The Christian Science Monitor has published an article about re-engagement centers across the U.S. including Boston and the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district in south Texas. In How to get high school dropouts into ‘recovery’? Ideas bloom across US., Stacy Teicher Khadaroo writes, “Dropouts are a diverse and difficult group to get across the finish line. About 1 in 5 says he or she lacks parental support, and another fifth are parents themselves, according to the 2012 High School Dropouts in America survey by Harris Interactive. Other reasons for dropping out include mental illness, the need to work, too many school absences, and uninteresting classes. Some dropouts have spent time in prison or on the streets.” We have seen these same reasons from our students here at the D2 Center.
The article goes on to remind us of the importance of completing a high school diploma beyond the personal, individual satisfaction that comes from success:
“Nationally, about 600,000 students drop out of high school in a given year. And more than 5.8 million 16-to-24-year-olds are ‘disconnected’ – not in school and not working. In 2011, governmental support (such as food stamps) and lost tax revenues associated with disconnected youths cost taxpayers more than $93.7 billion, according to Measure of America, an initiative of the Social Science Research Council, a nonprofit based in New York.”
It’s satisfying to be a part of an emerging nation-wide effort and to see coverage from a major news organization. Read the full article.