California would be safer with fewer high school dropouts
The Bee's editorial board has been pushing for solutions to the high dropout problem in the San Joaquin Valley. Now a coalition of state law enforcement officials says California would be less violent if we could graduate a big chunk of those now dropping out.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids says that just increasing the high school graduation rate by 10 percentage points would lower homicide and assault rates by 20%, and prevent 64 murders and more than 3,300 aggravated assaults each year in the San Joaquin Valley.
Here's more from today's editorial:
In addition to its connection to crime, there are more problems caused by not getting a high school diploma and striking out in life without the proper tools. Businesses complain about an unprepared work force. The foster care system is jammed with children being pushed from one home to another, largely because of substance abuse and incompetent parents. Experts tell us the state-leading teen pregnancy rate in the Valley is rooted in young people leaving school early. All this leads to a poverty rate in our region that's unconscionable.The California Dropout Research Project says dropouts earn less pay, pay fewer taxes and are more likely to be on public assistance than those who have a high school diploma. California suffers billions in economic losses from the dropout problem, including $12 billion in crime costs, according to the dropout project.
It's time that our public school leaders give the dropout problem the attention it deserves.
Comments
Perhaps we need to take the issue to the kids that are in school now and see what they have to say on the issue as tio what makes them give up and drop out. What are there needs and what can we do to help them. Ask the kids in a survey that they fill out anonomously and turn in.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | December 30, 2007 2:40 PM
As a latchkey kid I can tell you that I personally had way too much time on my hands. My mom worked 2 jobs so she could put me and my brother in a house near good schools.
Doesnt help much though if I never participate in class. My entire High School time was spent reading a book. Not school books. I took a test got out early and just drifted.
It is no ones fault that I had no one that took interest in what I did or didnt do. Mom did the best she could alone. What would have been great? is having some serious vocational options at an early age. I dont mean starting in highschool. I mean sixth grade. Whats the worst thing that happens if you spend one period just learning a skilled trade until you leave? If you go to college you have a way to help pay for college. If you dont you always have a skill to rely on. We woefully underprepare our kids for real life. Every person that gets to at least sophmore year in high school should have a better job option than Mcjob.
Count on people not making it to a diploma and have more options. Otherwise we do kids about as much good as we do teaching them abstinence only.
Posted by: John Zacharias | December 31, 2007 7:02 AM
Parents have to be in this equation as John said. I know many teachers that tell parents that their kids need to have help and have a place to study that is quiet to no avail. Some parents actually cuss the teachers out for telling them their kid needs help. Video games are a big problem as many kids come home from school and never crack a book.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | January 2, 2008 9:53 AM