Separate and Unequal at Hillsborough High: A Principal’s Challenges in Integrating “Academic” and Career and Technical Education Coursework

Dr. Edward White, Hillsborough High School principal, has decided to allocate faculty in-service time to address an unproductive chasm between academic and career and technical education programming within the school, which has created tensions among the faculty. On returning to his office after the professional development session, which was generally positive, he is confronted by his associate principal for curriculum, who is upset because she was excluded from the process. This case provides an opportunity for students to explore the importance of developing a college- and career-readiness curriculum, as well as to strategize mechanisms to resolve conflicts among colleagues.