Kentucky forcing high school dropouts back into class.

This is skating under the radar as there really aren’t that many dropouts in Kentucky. A law passed in 2013 (Senate Bill 97) allowed each Kentucky school district to create a policy increasing the dropout age from sixteen to eighteen years old. This law also restricted adult education facilities from assisting "students" under the age of eighteen. This also means that no one under the age of eighteen is eligible to receive a GED. These policies are being implemented starting this year.

While there isn’t really any argument about a high school education being essential, is it really fair to force these dropouts back into the classroom? There are several reasons I can think of that a teenager might drop out. Some of those reasons are better than others. For instance, a student might want to forgo that senior year, get a GED, and go straight into college. On the flip side, it could be a student who is just absolutely miserable in the class room. Their grades are low, they continually struggle over and over again, and getting a GED is an escape.

I could come up with only a couple more reasons as to why a teen would drop out of high school, but the reasons behind dropping out aren’t really the point. The question is about whether these students should be forced back into the classroom and denied the help they might need outside of high school. Is this fair to the students who want to stay in high school, but could have potentially disrupting students reentering school?

I would quote tidbits from the article, but the information is so spread out that I would have to quote the whole thing. I’m just curious if anyone else might have some problems with laws like these and the possible implications.


On a side note, this is also affecting students who are home schooled. I can quote this part:

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said in February that the state was going to start tracking high school students who withdraw to attend home school to make sure they aren't just dropping out.
As of May 18, the number of students who withdrew from public schools to be home-schooled in 2014-15 was 5,129, said Nancy Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the state education department.

So this also means an increase in oversight of families who are legitimately home schooling their children.
At any rate, I’ll conclude with the posting of the link to the article.

Kentucky school districts are tracking down teen dropouts to tell them they must return to school

Interesting.

I don't believe that anyone should be forced to finish school. However, I do believe in consequences further up the road for those who donvt. Consequences like lower pay in competitive markets, being disqualified from competition, and being disqualified fir certain types of assistance.

That being said, many people who don't finish school go on to do quote well. It's all about knowing yourself and your passions.

a reply to: EternalSolace

It's not the state's place to force teens into classrooms that don't want to be there. They are only doing this for money and all it does is waters down and deteriorates the classrooms for the students that want to be there.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

True that.

The school system is too focused on creating worker drones. Many really truly bright kids get bored, or sick and tired of the authoritarian crap. Of course, others just take it in stride and focus on learning and getting the hell out. I have one of each type. Both brilliant. One did extraordinarily well through self-discipline and determination. The other decided "This sucks" in middle school and refused to participate, even when present.

a reply to: OrphanApology

I don't quite believe it's about the money. If the statistics in the article are accurate, it's less than 2.5% of students that drop out. That's not even a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the student population in the state. I'm leaning more along the lines of control over our lives. Also, the targeting of home schooling families is something that isn't sitting right with me.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

That's exactly how I feel about it. It stunts truly bright students. School systems do want drones. Come in, sit down, shut up, and learn what we tell you to learn. The school system isn't a "one size fits all" system and we are not all alike. I don't like how these students that drop out, or want to drop out, are being denied access to adult education facilities.

a reply to: EternalSolace

No, it's not just a "drop in the bucket".

School districts get around 8-20k per student per year depending on the district. However, if poorer districts have more students then it is likely that the state would be forced to reckon with those low paid districts and increase funding at some point. Since most dropouts come from poor areas, I am going to go with this being a money scheme.

originally posted by: ~Lucidity
Interesting.

I don't believe that anyone should be forced to finish school. However, I do believe in consequences further up the road for those who donvt. Consequences like lower pay in competitive markets, being disqualified from competition, and being disqualified fir certain types of assistance.

That being said, many people who don't finish school go on to do quote well. It's all about knowing yourself and your passions.

Well said. Don't think forcing people into school helps them or the other students. We do know if you don't even have basic high school level skills there could be consequences. If you choose this route you will be on your own and limit assistance you can receive.

a reply to: OrphanApology

I can see where it could be about money if this were localized to poor districts who might lose more students than a rich district. Or even a low count district compared with a high count district. So I see your point and it might possibly be about money. That theory could stretch over to the home schooling taking away funding from the school districts as well.

You changed my mind. Good call.

a reply to: EternalSolace

Its all about the money; the school districts receive monies on a per capita basis and that includes federal funds. Every kid is a dollar sign.

For that reason, I'd strongly suspect the day is rapidly approaching when they'll outlaw home schooling. That will mean only those wealthy enough to afford private schools will be able to have their kids in "fact" and "reason" based education systems. The rest will be forced through the government propaganda/rote memory education based schools that are part of the schools-to-prison pipeline system.

originally posted by: Reallyfolks

originally posted by: ~Lucidity

Interesting.



I don't believe that anyone should be forced to finish school. However, I do believe in consequences further up the road for those who donvt. Consequences like lower pay in competitive markets, being disqualified from competition, and being disqualified fir certain types of assistance.



That being said, many people who don't finish school go on to do quote well. It's all about knowing yourself and your passions.

Well said. Don't think forcing people into school helps them or the other students. We do know if you don't even have basic high school level skills there could be consequences. If you choose this route you will be on your own and limit assistance you can receive.

Some people who fail to complete their education may find spelling difficult.

(click the link.)

originally posted by: itwasastory

originally posted by: Reallyfolks

originally posted by: ~Lucidity

Interesting.



I don't believe that anyone should be forced to finish school. However, I do believe in consequences further up the road for those who donvt. Consequences like lower pay in competitive markets, being disqualified from competition, and being disqualified fir certain types of assistance.



That being said, many people who don't finish school go on to do quote well. It's all about knowing yourself and your passions.

Well said. Don't think forcing people into school helps them or the other students. We do know if you don't even have basic high school level skills there could be consequences. If you choose this route you will be on your own and limit assistance you can receive.

Some people who fail to complete their education may find spelling difficult.

(click the link.)

I find spelling difficult on a rapid post to a forum. Spelling is the least of the issues

originally posted by: Reallyfolks

originally posted by: itwasastory

originally posted by: Reallyfolks

originally posted by: ~Lucidity

Interesting.



I don't believe that anyone should be forced to finish school. However, I do believe in consequences further up the road for those who donvt. Consequences like lower pay in competitive markets, being disqualified from competition, and being disqualified fir certain types of assistance.



That being said, many people who don't finish school go on to do quote well. It's all about knowing yourself and your passions.

Well said. Don't think forcing people into school helps them or the other students. We do know if you don't even have basic high school level skills there could be consequences. If you choose this route you will be on your own and limit assistance you can receive.

Some people who fail to complete their education may find spelling difficult.

(click the link.)

I find spelling difficult on a rapid post to a forum. Spelling is the least of the issues

Oh. Maybe you should take your time.

a reply to: itwasastory

Some people who fail to complete their education may find spelling difficult.

there's a name for people that make these kind of comments, spellin Nazi.
funny you knew the word that was misspelled. there's a thread on here somewhere about how the brain recognizes the word that is misspelled so long as the first and last letter are correct. plus there are examples of people that hold many degrees that can't spell for sh@@, if it wasn't for spell checkers you would see misspellings all the time.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

After eight posts, the thread devolves into another pissing contest over nothing... Devolved by someone who has three posts total and their first one was the post that started it all.

Pathetic.

a reply to: EternalSolace

yea i saw that they only had three posts, two of which are on this thread, they joined today, and the first post they made was on this thread.

makes you wonder if they joined just to post about spellin, or if it's a sock puppet account.

not to further devolve this thread, just a interesting note on the comment i made about people with degrees.
did you know that the guy that created scrabble couldn't spell.

here is a list with some that might surprise most.
15 Famous Thinkers Who Couldn’t Spell

a reply to: Reallyfolks

Thanks, Sorry about all the typos...embarrassing, but it was dark and I was on the phone, which we all know I cannot type on.

The thing is, some people just aren't built for school and learn better other ways...or what to learn the things they don't teach in school that are equally vital to a society. And then others are just plain lazy or have other issues they are struggling to overcome.

a reply to: EternalSolace

its a point of pride to say you got your ged at 16, it shows people the school system was to slow for you, that you were able to pass it quicker then they would hold you to if youd stayed in school, you were saving yourself time,

but getting it at 18 just looks like your the average ignoramus, they have removed that option from those people whom the school system does not work for them.


i couldnt do school, it was torture, the teachers were all so rude, biased, prejudiced, ignorant, i could go on. their methods were like pulling hair out, i just couldnt stand it,

my own methods worked great for me though, and i got tired of all the teachers trying to manage how I want to study, i have to go along with the class theyd say. i cant just do it my own way theyd say. the restrictions they placed on my study methods had me failing, had me sure to fail high school.

so well i said # em and i got my ged at 16 and said # that school. i had a job a car and a diploma by the end of that year with no help from anyone. before any of my peers. my friends would continue to joke about what happened at lunch break while i'd joke about what happened at work,

theyd talk about taking their allowance to the mall while i was driving them there with my hard earned vehicle with a tank full of gas i worked to pay for.

i had gone from the high school flunky to the prodigy child in the eyes of my peers and employers.

2 years later i found a program at my local community college that would give me an official high school diploma if i could pass some tests, just so no one could say i couldnt do it i now have both diplomas.

this turn of fate i took into my own hands at 16 would not be an option now if i lived in kentucky, for shame. they truly have no idea the lives they wreck by meddling in with new restrictions like that.

I have many friends that dropped out early and screwed around for a few years. Most ended up getting their GED and went to college like everyone else. They did great in school because they got all the partying out of their systems. High school can be rewarding to some people and a waste of time to others.