Mike Feinberg spent decades championing college preparation as the primary pathway to success for underserved students. His Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools sent thousands to universities, achieving outcomes many thought impossible. Now, Feinberg argues that education reform’s college-centric approach needs correction.
The shift came when KIPP Houston reached 50% college graduation rates—calculated honestly by tracking all eighth graders through degree completion, regardless of whether they attended KIPP high schools. While celebrating the achievement, Feinberg couldn’t ignore the other half.
“We had plenty of anecdotal data because we were close with alumni and families,” he recalled. “Despite the fact that all we were doing was college prep, we had a bunch of alumni who wound up in the trades and the military and being entrepreneurs, starting their own businesses, and they were doing just fine.”
Meanwhile, some college graduates struggled with significant debt from degrees that didn’t lead to viable careers. The realization prompted Feinberg to launch WorkTexas in 2020 with backing from Houston businessman Jim McIngvale, who donated 15,000 square feet of Gallery Furniture showroom space for trade training.
WorkTexas addresses what Feinberg now sees as a collective mistake by education reformers. “We basically shamed vo-tech out of the high schools, which was a terrible mistake,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out a better strategy here.”
The program offers training in welding, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC maintenance, commercial truck driving, and other in-demand fields. Through grants and scholarships, most participants attend for free. Training sessions last approximately 11 weeks, requiring about 170 hours of participation.
Curriculum development involves direct employer input. Beau Pollock, president of TRIO Electric, helped design the electrical program and hires WorkTexas graduates. He said the hands-on training combined with soft skills instruction produces more reliable employees than purely technical programs.
The soft skills emphasis emerged from consistent employer feedback. Companies repeatedly told Feinberg they needed workers who arrived on time and worked well with teams as much as they needed technical competence.
“Work hard, be nice,” Feinberg said, describing the workplace virtues the program emphasizes. “That’s what everyone needs and wants.”
WorkTexas also operates through Harris County’s Opportunity Center, where justice-involved youth combine GED preparation with vocational training. The center serves 65 students from 22 school districts across 42 zip codes, achieving 93% attendance rates.
Vanessa Ramirez, a former KIPP student who now directs the Opportunity Center and co-founded WorkTexas, said the comprehensive approach addresses gaps in traditional education. Students access behavioral health services, sensory rooms for emotional regulation, and partnerships providing food, clothing, and other support.
“Kids don’t know how to de-escalate,” Ramirez observed. “I would call in-school suspension the greatest missed opportunity. It’s kind of that first red flag, and instead of telling kids and helping them understand what they did, we put them in a classroom staring at a wall.”
The center’s success has prompted an uncomfortable question from students: “Miss, my cousin doesn’t have this at his local ISD. Does he have to commit a crime to be able to come here?”
Ramirez’s response—”No. Do not tell them to commit a crime”—underscores the challenge of making comprehensive educational support available to all vulnerable students, not just those who reach crisis points.
WorkTexas tracks graduates for five years, maintaining quarterly contact about employment status and providing ongoing support. Of 637 alumni from evening programs, 345 are employed, with average wages of $23 per hour for those working a year or more.
Feinberg sees the program as course correction for education reform. “All of my college counselors could have, should have been career counselors or life counselors where college is an important pathway but not the only pathway,” he said.
The evolution from “college for all” to “career for all” reflects changing economic realities. College costs rose 169% between 1980 and 2020, according to Georgetown University research, while student debt soared and job market returns varied widely by field.
WorkTexas plans expansion through partnerships with Premier High School and other charter networks operating across Texas, adapting the model to local contexts rather than imposing standardized approaches.