Allentown School District - Dropout Issue

This post is about the dropout issue with the Allentown School District. The last known data on the dropout rate was reported as 7.2 percent in 2011-2012 and about 88 percent of those dropouts provided no official reason for leaving school. The dropout issue has been an issue in Allentown for many years but it is not until now that it is getting so much attention. 

Ce-Ce Gerlach one of the school board members recently introduced a resolution to begin a comprehensive dropout analysis and plan of action. It also asked the Lehigh County commissioners to form a County Dropout Prevention Task Force, which would include representatives from school districts and several county agencies, such as children and youth services.

Director Scott Armstrong introduced his own dropout resolution, citing high poverty rates and asking the city of Allentown to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce poverty. The Armstrong resolution called on the county to assist the city with those efforts.

Both resolutions were tabled and will not go into effect.

In my personal opinion regarding the dropout issue the school district and the city need to work together to solve the problem. They could create a city wide task force instead of a county task force but we can create all the task forces we want if we don't get out there and find out why the children are dropping out we will never be able to solve the problem. 

I think they need to get out there and ask dropouts why they dropped out and also ask current students in the school district if they have considered dropping out and if so why. Once we find the answers to why they are dropping out then measures can be taken to prevent future dropouts. There are multiple factors that play a role into a student dropping out. There is not a one answer to the question. It could be for various reasons such as: stress overpowers them, can't take the pressure, find school boring and not of interest, issues at home such as family problems, poverty, moving too much due to financial problems or landlord problems, and the list goes on.

Right now the school district is using two grant-funded programs that are aimed at keeping students in school and graduating from high school. At the last school board meeting they kept talking about prevention which of course we need to use prevention techniques to help keep students in school but we need to find out why they dropout to understand the scope of the problem. Again they need to get out there and find out why they are dropping out. I am a former dropout of the school district and when I was missing alot of school, no one asked me why. No one tried to get me to go to school except my parents and no one asked why I was dropping out when I did. Do I regret the decision? Yes but my point is no one asked why.

Once we find out why they dropout then we can put prevention measures into place to prevent the students from dropping out. So let's talk with the students and find out why and then go from there. Parents also play a major vital role in their children dropping out or not. I am calling for all parents who have children attending Allentown schools to talk with your children and ask them if they have considered dropping out and if so why. Then report your findings to the school district. Get involved!