Brandon unveils Richmond schools plan targeting dropouts
A day after Richmond Public Schools saw a nearly 3 percent decrease in its dropout rate, Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon unveiled a plan designed to further decrease the system's dropout rate.
Despite the dropout rate being lowered from 16.2 percent to 14.8 percent, Brandon described dropping out of high school a national crisis, not just a problem in Richmond.
"The dropout rate concerns me and all members of the Richmond Public Schools family," she said.
She released the school system's Dropout Prevention Initiative this afternoon at City Hall. The program aims to get those students who drop out back into the classroom.
"We are looking at why students are dropping out and developing ways to re-engage those students who have become disengaged," she said. "The plan is not just about getting them in, but getting them to become motivated to stay in."
When the school year began Sept. 8, Brandon said Richmond schools had 2,700 students that did not come back to school; since then, that number has decreased to 400.
Here are some aspects of the initiative:
- Dropout Prevention Initiative Recovery Specialists responsible for getting students to return to the district.
- Individual learning plan, an online educational plan for students that helps pair students' career plans with academic and career and technical courses needed to accomplish their future interests.
- Extensive, mandatory professional development for staff to learn how to proactively assist at-risk students.
- Door-to-door visits to recover dropouts, organized in collaboration with community-based organizations, elected officials, colleges and universities.
- District-wide mentoring program that encourages school system employees, as well as high school seniors, to serve as mentors to recovered students.
-- Jeremy Slayton
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Reader Reactions
I agree with ‘dc’ regarding Ms. Brandon. The leadership of the schools blames everything under the sun except themselves for lousy student performance. For this reason I knew the moment Ms. Brandon was selected that we could naturally expect 3-5 more years of the inferior status quo for our Richmond schools. She is not a change agent, she is the opposite.
One more thing, let me get this straight, Ms. Brandon is going to go door-to-door to find the dropouts. I have a better idea - why not just go the the house where school records show the dropout lives? Would not that be lots more efficient Ms. Brandon, if that word is permitted in the same paragraph with Richmond schools?
The thought that hard working city taxpayers have to pay for that level of incompetence is upsetting, but not surprising.
“It is not the physical building that makes a difference, but what is coming in that building..“
I totally disagree. Ever try to mentor kids who can’t use the restroom because the plumbing is broken? The state of Richmond’s public school buildings is criminal.
dubiousthoughts - I completely agree that parents must be involved in their children’s education, however if the only way to do this is to make it a requirement, then the parents are worthless to begin with. I disagree with your view on the physical buildings, these outdated, asbestos filled fire traps that Richmond calls schools are disgraceful, no child can have pride in these slum holes. Richmond is a beautiful City and it’s children deserve the chance to be educated in state of the art buildings so that they can compete for careers with those children lucky enough to be educated in the Counties. Richmond teachers and administrators have their hands full trying to educate the children, they should not be expected to educate or police the children’s parents.
Richmond schools need to make it mandatory that parents participate in their childrens education. Private schools have been successful in this that they REQUIRE parents to be involved multiple times per year for PTA, events, or just meeting with the teachers. Childrens education starts in the home, and if they are prepared from the home, success in school follows. Admittedly, there are some weaker parents out there but getting involved in school via their children can help them become stronger parents and able to push their kids to a higher level at least with motivation if nothing else. It is not the physical building that makes a difference, but what is coming in that building..
- “The plan is not just about getting them in, but getting them to become motivated to stay in.“ - If you really want to motivate the kids to come in and stay in, start by placing them in a conducive learning environment. The ruins that Richmond calls schools are disgraceful, too many of these buildings are the same buildings the kid’s great grandparents went to school in. Give them a place of their own, buildings that at least come close to resembling something built in the 20th century. How must these kids feel knowing and seeing what their counterparts in Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover have? Most of the City’s schools should be converted into senior citizen centers and construction of ALL new schools should be priority number 1. Richmond City needs to stop trying to invest in it’s history with projects such as the Slave Trails, and begin investing in it’s future – the children!
First thing I notice is how Brandon shifts attention from Richmond’s dismal dropout rate and tries to say “it isn’t just a problem in Richmond”. True. But hey lady, you aren’t the superintendent of other localities. You are the superintendent of RICHMOND! One thing I have noticed in RPS, is there is absolutely NO ACCOUNTABILITY. As long as someone has another person to point the finger at, there will never be any accountability, and let me tell you, RPS employees do a fine job of pointing the finger.
I have an idea of how to decrease the dropout rate; If you don’t come to class, you must report for manual labor. This will train future workers to come to work on time, work hard and retain their low-paying jobs. Either come to school and learn or get your butt to work! Our society has become too weak, too soft, too ready to accomodate a manipulative dud.
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