Mike Feinberg built his reputation on a simple premise: all children can learn, and college should be their destination. His Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools sent thousands of students from underserved communities to universities across the country, achieving what many thought impossible.
Now, Feinberg is questioning that very foundation.
“College prep is a good thing,” said Feinberg, who co-founded KIPP in 1994. “College prep does not need to mean college for all. This is where I think KIPP and the whole ed reform movement of my generation overshot the target.”
The shift came after KIPP Houston reached a milestone: 50% of alumni were graduating from college. Rather than celebrate, Feinberg found himself asking about the other half.
Mike Feinberg’s Data-Driven Awakening
The math that changed everything was brutal in its simplicity. Take all eighth graders, put them in the denominator, keep them there whether they attend your high school or not, whether you lose track of them or not. What percentage earn a college degree 10 years later?
KIPP’s 50% was impressive compared to the 5-10% rate in the neighborhoods where they operated. But Feinberg couldn’t ignore the other half.
“We had plenty of anecdotal data because we were close with alumni and families,” he recalled during a recent podcast appearance. “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. “Yes the ones that went $100,000 in debt for philosophy major,” Feinberg noted with characteristic bluntness.
The revelation sparked WorkTexas, Feinberg’s Houston-based nonprofit that trains youth and adults for skilled trades. Launched in 2020 with backing from local business icon Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, the program operates from donated space in a furniture showroom and a former juvenile detention center.
Employer-First Training Model
WorkTexas differs from traditional vocational programs in its employer-centric approach. More than 100 companies help shape curriculum and provide job opportunities for graduates.
“Technical skills are about 30% of what employers want,” Feinberg explained. “The other 70% all say the exact same thing: ‘We need more welders who can lay a bead, electricians who can bend conduit — but what we really need is people who get to work on time; people who can work on a team.'”
The program tracks graduates for five years, monitoring not just job placement but career advancement and wage growth. Current data shows 70% of alumni secured new or better jobs, with average wages starting at $19.10 per hour.
Beau Pollock, president of TRIO Electric and an early industry partner, said the model works because it addresses real workplace needs. “He has embraced the employer’s perspective but also has the education perspective and knows the needs of the people going through the training to make them successful.”
Beyond Certificates to Careers
Traditional workforce programs often measure success by certificates earned rather than jobs secured. Feinberg rejects this approach.
“When you go to community colleges, trade schools, you see billboards on the highways and ask them, ‘Are you successful?'” he said. “They say, ‘Well, 97.8% of our students earn a certificate.’ How many of those people got jobs? They don’t know.”
WorkTexas has trained more than 380 people across programs ranging from welding and electrical work to medical assistance and commercial driving. The organization provides wraparound services including childcare, transportation assistance, and partnerships with organizations addressing food insecurity and housing.
Yerlin Rivera exemplifies the program’s approach. After dropping out of high school and working two jobs, she enrolled at Premier High School-Houston, a WorkTexas partner. Combining online credit recovery with certified medical assistant training, Rivera passed her CMA exam this year at age 20.
“I really like that you’re at your own pace, but [teachers] are still pushing you to do better,” Rivera said. “It was a really good way to ease myself back into school.”
Her goal reflects Feinberg’s evolved thinking: “I want to have a career, not a job. Those are two completely different things.”
Course Correction for Education Reform
Feinberg’s shift mirrors broader questions about college costs and outcomes. Between 1980 and 2020, undergraduate education costs rose 169%, according to Georgetown University research. Student debt has soared while job market returns vary widely by field of study.
“When I graduated from university in 1991, tuition had just gone past the $20,000 mark and we made a big stink,” Feinberg recalled. “Now they’re four times that.”
The economic pressures have prompted other education leaders to reconsider pathways to success. WorkTexas represents one attempt to provide alternatives without abandoning academic rigor.
“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,” Feinberg said.
The program’s juvenile justice component, operating through Harris County facilities, has achieved 93% attendance rates among students who previously struggled in traditional schools. Students combine GED preparation with vocational training in auto technology, construction, and other fields.
Vanessa Ramirez, a former KIPP student who now co-leads WorkTexas initiatives, said the model addresses gaps in conventional education. “Kids don’t know how to de-escalate,” she noted, pointing to missed opportunities in typical school disciplinary approaches.
WorkTexas plans expansion across Texas through partnerships with existing charter schools and juvenile justice systems. The model emphasizes local adaptation rather than franchise replication.
“We’re trying to make sure we walk before we run,” Feinberg said.
For an education reformer who once championed college for all, the message has become more nuanced: prepare students for multiple pathways to economic mobility. Sometimes that means university. Sometimes it means learning to weld.
“College prep does not need to mean college for all,” Feinberg said. “We’ve got to figure out a better strategy here.”
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