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Education Problems Coast to Coast
Just in case you thought education issues were getting better, think again!
The stories on Education News.com highlight problems on BOTH coasts! The first story I want to share tells about the disastrous drop-out rates in Los Angeles and the second story talks about horrible achievement gaps in Philadelphia.
In the first story, Mitchell Landsberg, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times reports:
“A study released Thursday confirms that many California dropouts give school another try. But the California Dropout Research Project also reports that even dropouts who go back to school appear to stand little chance of success in college. And in an economy that increasingly prizes academic success, the outlook is bleak for those who don’t return to school at all.”
“Kids who drop out of school are at risk in general — we know that,” said Russell Rumberger, a professor at UC Santa Barbara who leads the dropout project. He added he was alarmed by the study’s finding that one in three of the students who dropped out of 10th grade in 2004 were doing nothing four years later — not going to school or working.”
The article goes on to explain only one in five drop-outs go back to obtain a GED, and only 54% of those obtain that GED.
Even worse, 90% of those who obtain their GED don’t go further. They either drop-out of college, or never even attempt to enroll.
And the financial future for each of those individuals is bleak.
Meanwhile, In Philadelphia
On the opposite coast, Kristen A. Graham, staff writer for The Philadelphia Enquirer, shares some shocking statistics released by the Philadelphia School District.
” One in 10 white students is classified as mentally gifted; just 3 in 100 black students are.”
“Black and Latino students make up 79 percent of the district’s 167,000 students, but make up just 54 percent of students in the district’s prestigious magnet schools. Those groups make up 90 percent of all children labeled “emotionally disturbed,” and most of the students at the district’s lowest-performing schools.”
The article goes on to explain how mis-judgement on the part of administrators, coupled with the limitations of archaic laws, combine to keep the ‘achievement gap’ in place.
The situations in our schools are getting worse, not better.
The ‘Hot Topic’ of Education Reform
Education Reform is now a ‘hot topic’ since President Obama was elected, and selected, Arne Duncan as his new Secretary of Education.
The fact that billions of dollars of taxpayer money in the new stimulus plan has been earmarked for public schools, also places education in the forefront of the news.
It’s vitally important that every parent, teacher and taxpayer pay close attention to what decisions our politicos make about spending that money.
And we need to mobilize to FORCE positive change!
Brennan
