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Tech's Core Areas - A High School Education and an apprenticeship in a career.
Tech's Educational Philosophy

As written in the school's informative booklet, published in 1976 for parents and students;  "It is our purpose to see that every Tech Student gets the best possible high school education.  Every Tech students is enrolled at Des Moines Tech because they want job entry training in one of Tech's 29 major core areas of study.  In addition to the core area each student must complete the same academic requirements for graduation that are required in all Des Moines high schools.

The Tech student's program will enable him/her to prepare for a career in the world of work and/or continue formal academic education in at college or university.  Due to job entry education, Des Moines Technical High School students can get a better job at higher pay with a better chance for earlier promotion.  It could mean a happier life with more personal satisfaction from the greater contribution he/she is able to make to society."

Perhaps the most unique aspect of D. M. Tech H. S. is it's "Core Area" system.  This method of specialized training which betters prepares us, as students, for our chosen occupations or further courses of study.  The time in core area classes may be concentrated in a daily three-hour lab or in several one-hour classes dealing with the student's field of specialization. 

Over D. M. Tech's 44 years of training students for the Work Place, most of the original Core Areas remained intact.  A few of them changed their name to be current with the times, but the basic principals of the trade and the quality of teaching remained true to the Core.  Some areas were removed while training in new areas took their place.
 

The Core Areas

General - For many students, Des Moines Technical High School was their "Area High School."  Students that lived with-in a few blocks found it more convenient to attend Tech instead of migrating daily to other facilities.  In some cases, students transferred to Tech and attended General Classes for personal reasons.
 

Business:

Bookkeeping (Accounting) -
  Clerical (Executive Secretary & Word Processing) -
  Commercial Art (Vocational Art) -
  Commercial Photography -
  Computer Programming -
  Distributive Education (Marketing) -
  Stenographic -
  Hotel & Restaurant Management (Food Services) -
  Agri-Business -
   

Electronics:

Communications Electronics -
  Electricity -
  Electronic Computer Technology -
  Industrial Electricity -
   

Health:

Health Services (Pre-Health)
  Dental Assistant
  Practical Nursing (LPN Nursing)
  Child Care
   

Industrial Trades:

Auto Body -
  Auto Mechanics -
  Aviation Mechanics -
  Cabinet Making -
  Carpentry -
  Diesel Engines -
  Drafting, Architectural -
  Drafting, Machine -
  Machine Shop (General Metals, Tool and Die) -
  Painting & Decorating -
  Printing (Graphic Arts) -
  Radio & T.V. Production
  Refrigeration & Air Conditioning -
  Sheet Metal -
  Tailoring (Textile & Fashion Arts)
  Welding -
   

Special Interest:

Marine Biology -
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

"For Tech We Will"
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