Why Are We Closing the Very Schools Students Actually Want? The Trade Schools Debate.

President Trump’s recent proposal to redirect $3 billion from Harvard University to trade schools across the country has reignited a conversation this country should’ve had years ago: What kind of education actually serves American students?

While this move aims to strengthen practical training nationwide, here in Naples, Florida, we’re watching the opposite unfold—Lorenzo Walker Technical High School is being shut down after the Class of 2028.

Let that sink in.

While one of the few national leaders is finally pushing for more real-world, skill-based education, our own community is shutting the doors on the very programs that actually work.

As a former teacher, I’m not just frustrated—I’m furious.

Because here’s the truth: trade schools work.

They serve real students. With real needs. Preparing for real careers.

While elite universities rake in billions and cry about academic freedom, working-class students are losing access to the one path that actually gives them a shot.

A path that doesn’t demand six figures of debt or meaningless credentials.

Trade schools train the people who keep this country running:

• Mechanics

• Welders

• Electricians

• HVAC techs

• Coders

• Culinary professionals

And that’s just the start.

So why are we cutting these programs?

Why are we pretending that every student should sit through four years of lectures and theory just to end up in a job that doesn’t even require a degree?

The answer is simple: we’ve let a bloated, corrupt education system define success for everyone—and it’s failing our kids.

This country doesn’t run on theory.

It runs on skills.

So when Trump says he wants to shift billions from Ivy League towers to vocational training centers, the only sane response is:

Good. About damn time.

We need to protect these programs.

Because the working class built this country—and they deserve schools that serve them, not shut them out.