Education is constantly criticized for its "failures"--its "failure" to produce literate graduates, its "failure" to prepare students for the jobs of future technology, and its "failure" to reduce unemployment and establish equity for all students. However, these "failures" are not solely those of the schools, but of the larger society--a problem of the home, the schools, the corporations, and the government together. One criticism that has been leveled at vocational education is that it is too narrow; yet knowledge, skills, and attitudes, regardless of where they have been acquired, are not automatically transferred to other settings. Training must occur where the skills will be actually applied in order to be effective. However, such approaches can be expensive and difficult to implement. In order to serve students better, high schools should eliminate vocational tracking and provide both academic and vocational training for all students. Other factors that would enhance students' educational experiences would be changing courses to improve transferability of outcomes and acquiring better teachers and facilities through increased allocation of funding to schools. However, the schools cannot do it all. Home, school, work, and social groups must become true learning communities where youth have ready access to adult expertise, share their successes and failures, and where everyone has a proprietary interest in what goes on. These goals will not be easy to achieve, but they provide a vision toward which we can strive. (KC)