Cataclysmic Failure: American High Schools

Summary

Cataclysmic Failure by James C. Wilson is a powerful new book that can constructively impact American society. Wilson’s individual conclusions about high schools impact on our society are fascinating, but taken together are chillingly compelling. He makes a persuasive case that high school career academies can alter the trajectory of the supermajority of our young people in a positive direction.

Wilson explains how we can utilize our high schools as a positive change agent to save millions of our youth. Today’s high school dropouts represent 70 percent of the 2.5 million in prison in America. High school career academies have demonstrated high graduation rates and high employability rates that will prevent youth from becoming involved in crime. High school career academies permanently break this school to prison pipeline. In addition to preventing crime, the need for technical employment skills is even more important now in light of the reality of automation of jobs. This book’s ideas must be used to revolutionize American high schools. High school career academies can change America by putting our youth to work and not in prison. This book is beyond revolutionary. It is a futuristic model for America.