A study conducted by the Youth Connection Charter School determined that the top three reasons students dropout are academic challenges, alcohol or drug abuse, and extreme poverty.
"If students don't have a high school diploma, they are less likely to work, they are more likely to go to jail, and 70% of the people in prison do not have a high school diploma," said Sheila Venson of the Youth Connection Charter School.
According to Venson, a huge chunk of her charter school students read below the 8th grade level and a smaller, yet significant portion, reads below the 6th grade level.
The average age of Venson's students is 18.
Myra Ocampo, a student at Truman Middle College, located within Uptown's Truman College campus at 1145 West Wilson, dropped out of school due to a pregnancy.
Ocampo said the Truman charter school helped her get back in school and allowed her to keep her job.
This is just another call for yet more tax money to be spent on pointless programs to keep the unwilling in school. You can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink. The best thing would be to simply train the dropout-prone in a useful skill so they can earn a living. Not everyone is cut out for a white collar paper pushing job.
ReplyDeleteEducation AND parental guidance IS the key to EVERYTHING life has to offer. Here's some tips;
ReplyDelete1) Stay in school
2) listen to parent/parents(if they're around)
3) Use birth control
Seems pretty simple to me IF you want a better life. That also means YOU have to participate and that INCLUDES the parent/parents!
Agreed Towanda. But the ghettos don't believe in hard work...it is easier to steal and terrorize the citizens of Chicago.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8:38am offered simple advice, and Towanda offered even more advice, both of which has substance to it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 3:49pm, you're free to state whatever you want, and to a degree your comment is correct. But it offers NO value as to a solution towards the problem in the story, which is about students failing in education, NOT about stealing or terrorizing citizens. It's FAR too many other articles on CNR about 'violence from ghettos', as you puts it, that you could express your concerns about.
This may be the ONLY story on this website where people can civilly discuss problems and solutions, lol...so please, stay on topic.
Really who do yhu ppl think yh are I know Myra she is a nice person I go to Truman to with her. Nobody knows any of our stories to why we go to Truman some of us been thru alot of stuff an had reasons for dropping out Truman has help all of us givin us a second chance to change things and do something with our lives so before you start talking trash and nagging think first some kids who go there lost their parents and dropped out because they couldn't concetrate some kids got pregnant and their famlies wanted nothing to do with them you have no right saying anything especially if you know nothing about us
ReplyDelete-Selina gonzalez
Anonymous@ 8:08,
ReplyDeleteWho the hell said anything about "Myra" or named anyone for that matter? Gees, can't you people read a sentence and comprehend what you are reading. Gimme a break. Can't even give these people some suggestions without them going all nuts on you.
Why spend 4 years in high school when you can start collecting a steady paycheck after 9 months?
ReplyDeleteThat's not the point the point is ppl like yhu Towanda talk hella garbage An don't know nun about y we drop out wat da hell yhu mean. We get a better opportunity at alternative highschool
ReplyDeleteMy high school became a warzone when it got more than 50 percent african-american, I was lucky to get out alive.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous@12:58,
ReplyDeleteI can guess that your command of the english language and spelling ability is the reason you're not in school. Those who argue AGAINST getting an education because " An don't know nun about y we drop out wat da hell yhu mean." are/will be the ghetto thugs of tomorrow. here's a clue, get an education and learn some respect for humanity. You might be amazed how your life might change. Try participating in making your life better rather then coming up with a gazillion excuses why it isn't.