High School Dropouts, by Jasmyn Turner / LJWorld.com

Archive for Sunday, November 8, 2009

By Jasmyn Turner

November 8, 2009

Lawrence High School dropouts clearly do not know the importance of an education. In my opinion, there are different reasons for that. Some students do not have family support. For others, I would blame it on the schools they attended when they were young and Lawrence High School itself. Another reason for dropouts is the individual itself.

If a student gets an A on a test that they studied really hard for and then, they come home and either no one is home to be proud of them or, their family does not care. The student would not feel any reason to do well in school. For the students who drop out of Lawrence High, their parents are not emphasizing the importance of school and getting an education. Sadly enough, probably their parents do not know anything different, so, the students do not know any different either.

Starting all way back to elementary to high school, elementary schools need to help students have fun, teach, and make students feel safe. When children are young that is when teaching them that dropping out of school is not okay will help students in the long run, especially if their parents are not doing it. With the junior highs, I think that has a part in the number of dropouts. I would assume the ratio of students that end up dropping out of Lawrence High from Southwest Junior High versus South Junior High is a lot higher for students who came from South Junior High. Even though there are more students that come South at Lawrence High, even with the number of dropouts were added that go to Free State, the number from South would still be higher.

With Lawrence High, I think the student to teacher ratio is ridiculous. The teachers cannot give students individual attention they need. Some students all they need is a teacher influence, but with so many students, teachers cannot bond with all 35 kids in a classroom. However, there are some teachers who do not make school remotely fun. It is too boring and if a student already does not have any motivation a boring class is not going to help. But in a teacher’s defense, there is only so much a teacher can do.

The students who drop out may have a passion for sports, which might lead to them to stay in school if they had a reason to play a sport at Lawrence High. I do not want to put down the sports here, I love to support, but when we suck at everything students do not want to be a part of that. For example, our football team has not won a game. If football was good, students would want to be “winners” and in they would want to stay in school to play.

Unfortunately, some students have to work to help their parents or even to help themselves survive. If students already have a job, they may feel there is no point of graduating. However, I think it comes down to the inner-self. I would classify a lot of the dropouts as lazy. Most students at LHS would rather go smoke, than sit in class. After awhile, they just stop coming because they are smoking all the time. Other students get pregnant and have to drop out in order to support their baby. I would also, say students just do not care. They want everything to come easy. They do not want to work hard for anything. A lot of students do not like authority and so, they do not like a teacher telling them what to do. And lastly, I would blame a cause of the dropouts on who students associate themselves with.

I think essentially it all goes back to a student’s home life and family. If a student does not know any different than dropping out of school because majority or all of their family has not even graduated from high school, it is probably way harder versus a student who has both parents who graduated from college. Some students at Lawrence High School who do not have a family to push them, I would say have no other motivation. It is unfortunate students feel is it okay to not finish high school.

Discussion

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8 November 2009
at 7:43 a.m.

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merrill (Anonymous) says…

Third and equally important is anybody paying attention such as Kansas Legislators and local powers that be.

Education is more important than too many children left behind.

Where is the academic diversity for our children?

Politicians are not the answer and neither is the Chamber of Commerce.These groups are neither the economic giants of our time NOR the educational giants of our time. Both are poor role models as both represent corruption.

Yes the funding from legislative bodies is important but beyond that they should step aside.
8 November 2009
at 3:16 p.m.

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Thing (Anonymous) says…

If Merrill got his education here, that explains a lot now doesn't it?
9 November 2009
at 9:24 a.m.

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jason2007 (Anonymous) says…

Jasmyn wrote: “However, I think it comes down to the inner-self. I would classify a lot of the dropouts as lazy. Most students at LHS would rather go smoke, than sit in class.”

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That's exactly right. Welcome to the movement of self-accountability and individualism, my young friend. Your op-ed has given me hope for the youth and that the pendulum may indeed be swinging away from the ludicrous “it's someone else's fault that bad things happen to me” mentality of generations past…including my own, Gen X.

Family is an important element but ultimately I can point at many examples of people who had a terrible home life but who are today physicians, lawyers, detectives, or otherwise successful in their chosen professions.

A “village” can help a person succeed, but it takes a person's desire to achieve before a dream can ultimately be realized.

Kudos. You get an A+.
9 November 2009
at 9:56 a.m.

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paavopetie (Anonymous) says…

It's simple, really. People who drop out of high school are putting their short term wants before any long term goals. Following this line of thinking even further, they probably don't have any long term goals, and if they do, they probably don't require a high school education in their opinion.

The real culprit, Jasmyn, is income inequality. That is the root cause of many seemingly uncaring parents, students immediately entering the workforce (because they or the family needs the money), and the inability to afford post-secondary education.

The educational systems needs to do a better job of challenging us to do great things. It seems all that high school wants you to do is graduate and go to college. They hardly even prepare you to make a decision on what career path to take, as the average college student changes majors three times.

Additionally, the plutocracy that runs this country is attempting to stay rich by keeping the poorest people poor. One of the single greatest prerequisites for a meaningful, well-paying job is a college degree. Yet state legislatures across the country refuse to address the skyrocketing cost of college tuition, which further disenfranchises students from the lower class.

Yes, this is the land of the free, and anyone from any background can “make it”. It's just proving more and more difficult for children from lower income families to succeed in this country. And that is wrong.
9 November 2009
at 10:24 a.m.

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paavopetie (Anonymous) says…

Jason2007, the self-motivated individual is few and far between. “Group work” and “group think” is running so rampant in the school buildings of this country (by the administrators and teachers), that the self-motivated individual that knows how to do things on their own is not rewarded for their work and often ridiculed by their fellow classmates.
9 November 2009
at 10:48 a.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

education should be made to be more interesting, compelling, and at times, entertaining. i agree.

there are quite a few reasons for dropping out, and i have only heard a handful which sound legitimate. most of them aren't much more than excuse making on some level.

good for you for being concerned enough to compose this article. much luck w/ your future endeavors. :)
9 November 2009
at 10:56 a.m.

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smot (Anonymous) says…

Paavopetie:

Income inequality as the cause for dropouts….what a hoot!

Governments trying to keep the poor down by increasing tuitions….what a hoot!

The victim culture lives in Paavopetie.

9 November 2009
at 1:17 p.m.

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jason2007 (Anonymous) says…

Paavopetie: If individualism is not being rewarded and group-think/group-work is the focus in modern schools, then that's a real problem. I'm not as close to this as you seem to be but I can say that in the real world (corporate America), group-work harbors mediocrity.

I've worked at large organizations where the group-work model flourished and it basically forced a few people to carry the water for many who did the bare minimum to get by. Those that are self-starters and rely on themselves to get work done rose to the top.

As a software development manager, teams are essential to get work done in my profession but I always start out new hires by giving them a project that only one person can perform. I want to see how well they perform as an individual and how much self-initiative they have. If they don't meet the grade, they will drag the team down once integrated into the team on larger projects.

It all starts with the individual and it's terrible that our schools (if what you say is reality) are fostering that mindset. The kids who come through that kind of system might be prepared for a career of some sort but they will be limited in their scope of success simply due to the limitations placed on them during their formative years.