Our Most Precious Resource is Wasting Away
Although many in Texas would argue that our most precious resource is petroleum which has meant so much to our state’s economy. That answer is wrong. Our conservation of this resource has not changed in the last 20 years, loses continue to drip away at one unit every 4 minutes and will reach a level of potential tax loses in state income of $20 billion dollars soon. Our state leaders have become so used to this loss that many accuse them of now planning for it in their yearly budgets. Inaction on our part, will eventually directly affect more than 2 million Texans economic success as well as have effects on the whole of society. No, it is not water or clean air.
Our most precious resource is the education of our youth. The Intercultural Development Research Association reports that the level of attrition in Texas high schools has not significantly changed since 1986. About 1/3 of all high school students never graduate. Among Hispanics the level is much higher at 44%. In our Rio Grande Valley which averages a population that is 89% Hispanic, several counties had the highest dropout rates in the state including Cameron 47%, Hidalgo 45%, and Starr 41%. The gap between Hispanic students and white students is actually increasing.
Many are complaining that we have become too complacent about this problem. The President of the IRDA , Maria Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., tells of a freshman English teacher in a large inner-city high school preparing her curriculum when her principal sent her a list of 38 students assigned in one class. She marched to his office and told him that she could not do a good job with 38 students in one class. He told her: “Not to worry. In six weeks, your class will have 24 students.” The other 14, he assured her, will have dropped out by then.
Dr. Montecel was asked to testify before Congress where she provided an action plan. Her research has indicated that drop out rates can be reduced by
- Valuing all students equally. Not writing off difficult students or challenging students
- There must be at least one educator in a student’s life who is totally committed to the success of that student.
- Families must be valued as partners with the school, all committed to ensuring that equity and excellence is present in a student’s life.
- Schools must change and innovate to match the characteristics of their students and embrace the strengths and contributions that students and their families bring.
- School staff, especially teachers, must be equipped with the tools needed to ensure their students’ success, including the use of technology, different learning styles and mentoring programs. Effective professional development can help provide these tools.
There are critics who say that there is a major difference in what is an ideal situation and what can really be achieved. Early this year in the Rio Grande Valley a conference, the 3rd Annual College Readiness Summit, was held to discuss the drop out problem and the main topic of discussion reported in the press was that too many poor Hispanics had the “pobrecito” syndrome, that is that they fell sorry for themselves.
What is the attitude of Hispanics toward education? The highly respected non-partisan Pew Center reported in 2008 that a survey of Hispanics showed that 94% rated education as an important issue. Can a program work to improve Hispanic drop out rates?
Dr. Rogelio Lopez del Bosque was a high school principal in Houston at a Title 1 school that was 85% Hispanic and overwhelmingly consistented of poor students. Over a five year period his school went from a high drop out rate to a majority of graduating seniors now attending college.
How did he achieve success?
- His success began with engaging the parents into the school. Communication between teachers and parents is important. He found that parents regardless of their level of education wanted information about the school. This interaction must be more than talk, the school must be transformed into a “parent friendly” environment and encourage parent participation.
- Teachers must be able to do more than teach. They must show an ability to value students and also be adept at communicating with parents at their level. If there are language barriers to communication and the teacher is not bilingual than the school needs to have a plan for someone to translate. The conversation between teachers and parents should focus on positive points but that does not mean difficult issues cannot be addressed.
- For problem students a definitive intervention process needs to be made. This process should create for the student a sense of responsibility in dealing the issue.
- By teachers and school officials becoming good listeners and engaging the parents he was able to break the cycle of negative expectations. Parents welcomed the concepts of discipline and rigor in the classroom as well developed higher expectations for graduation or even attending college. Engaging the community also got them interested in pursuing adult education of the parents as well.
For those of us lucky enough to have sent our children to private school all these ideas are striking familiar to what we have experienced. The ideas put forth by these talented educators are valid and should be instituted. Teachers and schools need to be given the time and resources to reach out to their communities. We have done a great job at creating programs for the few that are gifted but there is a tremendous untapped wealth of talent that could boost our nation in those that currently are failing and dropping out. Our first priority must be to improve our educational infrastructure to protect and develop our most precious resource. Drs. Del Bosque and Montecel have taught us how to succeed. Now lets see if we as a society are good students who will apply what we have learned.
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