| Students at Detroit schools are leaving before | | | | Detroit schools until they reach the age of 18; someone |
| graduation at a disturbing rate. Depending on which | | | | needs to care enough to try to find out what is going |
| estimate you believe, the number ranges from 34 to | | | | on with that student and to try to find a solution to the |
| 68%. Whichever number you decide is the right one, | | | | problem. |
| these levels are still far too high. | | | | If a standard classroom situation doesn't work for all |
| Students at Detroit Schools Must Stay Long Enough to | | | | students at Detroit schools, then let's get some |
| Graduate | | | | alternative programs in place. Offer apprenticeship |
| The world today is much different from the one that | | | | training, or work terms to students. Anything that will |
| many of us grew up in. There was a point in time | | | | keep them learning should be considered. |
| when a person could leave school before graduation | | | | Dropout Rate at Detroit Schools Affects All of Us |
| and be able to support themselves. Jobs in | | | | If you think that the dropout rate at Detroit schools is a |
| manufacturing and office administration were readily | | | | problem for just the students and their parents, then |
| available. That is no longer the case. | | | | you would be wrong. When young people, including |
| In order to have a chance of being able to qualify for | | | | those attending Detroit schools, aren't well prepared |
| good-paying jobs, students attending Detroit schools | | | | for adult life by getting a good education, it affects all |
| need to stay long enough to graduate. A high school | | | | of us. Do we want a generation of young people |
| diploma is only a starting point now; after these young | | | | where a significant number are barred from good jobs, |
| people have finished their education at Detroit schools, | | | | simply because they had difficulties in Detroit schools? |
| they should be planning on attending college or | | | | We really don't want significant numbers of young |
| university. | | | | people giving up on education too soon. It really is the |
| Teachers and administrators at Detroit schools should | | | | key to success in life. A young person in their late |
| be looking for signs that a student is having difficulty in | | | | teens simply doesn't have the maturity to understand |
| school and is at risk for dropping out. When these | | | | that the decisions they are making regarding whether |
| students are identified, someone should be | | | | to stay in Detroit schools can have a significant effect |
| approaching them to find out what the difficulty is and | | | | on their life in the future. Let's do everything we can to |
| to provide assistance. It's not enough to decide to pass | | | | keep young people in school until graduation. |
| a law stating that students need to be enrolled in | | | | |