|
Pinellas County's high schools have been
classified as "drop-out factories," according to Students First
Alliance, a local coalition of parents and community leaders.
According to the Alliance, students are
dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Thousands of talented
and caring teachers are frustrated that they cannot do more to help
address the problem and inspire their students to learn. In a
recent study by Johns Hopkins University, 62% of Pinellas
County’s high schools have been classified as “drop-out
factories” compared to a national average of only 12%.
According to the Florida Department of
Education and Pinellas County Schools, more students received a
standard diploma in 1977 than in 2007, even though 5,000 more
students attended the 9th grade in 2003 than in 1973.
The Students First Alliance is a coalition
of parents and community leaders, led by the Pinellas Education
Foundation. Alliance members include the WorkNet Pinellas, PACT,
the Pinellas Education Foundation, and community leaders including
Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats.
The Alliance is calling for a shift to
school-based management, placing much-needed resources directly in
the hands of principals and teachers who most directly impact
student performance.
For more information about the Pinellas
Education Foundation visit www.pinellaseducation.org
|
Front Page 
Page 3 People! 
