...or they should learn how to operate one of these:
Posted on 12/09/2010 10:51:40 AM PST by Amerikan_Samurai
More than a third of California's African American public high school students dropped out before graduation day, a startling number and one that's on the rise, according to 2009 data released Tuesday.
The 37 percent African American dropout rate, up three percentage points from the prior year, was far above that of any other ethnic subgroup. Hispanic students had the second highest rate at 27 percent.
Locally, San Francisco cautiously celebrated a 9 percent overall dropout rate, a stark contrast to Oakland's 40 percent, numbers still under review for accuracy.
The statewide statistics highlight a pervasive achievement gap in test scores and graduation rates that persists despite focused efforts to boost the academic performance of black, Hispanic and low-income students, state education officials said.
Overall, 22 percent of state students dropped out of high school, according to the new data, up from 19 percent the year before.
The numbers are more than a year old. They were released several months later than usual because of problems ramping up a new system that can follow individual students' progress in California public schools, even if they move, said state schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell.
"We now have a data system that allows us to track students more accurately and have honest conversations about how to improve graduation rates and reduce dropouts among all subgroups of students," O'Connell said.
O'Connell blamed the increase on state budget cuts, which have resulted in larger class sizes, fewer art and music classes, cuts to sports, fewer counselors and less access to career/technical courses - all programs that can help keep struggling or at-risk students in school.
In addition, drastic cuts to summer school have prevented students from catching up on credits during the break, meaning they can't graduate on time and too often give up.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
We’re not spending enouch on education. sarc/
Hmmm, maybe they’re dropping out to leave California? Maybe they’re a lot smarter than we give them credit for!
It’s white people’s fault.
Fewer art and music classes, cuts to sports.Oh that takes state funding? Can’t they do that at home?How about sticking to education and not play time?.
Yeah, it had nothing to do with unions protecting bad teachers who collect huge salaries/benefits for failing these kids, then more so after they get tenure.
The “War on Poverty” needs to be cranked up to the quadrillion dollar level.
Trillions over the past 40 + years just ain’t enough....
Stop all benefits, 5 generations is enough, people have to stand on their own and decide whether to sink or swim. All this money that has been given over the decades haven’t done a thing.
Sounds to me like most of the cuts were on the teacher/program side of things. How many administrators were cut?
...or they should learn how to operate one of these:
Sure don’ wanna be “actin’ white” an’ all n’ be gettin’ no schoolin’
The operative phrase in the article is "public high school". Translate that to government-run and the meaning becomes self-evident.
As long as the government runs educational facilities, the system will remain broken. Add the corrupting influence of union teachers to that fetid recipe and the result is disaster.
The business of education is best handled by private enterprise in the free-market with the profit motive as the incentive to drive results.
Pfft... the problem is a lack of decent parenting, children out of wed-lock and overall massive ignorance.
When one is both lazy and stuck on stupid don't expect different results.
NO amount of tax dollars will change that.
That’s nothing. How many made it to graduation without knowing their multiplication tables or knowing the parts of a sentence? Scratch another 50 percent.
Last week you will recall California dropped to 50th in education - dead last.
They are not missing much.
No. Not to leave California — just moving residence to collect their handouts in communities with what used 90% HS conmpletion rates.
Interesting that a recent study shows that poverty is worse now than ever. I used to tell my college freshmen econ students I could end poverty overnight. (At the time, a family of 4 living on less than $9600/yr were considered poor.) The students wanted to hear my solution, which is actually quite simple: Get every family who make less than $9600, line them up, and shoot them. The student eyes would go the size of pie plates. After they settled down, I asked them: How long will it take before the guy making $9601 starts bitching that he's the poorest person in the land?
The point was that, unless everyone has exactly the same income, someone is going to feel poor. It's a battle you can't win unless you have a perfectly even distribution of income, and even a pure communistic state would have a hard time pulling that off. The discussion usually ended with me showing that free markets lead to higher standard of living for all members of society than the alternatives, even though it isn't perfect. Too bad the lesson is missed on Obama...
Dropout rates are not a problem as long as unemployment compensation keeps being extended.
I say we should extend unemployment payment duration to infinity, and shut down the school systems. After all, there is no need for an education if your needs are paid for by others.
“The business of education is best handled by private enterprise in the free-market with the profit motive as the incentive to drive results. “
Only if the parents and kids actually want the best education. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with schools with the best basketball programs.
LOL. I wonder if Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have addressed this “crises” yet.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.