The reports out of North Carolina are not good. The number of dropouts is increasing even faster than previously thought, with the number of dropouts during the 2006-2007 school year the highest in seven years.
The News & Observer reports:
“North Carolina high school students are dropping out in increasing numbers despite more efforts to keep them in school. . .”
The article continues:
“Legislators and education officials have been paying more attention to the dropout problem since learning last year that more than 30 percent of high school students aren’t graduating. A report released in October by the Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation said students who drop out of school in a single year cost the state’s taxpayers $169 million annually in lost sales tax revenue and higher Medicaid and prison costs.
“. . . black students represented a disproportionately high percentage of the dropouts at 46 percent.”
So how are N.C. educators going to fix the problem? Well, they asked the General Assembly to raise the dropout age from 16 to 18! No, really! That’s the truth!
And that doesn’t take into account that in Durham, N.C. suspensions increased by more than 19%! (Remember, repeated suspensions often lead to dropping-out.)
Studies and statistics have already shown us there is a relationship between our nation’s growing dropout rate and the massive increase in crime.
But drop out rates are increasing dramatically across the nation, not just in North Carolina. With up to 75% of students dropping out in some of our large, urban areas, that converts to 3 out of four students with no diploma and no skills. Even worse, far too many students who DO graduate, cannot read or compute math adequately.
Many people don’t see how dropouts in large cities have anything to do with their own lives. They feel protected against the problems with schools in other areas and don’t believe that failing schools can have any impact on their own well being or safety. It reminds me of the ostrich with his head in the sand. If nothing else, you’d think people would understand that increased crime rates increase the tax money spent to jail criminals.
Meanwhile, students in countries around the globe are being trained and educated to understand that success in the future will be based on who has the best skills. Why are we not teaching our children to prepare for global competition?
Parents and taxpayers need to understand that the situation is only going to get worse if we don’t start helping our students to understand the facts about the world’s economy and the need to excel. We have to have programs in place that can not only teach the skills, but also motivate students to want to learn instead of wasting time.
We need to wake up as a nation and realize that our future is in jeopardy. Poor education results are a matter of national security, not just family pride.
How will our students compete in a global marketplace when they can’t read or write or do math calculations? Unless things change, only the privileged few in private schools will stand a chance. Is that the type of elitist system we want to perpetuate and settle for?
What we need is a nationwide, grassroots movement to FORCE education reform. It’s time to be preparing students to be the future leaders of America and we need to be teaching them the needed skills.
We need parents and teachers and taxpayers to become informed and aware.
Even if you think you are in an excellent school district, you have a problem. Our BEST students made a very poor showing in international competition. Our BEST schools aren’t good enough. Parents and teachers and taxpayers need to understand that billions of dollars are being wasted on school programs that are non-productive and actually detrimental to student achievement and motivation.
Our students are learning to accept mediocrity because they aren’t being told what is at stake.
Brennan
Good article. People need to have their eyes opened about this problem.
At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy nut, I think this is being engineered by our government. People who can’t read or write can’t think critically either. It’s a lot easier to control people like this than it is to control people who think for themselves.
You always have a ready supply of people for minimum-wage dead-end jobs, too.
One thing to remember is that people who have nothing to lose are a lot more likely to become involved in criminal activities. Why work for $5.75 an hour when you can make a lot more dealing dope or doing some other illegal activity?
Darlene,
Thank you for your comment.
You do NOT sound like a “conspiracy nut”. The points you make are very valid. For years, the elite have been running things by systematically improving upper-echelon education and dumbing-down classes to provide a “working class”.
On Dec. 10th, I posted “Education: The Dumbing Down of America” with reference to a devious plan by the Department of Education – and several references by Tom DeWeese – in the expose.
We have to become informed and counteract this insidious scheme. It will take a nationwide, grassroots movement to inform parents and taxpayers how we can fight for our future and our children.
Brennan
How futuristic seems the global economy to some politicians? Despite the opening of country borders to virtual communities ranging from science to technology and businesses around the globe, some still think the USA to be isolationistic. How sad for rest of us to watch that type of policy enforced. How can we consent to have our children, or our neighbors’ children, and our nation’s children be bred for a purpose to fill capitalistic old industry need? Wake up politicians and supporters of greed. In this age, industry has to change in order to be and stay competitive. The old slogan “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”, holds truer than ever. Thank you, Brennan, for braving a touchy subject.
What a fantastic insightful piece of work you have created Brennan, Thank-you.. I was only speaking of this very conspiracy with a friend yesterday. It’s comforting to know there are many minds out there that have not gone to waste!
I think we need to consider that kids often have a legitimate reason for dropping out – they are wasting their time in school. Staying there will not gain them anything, so they leave.
We find that some kids, particularly bright kids who underperform at school, suddenly get more motivated to learn certain things when they start a small business of their own after school.
Some areas of math are suddenly relevant, and the the ones with internet businesses get very interested in how to write well, especially persuasive writing.
With some cash coming in, the lure of a paycheck from a minimum wage job drops off, and there is an alternative path to big incomes other than crime.
Many homeschooling parents use a small business as a teaching tool – we should be doing more of that in public schools.
Education is the backbone of every society. Without education societal structures would collapse. Without education this world will fall into pieces and crime will skyrocket. Without proper schooling children will grow up to be dumb adults who will be taken advantage of. People will continue to have lives with no intellectual meaning and no stimulation. Learning a trade, learning in school, in university, whatever form education takes, it is essential. Schools allow children to socialize properly and learn their way around society. School is a microcosm of the world.
Dear Bob,
Thank you for your comment.
I agree with everything you said, which is why what is currently happening in our schools is so terrifying.
The “microcosm” now forming does not bode well for our future.
Come join the cause,
Brennan
I knew that the high school drop-out rate was high, but not at 75% in some areas!
I believe since public schools do not really have to compete with other schools, they do not have to provide the best service in education. They know that most parents will have to put their children in public schools without much other choice.
In private schools, if a student leaves, the administrators will look to see what went wrong and will then try to fix it. They know that in order to stay in the game, they need to provide the best educational service available to their students.
I highly commend you, Brennan, for your boldness to show others the reality that the public school system is failing. I am a homeschooled graduate and have finished my first year of college. I have always wondered if it was best for me to not go to public school. After reading this, I know that the system my have failed me and that my grades would not have been as great as they are now. If this what is becoming of our education, then I will do whatever it takes to either homeschool my children or put them in a private school.
Dear Nick,
Yes, you can consider yourself fortunate that you were homeschooled, under our current system.
Even sadder than the 75% dropout rates in some urban areas, is the fact that so many students who DO graduate across the entire country can’t read or do math adequately to compete, or succeed in life.
You will undoubtedly be a part of an elite group (educated) in your future endeavors. I wish you the best and I sincerely hope that you will join in the efforts to Straighten-Out Public Schools.
Our future students need like-minded individuals to fight for them.
Thank you for sharing,
Brennan