High School Dropouts, by Kyleigh Bowen / LJWorld.com

Archive for Sunday, November 8, 2009

By Kyleigh Bowen

November 8, 2009

With a society that thrives on wealth, now more than ever, it is important to receive the best education available. However, some students feel that this does not apply to them and do not obtain a high school diploma. The two main reasons for this dropout rate are school and family connections. Without these crucial connections, one can hardly be expected to succeed. The school connections at Lawrence High are awful, especially within the administration. Improving these conditions and student connections is the only way to reduce the number of dropouts.

More than one thousand students attend Lawrence High School everyday. This high number of students and low number of teachers imply large classes. The required courses are packed with students, meaning no one has a chance to talk one on one with the teacher. This also means that the teacher does not take the time to learn everyone’s name, even. The impersonalized atmosphere of the classroom does not make one feel welcome to learn; one also may feel that their attendance is not necessary. Likewise, with so many students, administration cannot get to know individual students. High school counselors are supposed to help guide students and assist in college admissions. However, at Lawrence High, counselors do not know names of students, their interests, or their plans for the future. The principal, too, does not know the majority of the students he governs over. For these reasons, the school system does not make students feel welcome and encouraged to stay in school.

Parents are the second leading cause in the high dropout rates. Families need to encourage their children to succeed in school and many do not. Without support and encouragements, students do not feel worthy of anything. Parents and family need to take the initiative in their children’s education. Whether it be looking at homework to check completion every night or merely asking how school went, parents of children not doing their best in school should care enough to ask.

The only way to lower the dropout numbers is to fix these two main causes. Schools need more teachers or a bigger variety of courses so everyone is not crammed into one. Counselors and school faculty should take the time to get to know students and make them feel worthy of being at school. Parents need to be more involved with a students’ life, especially taking time to praise their child for trying to succeed in school. Dropout statistics will dramatically decrease if these causes are solved. To continue to decrease numbers, smaller things should be done. Shortening the school day and year are starts to reducing the dropout numbers at Lawrence High.

Survival in the corporate world depends on education. No student should be given the opportunity to drop out of high school and suffer for the rest of their lives. However, the opportunity is there and many students decide to take it as an “easy” way out. Fewer students would act upon this prospect if schools were made more personal and individual students felt welcome. Another step would be towards parents taking the initiative in their child’s education. These are the top two reasons students feel the urge to drop out, and the numbers will significantly drop if these matters are taken into consideration.

Discussion

LJWorld.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.

8 November 2009
at 7:36 a.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

merrill (Anonymous) says…

Second where are the new and diverse industries that are necessary to employ graduates of high school,junior college or 4 year programs.

This is where the chance for new industries exists yet politicians are more concerned for their campaign funds and shareholdings while LHS drop out rates increase.

One way to begin hope for new jobs and industries is:

National Health Insurance
http://www.healthcare-now.org/

Doctors for Single Payer
http://www.pnhp.org/

Unions for HR 676
http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/…

Organizations and Government Bodies Endorsing HR 676
http://www.pnhp.org/action/organizati…
8 November 2009
at 8:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

rdragon (M. Lindeman) says…

merrill (Anonymous) says…

Second where are the new and diverse industries that are necessary to employ graduates of high school,junior college or 4 year programs.

This is where the chance for new industries exists yet politicians are more concerned for their campaign funds and shareholdings while LHS drop out rates increase.

One way to begin hope for new jobs and industries is:

National Health Insurance
http://www.healthcare-now.org/

Doctors for Single Payer
http://www.pnhp.org/

Unions for HR 676
http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/…

Organizations and Government Bodies Endorsing HR 676
http://www.pnhp.org/action/organizati…

rdragon writes:

Have you lost your mind? Really wake the remaining two brain cells you have up and pay attention. Your cut and paste agenda does nothing to address the drop out rates. I agree with Ms. Bowen on the points that class sizes are to big, school officials need to know the students. I don't agree with her on the shortening the school day or year. I sometimes believe that our school year are too short. A good chunk of the students that drop out really have no interest in going into the corporate world. What we really lack for these children are tech classes/school. Trade classes/schools would be a great ave for these children. We used to have a apprentice programs many years ago. Today we have an aging trade force and very few going into the trades and I believe it is because of a lack of trade classes.
8 November 2009
at 9:33 a.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

merrill (Anonymous) says…

To continue down the path of mandating employers to pay for medical insurance is absurd. It will NOT stimualte new industry for jobs that high school and college grads need.
8 November 2009
at 9:43 a.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

rdragon (M. Lindeman) says…

merrill (Anonymous) says…

To continue down the path of mandating employers to pay for medical insurance is absurd. It will NOT stimualte new industry for jobs that high school and college grads need.

rdragon writes:

I think you really should reread the article. The discusion had nothing to do with health care. Your views on another subject should be discussed or debated either on an article of that subject or blog.
8 November 2009
at 3:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

Thing (Anonymous) says…

rfragon, the best course of action is to simply ignore Merrill's continuous ramblings and repeated cut and paste jobs. When is Keating going to cut this guy off? No one, not even the other liberals reads his garbage anymore.
8 November 2009
at 5:53 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

rdragon (M. Lindeman) says…

Thing (Anonymous) says…

rfragon, the best course of action is to simply ignore Merrill's continuous ramblings and repeated cut and paste jobs. When is Keating going to cut this guy off? No one, not even the other liberals reads his garbage anymore.

rdragon writes:

Point taken.
9 November 2009
at 12:27 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

gl0ck0wn3r (Anonymous) says…

Really, it's true. You can't engage Richard in any discussion. Mocking him is semi-effective, but I think he has such poor self-awareness that he doesn't realize how poorly he serves his own causes on here. He is like the crazy guy who wanders into a cafe and starts yelling at people. It's not discussion, it's a one-way missive. His posts are rarely useful or helpful and typically are not relevant to the topic. Ignoring them is helpful, but his posts are often multi-part pastes that he dominates some conversations on here by creating so much noise. It is, no doubt, abusive - but the LJW seems not to care.