In the most expensive locations I would agree that it is not very competitive, and the same goes for entry-level police and other needed services. (Though nimbys reap what they sow here.) The entire education system is inefficient and anachronistic. School should run all year, simply emphasizing more sports and nature in the summer. Then you don't need to fit the career and compensation structure of the personnel into seven contract hours a day working 180 days a year. You can pay a true salary, end regression and lower criminality in the summer, while also helping working parents be more productive.

Don't get me started though! College is even dumber. 36 weeks of class per year for 18 year-olds? Wtf. Kids graduate high school and ought to be in class or an apprenticeship the next Monday. Most young adults go to non-selective universities to get simple credentials like nursing or education. It's not about fancy internships at Google or other nonsense like gap years. That's relatively decadent stuff most young adults can't indulge in.