve the hiring crisis in fields requires businesses and trade associations to play a bigger role in preparing tomorrow’s talent. That includes opening their doors to students and offering mentorships, internships and hands-on learning that bring high school lessons to life.

At the same time, federal and state leaders must invest in the programs that prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. Despite being one of the lowest-funded districts in Connecticut, DPS has scaled our program with intention, securing grant funding that has enabled us to invest in a new cybersecurity lab, advanced CAD equipment and drafting tables.

Since the launch of The Academies of Danbury High School in 2024, the district is already seeing its impact firsthand. While it will be four years before DPS has a complete picture of graduation trends, the early results are promising. The overall graduation rate rose 6.4 percentage points in one year, from 76.6% in 2024 to 83% in 2025. Among English learners, the increase was even greater: 17.9 percentage points, from 52.8% to 70.7%.

Rates increased by 10.2 percentage points among Hispanic students and male students, 7.1 points among high-needs students, 5.9 points among Black students and 5.4 points among Asian students. These results, alongside improved attendance and engagement, reflect students’ stronger connection to school and greater investment in their learning. Student focus groups also report high satisfaction with opportunities to choose and complete meaningful, hands-on work that builds toward a potential career.

As districts across the country grapple with student disengagement and declining test scores, we have to realize no superhero is coming to save the day. We have to put on our own capes — to be bold enough to reimagine the traditional learning model as a system that centers on every student’s career aspiration and unlimited potential. When learning is connected to purpose, students don’t just perform better; they become empowered to thrive in both the classroom and their future careers.