Macon County Shared Vision

Many work hard for dropout rate success

When Superintendant Davis came to Decatur she spoke about how hard it is to teach kids that aren't even in school. She and others have invested substantial energy in addressing a high drop-out rate. Superintendent Davis and many others deserve everyone's applause for the their efforts and results. No one is about to rest on their haunches, but, it is important to take note of achievements when they come. Here is a portion of the editorial from the Herald & Review.

---------------------------------------------------------

By the H&R Editorial Staff; July 6, 2008

The turnaround in the dropout rate in the Decatur School District is heartening. While there is no doubt the numbers need to improve even more, the progress made since 2002 is obvious.

But the numbers truly tell the story.

In 2007, MacArthur High School had 140 dropouts. In 2008, that number had fallen to 35. Graduation rates rose from 76.6 percent in 2007 to 92.3 percent in 2008.

The results at Eisenhower High School are equally encouraging. The graduation rate rose from 70.7 percent in 2007 to 83.5 percent in 2008. The dropout rate in the same period fell from 8.1 percent to 5.9 percent.........

.............Superintendent Gloria Davis has been tireless in talking to the freshman classes at each high school about the importance of staying in school and having them sign a graduation pledge. The schools under Davis have raised expectations, ordered up more rigorous classes and offered more help.

Update on Kalamazoo Promise

A recent article in USA Today updated the status of the Kalamazoo(MI) Promise. Click on this link to go to the article. Wealthy anonymous benefactors in Kalamazoo provided the funding to send every graduate of the Kalamazoo Public Schools to College at State schools in Michigan. Quoting from the article:

"People cheered, hugged and wept at the November 2005 school board meeting when the superintendent announced a group of anonymous donors — hoping to energize an economically depressed city — had promised free college tuition to students who graduate from the local school district. ………

The excitement hasn't let up in this city, which had been reeling from a declining population as major employers like General Motors and the Upjohn Company, once a pharmaceutical giant, closed or moved out of town. ……… Within months of the Promise announcement, the community saw signs of a resurgence. It passed an $85 million bond issue to construct two schools, the first in decades. Over the next year, volunteering for schools shot up 134%, according to Kalamazoo Communities in Schools, a non-profit that coordinates such services. Mentors for Big Brothers Big Sisters nearly doubled.

Decatur and Kalamazoo are very similar in terms of size and economic trends. MCSV has always advocated a development of a "promise" for Decatur. Several other cities currently have similarly inspired programs including Peoria. Is it time for Decatur too? We know that Superintendent Davis is excited about the potential as are other leaders in Decatur. At one point, Publisher Todd Nelson suggested as a starting point that Decatur start an "everyone to college" office that would help students and parents understand the substantial grants and loans available for kids going to college. A large percentage of kids in Decatur Public Schools would qualify for a number of programs to help them today with college costs.

Tell us what you think.