Stop the Drop, Now!
÷ I"ve decided to start doing some investigative reporting myself. First of all it is true, the statistics that is. Also there are several reasons why students drop out.1. Failing
2. Feel school does not show them how the real world is
3. Teachers do not talk or listen to them
4. Need to work
5. Have a child
6. Parent on drugs or incarcerated
Now, I understand we are not responsible for a student"s parent being incarcerated or on drugs. But I feel we can do some things. For instance, if the school system does not give them an idea of how the real work life will be there are tons of organizations that can show them. We just have to steer these students to them. If the student has a child we need to create an environment that is welcoming for the student and their baby. It has been done all over this country and maybe we need to copy the schools that have this type of program. As far as teachers listening to the students and telling them what is really going on, well that can be tricky. I understand that teachers have a specific agenda that is mandated by the Board of Education. But still that is no excuse. We can talk to our children and we can have career coaches in every middle and high schools just to talk to students about the marketplace. This method has been proven in the state of Georgia and if it is working there than all states should give it a try.
÷ Our teenagers and young adults have the highest rate of unemployment. How can we begin to get our teens and young adults working? Well I think we need to start emphasizing to them they will need more than one skill. They need to first be taught that knowing how to do one thing is not the norm any more. We begin to introduce them to basic soft skills such as customer service skills or servitude skills then teach them a skill such as bricklaying or plumbing. They can go to college and get a degree in engineering or accounting. Now they have two skills so if there is ever a layoff or if they just want to make extra money they have two different things they can use to take care of themselves and eventually a family. Workshops and training have to become a priority in our student"s lives.
÷ As we begin to add different elements and tools to a student life things begin to shift and change for the better. Yes, there will be students who will drop out no matter what is offer to them and yes there will be students who are not interested in learning a skill or even going to college. But we have to bear in mind that there are plenty of students who are interested in what the marketplace holds for them and it should be our responsibility to make sure that we Stop the Drop, Now!
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