Over 100 educators from St. Louis gathered for a teacher town hall to discuss the dropout epidemic and the challenges they face in the classroom.
This town hall, and 11 others across the nation, are part of the larger American Graduate Project initiative, which focuses on the high school dropout crisis in the United States.
Panelists for the St. Louis event included Dr. Celeste Adams of Riverview Garden High School, Stephanie Krauss of Shearwater High School and Barrett Taylor of St. Louis Public Schools. Senior correspondent Gwen Ifill of the NewsHour acted as moderator.
Teachers in the audience were encouraged to participate by asking questions and by responding to live text polling questions.
One such question was, "In your own experience as a teacher, would you say that the level of community support and involvement in your school is high, medium or low?"
Twenty-one percent of the audience said high; 24 percent said medium and 55 percent said low.
Quotes
"We have to look at our students differently now. Classical or traditional education is dead. It's failing our students." - Dr. Celeste Adams, Riverview Garden High School.
"But the problem is, they don't drop out in high school. They drop out in second grade, and they hang around for eight years." -Audience member.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is a drop out?
2. What is the dropout rate in your school?
3. What is a town hall?
Discussion Questions
1. Why do students typically drop out of school?
2. What is your school doing to keep students engaged in school?
3. Do you feel like it's important for people to attend and participate in town hall events? Why or why not?
Additional Resources
Denzel Washington on Dropouts: 'Most Dangerous Time' for Kids Right After School
NYC Schools Labeled as Dropout Factories Fight to Raise Graduation Rates
