JLT’s 5-Year Plan
Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson says some students should spend five years in high school as a way to reduce Indiana’s drop out rate. Excuse me?! She says some students can’t finish school in four years and need more time to graduate.
No offense JLT, but what you are proposing here is called “lowering the bar to get more students to pass.” If someone can’t do something in four years, is an extra year really going to make a difference. If you are going to give students an extra year, why not two more years. Heck for that matter, 10 years. Why don’t we just say an “F” is now a passing grade and everyone can get through the gate. Also, by throwing in an extra year we are looking at potentially 20-year olds sitting in a classroom with 15-year olds. The potential for me to break into my R. Kelly repertoire is immense right now.
Instead of giving kids more time, how about we give them more standards and more choices and create a real voucher program. That way failing schools will go away which, along with the lack parental involvement, are the real culprits. I’m all for free books, more vocational education and public-private partnerships to mentor and tutor kids, but more time to get through high school?!
Instead of offering more time in school JLT, you should have spent more time at the drawing board on this one.
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The number one reason many kids give for dropping out of high school is that it’s irrelevant and boring. As the parent of a student who graduated in three years with 47 credits because the senior year was more same old, same old and still tested out of most of the freshman college year, one does wonder just why we need more rather than less high school.
What we need is to focus on the kinds of jobs we’re training kids for in the 21st century and decide how best to educate for them. Everyone doesn’t and shouldn’t go to college. But everyone does need a good-paying job. When kids see a career at the end of their education, they’ll see a purpose for the classwork.
And as for that whole growing up thing … I’ve met college kids who still haven’t found the maturity button and middle schoolers who could run the country.
I don’t understand why she proposed this. Students can already stick around for an extra year; it just doesn’t get counted in the four-year graduation rate.
Actually if they have an IEP under the individuals with Disabilities Education Act they can stay until 22. Now that should include transition services and not just classroom work. I am a bit confused about her points myself.