Film, Panel Explore Shift At RCHS Event
A documentary screened last month at Rockbridge County High School challenges a long-standing assumption in American education: that success begins with a college acceptance letter.
About 40 to 50 community members attended the screening of “Multiple Choice” at the Rockbridge Innovation Center, where educators, families and local leaders discussed a growing shift toward career and technical education (CTE) — not as a fallback, but as an equal pathway alongside college.
“For nearly 40 years, the message was, ‘If you don’t go to college, you’re probably not going to be successful,’” Rockbridge County Schools Superintendent Phillip Thompson said before the film at the March 24 event. “That’s not what career and technical education is. It’s a first choice.”
The documentary, which focuses on an innovation center in Winchester, explores how high schools can integrate academic learning with hands-on experience, allowing students to apply subjects like math and communication in real-world settings. It also traces the historical divide between college-preparatory education and vocational training, arguing that traditional models no longer align with the needs of today’s workforce.
At Rockbridge County High School, that approach is reflected in the Innovation Center, opened last spring, where students can explore a range of career pathways — from health care and engineering to skilled trades — without leaving campus. Thompson said about 71% of students have participated in programs at the center in some form.
Following the screening, a panel of educators, workforce leaders and a student discussed how those ideas are playing out locally.
Shaun Sparks, principal of Rockbridge County High School, said the school’s programs are designed around student interest and career goals, with an emphasis on connecting classroom learning to practical skills.
“It really is what the passion of the student is,” Sparks said. “And then how we can connect the learning in the classroom to applied skills.”
Robin Sherman, the school’s work-based learning coordinator, said about 30 students are currently participating in internships, working with local businesses in fields such as construction, health care and veterinary services.
Sherman said those experiences can help students clarify their goals — sometimes by discovering what they don’t want to do.
She recalled a student who initially pursued event planning through an internship before realizing it wasn’t the right fit, allowing her to adjust her plans before entering college.
“That is something that you learn,” Sherman said.
Tracy Lyons, representing the Lexington-Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce, said employers are looking not only for technical knowledge but also for what she described as “essential skills,” including communication, reliability and adaptability.
“Those are what keep them there,” Lyons said of longterm employment.
Workforce demand was another recurring theme. Ben Worth, vice president of academic affairs at Mountain Gateway Community College, pointed to ongoing shortages in fields such as nursing and skilled trades, where many workers are nearing retirement.
“These are jobs where we can have students go out … and be able to earn [a familysustaining wage] quickly,” Work said.
Student panelist Ella Brown, a senior at Rockbridge County High School, said her participation in the school’s engineering program helped confirm her plans to pursue the field in college. She will attend the University of Mississippi in the fall.
“Without that, it wouldn’t have been something that I explored as much,” Brown said.
She said combining CTE coursework with advanced academic classes strengthened her college application and gave her a clearer sense of direction.
“I see [success] as more of doing a job that you love,” she said.
Panelists also emphasized efforts to break down traditional barriers between academic and career-focused education. Sparks said the school is exploring ways to better integrate subjects, such as combining math instruction with hands-on applications in technical fields.
“I think we’re only handicapped by our ability not to think creatively,” he said.
The event was organized by Rockbridge County and Lexington school leaders as part of a broader effort to highlight evolving approaches to education and workforce preparation.
The film and discussion reflected a wider shift in how schools define readiness after graduation — not as a single path, but as a range of options shaped by student interests, economic needs and changing expectations for the future.
