One theme in these letters is - "If students don't cut it in high school, then they should go into the trades". 

Well, there is many a student who can't cut the math in the pretest for any given trade when approaching the union hall for apprenticeships. There does tend to be a heightened interest in building, fixing, or operating something when academics in high school just isn't one's forte. However, that does not exclude a good basic high school education. And that said, the first eight grades need to be completed with proficiency to do well in the last four. Students at least should have enough readiness to make a choice between college and trade school.