You can force a kid into school but you can't make them think

Forums: Education, Compulsory Education, Truancy
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My newspaper continues to beat the education horse this week in their report about the get tough judges in truancy court.

You can read the full article here: http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/06/when_oregon_kids_miss_too_much.html

One kid's story is spread throughout the article -- I thought it was interesting:

Quote:

Six weeks shy of graduation, an 18-year-old would-be Marine sits before Oregon City Municipal Court Judge Laraine McNiece explaining why he skips classes.

Some subjects don't interest me, Dalten Bradford tells her. "I've never enjoyed the culture of high school."

Do you think Marines get to decide which orders they follow, McNiece asks. "You can't count on Mommy to take care of you (in the military)," she says. "What's going on? You're so close."

It is April 19, the first session of Oregon City's truancy court. If Bradford graduates, he will be whisked to boot camp and a fresh start. If he fails, his mother could be fined up to $500.

.......

When Dalten Bradford returns to the Oregon City court in late May, his grades are in the tank -- an F in art, Ds in English and PE -- and his attendance is worse.

......

When it mattered most, Dalten Bradford rallied. With graduation imminent, his attendance and schoolwork improved. He graduated on June 10.

This kid was 6 weeks shy of graduation when he was ordered back to school. Four weeks after that his grades and attendance had tanked. Somehow, in the remaining 2 weeks he was able to bring his grades up enough to graduate.

That seems kind of crazy to me.

How important is just showing up?

Should it be enough to graduate?

What do you think of the get tough laws on truancy?

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Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 1,471 • Replies: 8

@boomerang,

I think these are some of those "soft skills" that we were discussing in the other thread.

1 Reply

@DrewDad,

Would that be the soft skill of "numb yourself and endure"?

2 Replies

@boomerang,

There are certainly enough things in life that have to be endured.

But I was more thinking of "commit yourself to a goal and see it through even when you encounter parts that you don't like" or "get through short-term hardships in order to achieve long-term success."

2 Replies

@DrewDad,

If he can't get through six weeks of High School, how is he going to get through Basic Training?

Gut it out, get through it, move on to your next step in life.

0 Replies

@DrewDad,

I agree.

On the other thread it was mentioned that the GED was created to help veterans finish high school after returning from service. They seemed to have been able to survive the military without the benefit of a diploma.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

Quote:

Would that be the soft skill of "numb yourself and endure"?

Congratulations, you've at least figured out how it was 50 years ago, and they say it's worse than that now.

George Washington was out earning the equivalent of 100K/yr at age 15 or 16 as a surveyor. He'd be in prison for that now along with his parents.

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@boomerang,

Doesn't the military require a GED or High School diploma in order to enlist, now?

Not a requirement, I see, but it's definitely preferred.

Quote:

For enlistment purposes, the military breaks education into three overall categories: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. The vast majority (over 90 percent) of all enlistments are from the Tier 1 category.

Tier I

Applicants in Tier I have a high school diploma, or at least 15 college credits. This means a high school diploma, not a GED. Depending on state law, completion of high school by home study may or may not be considered equivelant to a high school diploma.

Tier II

Tier II includes GEDs, home study (in some states), Certificate of Attendance, Alternative/Continuation High School, Correspondence School Diplomas, and Occupational Program Certificate (Vo/Tech). The services limit the number of Tier II candidates it will allow to enlist each year.

In the Air Force, the limit is less than one percent each year. In such cases, the applicant must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT to qualify (Note: The "AFQT" is the overall ASVAB score).

The Army will allow up to 10 percent each year to be Tier II candidates, but they must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT.

The Marines will only allow about 5 percent each year to be Tier II, and the Navy about 10 percent. Like the Army and Air Force, Tier II recruits must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT to qualify.

The Coast Guard only accepts Tier 2 candidates if they have prior military service, and even then requires them to score higher on the AFQT (50 for prior Coast Guard Service, 65 for prior service in other branches).

Tier III

Individuals who are not attending high school and are neither high school graduates nor alternative credential holders. The services almost never accept a Tier 3 candidate for enlistment. If you fall into this category, your best bet is to get at least 15 college credits, so that you will be qualified as Tier I.

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@DrewDad,

Don't they change up their requirements based on their need for soldiers?

I just don't see how this kid managed to turn it around it 2 weeks. It sounds like they handed him his diploma and pushed him out the door.

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You can force a kid into school but you can't make them think

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