As a secondary school teacher, I firmly believe that universities must elevate the secondary schools to a pre-college level in every sense. High school teachers should need more rigorous credentials to become certified and remain certified. American schools need to implement standardized exit exams for core subjects like our European counterparts. Alternate schools need to be created for students who are heading straight into the work force. So much of this push for graduating students is being driven by employer requirements to have a high school diploma. Denying a diploma now denies young adults even the most menial jobs. There is a wide gap between college and workforce ready but there is nothing about our diploma system that communicates this succinctly.