Home > Jay Bookman > Archives > 2008 > June > 05 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNothing more dire than this….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We face a lot of challenges as a country, from the situation overseas to the national economy. But none of them is more important than this one.
Georgia has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country, according to a national study released Wednesday.
About 58 percent of Georgia students graduated on time, compared to the national average of about 71 percent, according to the report. The data comes from the 2004-05 school year, the most recent year for which national comparison data was available. Only four states and the District of Columbia performed worse.
A high school graduation rate of just 58 percent? Even the national number of 71 percent is stunningly low.
Think about those numbers, and what they mean about the future. Forty-two percent enter adulthood without even a high school diploma? The lives wasted, the opportunities lost, the future costs to taxpayers in terms of prison budgets and law enforcement and health care…
Blaming public schools is easy, but it’s not the answer. The answer lies in changing cultural norms so that dropping out carries a serious social stigma among young people. And while it may sound crazy, a concerted, longterm marketing campaign should probably be a key part of our approach, because if anybody knows how to change mass behavior, marketing people do.
Comments
By Maurice, Netanya Israel
June 5, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
Jay, you have to take into consideration that the more qualified students are now attending private schools, like the new one in Sandy Springs. This reality is not only happening in cities like Atlanta, but in most major cities around America as well. The Public school system, even in the better areas, have many problems that national, state and local authorities can’t find solutions for. And despite his rhetoric and good intentions, Barak Obama probably won’t be able to help, as much as he would like to. It’s hard to have an incentive to learn at schools where kids are intimidated and where many carry weapons for self defense. That’s the reality of the public schools in todays society.
By teacher
June 5, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this
Well you are a real dunce as the numbers do not say 42% enter adult life without a high school diploma. Even the article in your liberal rag says that only 58% graduate on time. I am sure that President Obama with his wealth of experience and love for all Americans can quickly fix this problem that Bush created. Typical liberal misinterpretation of facts.
Of the 42% that do not graduate on time, some (I would speculate at least 26%) do graduate late. There are many reasons they do not graduate with their class including failing parts or the graduation test or failing classes at the end of their senior year or not making up credits prior to their projected graduation date.
All of this said, there is a REAL PROBLEM and it is a cultural problem where a large percentage of our population does NOT value education. This attitude undermines the entire education system (which is also broken).
It is hard to teach students who don’t come to school on a regular basis. It is hard to teach students who have no interest in their grades or progress. It is a difficult process when you call the parent and they answer with a hostile you are wasting my time attitude. Or even worse, the parent asks you what to do to get Johnny to behave, study, stop bullying his sister or quit laying around the house.
Education used to be a partnership between the teachers, parents and administrators to help Johnny master the material and become successful. There are too many conferences where Johnny curses at all parties with no consequences. Teachers spend a great deal of time not teaching but holding meetings that are not attended to help the unmotivated and uninterested student and the non supportive parent.
By Matthew
June 5, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
I agree that Jay got this one a little wrong, and I am no Bookman fan. But I am pleasantly surprised to see him note that this is an indictment of our culture. Of course, it is a slamming blow to personal responsibility as well, but with young people, there is enough blame to go around.
The problems are the usual suspects: bad schools, societal impact, parental negligence. But these things feed off each other. Bad students in mediocre schools spark the good students to leave, and that mediocre school is quickly at bottom.
I just hope Jay doesn’t think the solution to this problem is mixing the good schools with the bad or simply throwing billions at the problem.
By Taxpayer
June 5, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
Your point is well taken and the solution to this problem may be very difficult to reach. I for one am not sure that any true solution can even be implemented in a reasonably short amount of time. For one thing, consider how easy it is to start up a company that builds houses or any number of other choices. A lack of education may cause some problems for some initially but they learn the basic skills needed real quickly if they want to survive. Some learn that it’s a “dog-eat-dog” world and that they are not going to be the one that gets eaten. Others learn that they need to live and work in harmony with people around them in order to live a full and prosperous life. Every so often, someone will even learn the meaning of words such as consequences, ethics, and even morality. You don’t necessarily need a classroom to learn many of life’s lessons but it can help speed up — or even slow down — the process under certain conditions. I find that even simple things like just putting words down with the keyboard helps me to learn more. For one thing, I end up referencing the dictionary on a regular basis. Such tasks are even believed to help curb the onslaught of some diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Then again, what do I know.
By Bill
June 5, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
Jay is correct that this is a societal problem. My profession is not teaching, but too often I hear people blame teachers for their kid’s lack of education when it is the fault of the parents.
General behavior and the value of an education must be instilled in a child by parents and enforced by parents. They are the ones who must work with the teacher for the educational good of their own child.
By NCLB
June 5, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
And yet progressives mock me at every turn, accountability and bonus drven results are not the answer… For what!? Marketing people!!??
Ha! Pleeeeease…
By NCLB
June 5, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
Who wants to bet paychecks that Jay’s “very good” public school in his “modest” neighborhood is WAY, WAY above Ga’s 58% average??
By susan
June 5, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
Perhaps the election of Obama as President will be the best marketing ploy. Do you think so?
By Jay Bookman
June 5, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
You lose again, NCLB….
By Copyleft
June 5, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
NCLB seems obsessed with digging up personal information on you and your family, Jay. I’d be careful how much you tell him.
By Me
June 5, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
My Father only went through the 9th grade. As children it was drummed constantly into our heads how important an education was and the we would finish high school…no ifs and or buts about it. Somewhere down through the years this has gotten lost. There is plenty of blame to go around in all this but ultimately child rearing responsibilites lie with the parents and they need to step up. I also agree that it is possible to succeed without a high school diploma but it is many times more difficult. You will never be able to get your foot into many doors where you could succeed if given the chance. You’ll never get your shot.
By NCLB
June 5, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this
My HS is appealing it’s NCLB score. Mainly due to it’s 44.6 percent graduation rate, or transience rate as they like to call it now. You see in my community, low-income housing abounds with about 37 apartment projects and 10 trailer parks. The local HS has 1,550 students and 125 teachers. 50 percent black, 36 percent Hispanic and 11 percent white.
Do you seriously believe that additional marketing of material wealth to poor 9th graders is the answer to our public school failures? I mean, aren’t you in fact, talking about attaching a serious social stigma on the poor??
By Hmmmmm
June 5, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this
I would bet that the 42 percent that didn’t graduate would be democrats …. How else would a democrat be elected?! :)
By sunshine and thunder
June 5, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this
Now every Ga school system has a local school board, local superintendent’s office, a state Education Department and a Federal Education Department. All of these departments have many sub units for curriculum, accredidation, teacher certfication, etc, etc.
Why am I thinking about “too many cooks…”?
By Freedom
June 5, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
Actually, the graduation rate is TOO high, with problems of “social promotion”, poor standards, etc. Compared to the rigors of other countries, our schools are a joke. Bottom line: many parents have little regard for their child’s education and expect the school to do their jobs for them. If the parents are unwilling to be actively involved, it is not the job of the government either. No one forced these people to have children they have no interest in (ie homework, PTA, supervision, etc). The complaining parents are the same ones watching American Idol rather than helping Junior with geometry.
By GodHatesTrash
June 6, 2008 6:05 AM | Link to this
Ultimately, the problem with Georgia schools can be stated very simply: garbage in, garbage out.
Let’s face it, many Georgians are lazy, superstitious, and stupid, and perversely proud of it.
By gttim
June 6, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
“I just hope Jay doesn’t think the solution to this problem is mixing the good schools with the bad or simply throwing billions at the problem.”
Yeah, I would hope we don’t try the George W. Bush solution on this. Throwing billions at stuff does not work- W. has proved that!
“You see in my community, low-income housing abounds with about 37 apartment projects and 10 trailer parks. The local HS has 1,550 students and 125 teachers. 50 percent black, 36 percent Hispanic and 11 percent white.”
Wow, you should either get a job, or a better one, so you can afford to move to a nicer area. I feel for you. Poverty must really suck. Where are there 10 trailer parks?