Only 1 of 2 students graduate high school in US cities: study

Breitbart.com ^ | Apr 1 02:46 PM US/Eastern | unknown

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I graduated in ‘64. There were a lot of young men/boys in my school who did not graduate. It was because they went through the trade school program, and got good jobs in the field of their choice.

[durasell]

NYC has a similar program — though the “trades” are in the fields of hospitality, fashion, theater, etc. etc. The graduation rates are much higher than in typical high schools.

[Vigilanteman]

When I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
It's a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of education
Hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

If you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match
my sweet imagination
And everything looks worse in black and white

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away
--Paul Simon

[pfflier]

Oh yes it is the kids, and the parents, and the schools and the society.

The students do not want to work for a grade, they have been conditioned to receive credit and praise for their "effort", not the results. They plaguerize, cheat and look for excuses.

They don't know both parents anymore but they have a homelife where they have several siblings, all of different fathers. There is no longer any social stigma against that.

They watch MTV and other mindless entertainment where the kids are always smarter than the teacher and the adults, and they believe it, they mimic it and they play it out in the classroom. They listen to audio of words my mother washed out my mouth for learning, and I never used until I lived in the barracks.

The NEA and their teachers are constsntly experimenting on them in the areas of learning and socialization. They have been subjected to new math, no math, SRA reading, phonetic spelling, bilingualism and cultural awareness sensitivity. Science isn't even taught anymore unless algore endorses the content.

At the same time they are being suspended for drawing pictures of guns and are not allowed to meet veterans of wars or military recruiters. Patriotism is equated with fascism while they are bombarded with multi-culturalism, and are told they must embrace "alternative lifestyles".

I am retiring in two months, from teaching 16 years. The current system is broken and it is NOT Bush's fault. Our country has lost it's moral compass and refuses to set a new course. I used tho hope that I made a difference. Now, I only hope that I can make it for two more months without getting sued.

[henkster]

That’s 75% who will NEVER serve any useful purpose to society whatsoever.

So long as the welfare state creates an artificial unlimited demand for these parasites, it is no surprise we have an unlimited supply of them.

[robertpaulsen]

The kids are dropping out because they're entering high school with a 4th grade education and no ability to read.

I'd drop out rather than submit to that humiliation.

[r9etb]

This is why we need to have vocational programs for many of our youth so they can learn skills which can lead to gainful employment and become contributing members of society.

Not to put too fine a point on it ... but most of the jobs that would use those sorts of skills have been sent overseas, or are currently occupied by illegal immigrants. The entry-level jobs they could get probably wouldn't pay enough to attract the folks who know they can get a better deal on welfare.

And, of course, "teaching skills" has a difficult time dealing with kids who have been raised in an utterly poisonous culture. Teaching skills "disrespects" them. Trying hard in school is derided as "acting white." Thug-culture is king.

Seems to me that serious welfare reform would go a long way to addressing the problem. And I think, too, that requiring the name of the father on the birth certificate as a prerequisite for aid -- and failure to support should be punished severely.

[umgud]

We need to separate those kids who want an education from those who don’t so they don’t impede the productive kids. If the parents don’t care, niether will the kids.

[Eleutherios]

As you well know, far too much is made of
graduating and graduation rates.
That’s only a rough surrogate metric.

The CONTENT of what a school-leaver
... at any point ... knows, and can do,
is far more important than possession of a diploma.

[American Quilter]

1 in 2 would be a record year for the school I graduated from!!! The inner-city school I graduated from was and still is graduating on average 15% of its students.

Good grief, Fox! That's the worst of which I've heard. What made you do well? Your family?

[r9etb]

We need to separate those kids who want an education from those who don’t so they don’t impede the productive kids.

I agree, in part ... but what do you do with the "separated ones?" How do you make it possible for those who want to become "productive," to do so?

[nmh]

While you’re busy doing that ... wink at ILLEGALS taking over the unskilled jobs and sending the money home to pump up THEIR economy.

[SoldierDad]

There are plenty of “skilled” trades out there that those not cut out for college can learn and which have not been sent overseas - ever tried to get your furnace repaired by someone in Pakistan?

There is an apparent cultural stigmatism that is rampant in todays society where being too “white” has penalties in your neighborhood. But, that does not mean there are no opportunities - just people not willing to explore them.

I agree that “serious” welfare reform is needed on a country-wide basis, and having the father identified before any welfare is obtained is a great idea.

[SoldierDad]

No argument from me here. A piece of paper with no meaning is worth nothing.

[msrngtp2002]

I own a restaurant and employ several high school kids and a few drops outs as well. I think the issue is more a lack of a challenge than anything else. The kids who are still in school that I employ are extremely bored with school - they are intelligent and hard working but get bored to tears with the slow pace of education. Granted we don’t live in a big city, but in PA the curriculum is basically set by the State which includes Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as is the pace and expected outcomes of each grade year.

The drop outs I employ quit school because they were bored with it! They learn quickly, speak and write intelligently and are my best employees.

I imagine we could lay blame on parents as well but come on - how does one inspire a kid who is slightly above average, but below the typical high achiever that everyone pays attention to? These kids get stuck in a class teaching to the lowest common denominator which is the child (or two) in their class who are special needs and can’t grasp concepts (who will by the way probably graduate and be unemployable in most cases due to their inability to learn). When I was in school it was a challenge - there were no “slow learners” who were mainstreamed in my classes - we all had to work hard.

This isn’t intended to throw insults at the special needs and/or slow learners but by mainstreaming them we in effect cause this dropout problem.

I am sure there are lots of unionized educators who will want to argue my points, but those of us on the outside have to live with their results.

[bikerman]

It’s not the kids really, it’s their parents’ lack of values

Its Clintons fault, to much midnight basketball.

[Clemenza]

Let me guess: Jackson HS in Miami?

[ronnie raygun]

The education system is a social health and help organization rather than an education system thanks to the liberal doctrine. Another failed system that sucks up billions of dollars every year and gets worse and worse.

[rocksblues]

I posted this as a knock against Democrat controlled big cities, Not as a knock against kids that know that graduation is not going to help them get ahead in this world.

[Clemenza]

When my dad was a youth, both NYC and his hometown of Newark had vocational high schools, which were abolished soon after he graduated (from a Catholic "Academic" high school) for "elitism" and "discrimination." Lots of money in the building trades in both NY and NJ, and they are always hiring. Even when home construction is flat, there is plenty of work to do rehab and government contract work. In other words, a fine alternative to working a fry cooker.

Harvey Keitel is perhaps one of the more famous alumns of a vocational high school (he attended Brooklyn Tech before it went "academic") he did something other than work a blowtorch or lay re-bar.