The attempt by some in the West Virginia Legislature to solve the problem of school dropouts by raising compulsory attendance to 17 is another quick fix that will cause more problems than it will correct. As a retired teacher with 46 years experience in secondary schools, I can say without doubt that forcing uninterested and discouraged students to remain in school another year will only result in one more year of classroom disruption.
Go into any secondary school and talk to the teachers and you will soon be able to compile a list of one to two dozen students that are the root of the majority of discipline problems in the school. Allow any teacher to remove one or two students from their class and the learning atmosphere will greatly improve. While I agree with the principle that all students deserve an education, it is also true that a few disruptive students can greatly reduce the chance for an entire class to learn.
Instead of forcing students to stay in school another year, perhaps we should identify likely dropouts and disruptive students early and find creative ways to deal with the problem. On the secondary level, it is not difficult to see these students in the ninth grade. We could at least start there with some form of mentorship program, but I suspect that we should be starting much earlier. It is generally true that we tend to like and stick with those things where we find success and, conversely, dislike those that bring failure. Perhaps we need to work harder at finding those students in the early grades that are falling behind and provide the extra help needed for their success. The form this effort should take will need a lot more thought and research than can be discussed here, but putting our efforts and assets there will reap greater rewards than just passing another law.
Perhaps a first step to getting these students the extra attention needed would be to free the principals and counselors from some of the constant testing and reports so they had time for students and teachers. At present, we are concerned about all the instructional days lost due to the weather, but what many may not realize is that some classes lose nearly as much instructional time due to testing mandated by legislation or state directives. To solve the dropout problem and all other problems in education, it is time that we have less laws and state mandates and instead take time to talk to those on the front lines. Take time to really talk to teachers and students, and I guarantee you will discover a greater wisdom and more practical solutions.
Paul Hodges
Athens
Letters to the Editor
March 5, 2010
West Virginia’s dropout problem needs more thoughtful solution
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