Eight Forty-Eight - Students, Parents and Administrators Discuss Dropout Rate at Robeson High School

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Students, Parents and Administrators Discuss Dropout Rate at Robeson High School

Principal Gerald Morrow, Chicago Public School administrators Paige Ponder and Rodney Thomas (WBEZ/Andrew Gill)

We’re wrapping up the year-long series 50/50: The Odds of Graduating with a roundtable discussion from Robeson High School on Chicago's South Side.

Review the blog discussion with series reporters

Panelists:
Gerald Morrow: Principal of Robeson High School
Paige Ponder: Chicago Public School Administrator in charge of the pilot program to tackle the dropout problem at Robeson
Julia McEvoy: Reporter on the 50/50 series
Robeson High School Parents and Teachers

Links and Resources:
Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice
Chicago Urban League

Min. Mth. Katie Elliott, chicago , il // Friday, June 12, 2009 @ 10:43 PM

besides praying what else can i do?

Kristin Lems/*, Evanston // Saturday, June 13, 2009 @ 9:40 AM

I haven't heard this particular discussion but I have heard several of the other stories. What jumps out at me is that all of these kids, the ones who leave and the ones who stay, express positive feelings about the arts, and music in particular. Instead of marginalizing music in the curriculum, making it in afterschool event or elective, why can't music and the other arts be used as a key organizing principle in the curriculum? Studying and learning to make music is rigorous, exciting, engrossing, and hip at the same time. Evidence from all over the country reinforces that the arts save lives especially for at risk urban youth. I'd get the arts teachers, community artists, and arts-based not for profits into that school and have a powwow about revamping the curriculum to give generous amounts of arts education, especially to the freshmen.