If ever there is an issue people talk endlessly about yet nothing changes this is it: the dropout crisis. I wish Pres. Obama and Arne Duncan would talk endlessly on it. The folks at the Oprah Winfrey show figured it out a few years ago: There is a dropout crisis in American and it is killing us. Finally the Obama Administration is going to focus on the issue of high school dropouts. Can you think of a bigger issue that has HUGE implications for the country's future? I say finally because this is one of the biggest problems in America and the Administration has said little to nothing about it.
read more at crewof42 blog
read more at crewof42 blog
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has lumped the dropout crisis into every other education issue he’s working on.
Today, President Obama will speak at an event hosted by Colin Powell’s America’s Promise organization. Funny that the White House goes private sector first to confront the dropout crisis. There are several pieces of legislation that do exactly the same thing Powell’s organization does. The connection between the dropout rate and crime is a big challenge as well. When I spoke with Sec. Duncan a month ago at a session with four other reporters I asked him about the legislation below and he committed to nothing. Are you kiddin' me? A few stats demonstrate it will take more than just the private sector to fix the problem:
••• 7,000 students dropout each day in the U.S., 1.2 million each year.
••• High school dropouts are eight times more likely to end up in prison.
••• people who drop out are three times as likely to live in poverty.
••• more than one in three students fails to graduate from high school.
••• little more than half of African American and Hispanic students finish high school on time.
••• every 26 seconds, another student drops out of school in America – more than 1.3 million students per year.
Legislation in Congress already filed that Arne Duncan and the gang refuse to get on record and endorse:
1. H.R.4181 (Rep. Hinojosa): To provide grants to States to improve high schools and raise graduation rates while ensuring rigorous standards, to develop and implement effective school models for struggling students and dropouts, and to improve State policies to raise graduation rates, and for other purposes.
We don’t even have a standard way of counting the number of kids who dropout:
- H.R.1569 (Rep. Scott VA): To improve the calculation of, the reporting of, and the accountability for, secondary school graduation rates.
3. H.R.4122 (Reps. Miller, Chaka Fattah, Danny Davis and Bobby Scott): To support high-need middle and high schools in order to improve students’ academic achievement, graduation rates, postsecondary readiness, and preparation for citizenry.
4. S. 413 (Sen. Burr): A bill to establish a grant program to improve high school graduation rates and prepare students for college and work.
5. S. 1690 (Sen. Bingaman): A bill to provide grants to the States to improve high schools and raise graduation rates while ensuring rigorous standards, to develop and implement effective school models for struggling students and dropouts, and to improve State policies to raise graduation rates, and for other purposes.
read more at crewof42 blog