"The problem is a cycle of poverty, a cycle of absentee parents or other caregivers, of drugs, gangs and sex..."

The Superintendent, School Board and Union President have no control over this. Now, do I like the job that they're doing? No. But they have no control over this. You should be focusing your anger on the Mayor and City Council. State and Federal level politicians could get a little blame here as well.

Oh yes, people HAD to pass four Regents exams to graduate. Sounds so difficult. Heaven help the district implement high standards. If minorities are truly equally intelligent to Caucasians (they are as far as I know), then they can and should be held to the same intellectual standards. It is only fair. The problem is a cycle of poverty, a cycle of absentee parents or other caregivers, of drugs, gangs and sex and a racially ridiculous idea that if you are African American and speak proper English, or read books, or attend high school regularly, that you are "acting White." Oh yes, because dropping out in the ninth grade and committing crime (as is far more likely for a person of ANY race who is not a H.S. graduate) is SO much more "cool". I'm sure there will be a bunch of excuses given by the Superintendent, the School Board, Adam Urbanski, etc. They should all be fired and probably criminally charged for tolerating this inexcusable situation year after year. Not that that will happen.

Parents have to be held accountable, and tax payers have rights too. We have been helping poverty for decades. I like helping, and believe in socialistic programs. However, I want some bang for my tax paying buck. I want families with children that receive help be required to attend school at least 90%. And welfare needs to become workfare. Who said it had to be free? Time for a change. We are enabling poor, lazy, behavior. Why aren't they required to help volunteer at their childrens school? It's in the paper. The schools want volunteers. What couldn't be more perfect than to have parents receiving funding from social programs perform volunteer work at their chidlrens' school? And those that put up roadblocks are lazy.

A major factor in the low graduation rate that begins within the city schools is the social promotions and the lack of rigor in the years leading up to high school. Students can't pass high school classes if they are incapable of doing high school level work. Students who enter high school without any idea that doing homework is mandatory for passing are already at a disadvantage. Students who can't do basic math, write a coherent paragraph, read for comprehension or follow a set of lab instructions properly are not going to be able to get past 9th grade with any kind of real success. The 9th grade teachers can try, they can "scaffold," they can offer as much help as they are able (and believe me, most already do) but students who refuse to come for the help, put forth the effort, or even recognize that they have a problem cannot and will not be successful.
There's a reason students have a low graduation rate, and it's because they come to 9th grade completely unprepared for the experience. Getting to 10th grade is a fantasy for far too many of our students.

None of the above is to deny the significant (and definitely more important) factors in the communities and homes that limit students' ability to be successful. The poverty, the poor parenting skills, the crime and the allure of the streets (not to mention the distractions of cell phones, video games and other electronic ephemera) all contribute to a high failure rate.

My opening salvo was an attempt to address those things the district can (and should) do. The district should absolutely refuse to let kids out of any grade until they are academically and emotionally ready. This would require immediate and expensive intervention and help at the elementary level, but the results would be so worth it.

The biggest fact conspicuously missing from this article and discussions: It was just a mere four years ago that our savior, Jean-Claude Brizard, promised a graduation rate of 75%, in three years. You all remember that, right? How's that workin' out for us?

Instead of talking about how to keep kids in school tonight, the school board is talking about how to keep condoms out of school.

How about data to show how many dropped out because of teen pregnancy. Is the graduation rate lower because of teen pregnancy or is it that kids just can't pass? or both?

The teachers can only do so much in 6 hours. The PARENTS have the kids the other 18 hours.

Teen pregnancy is for all intents and purposes inconsequential in the drop-out data (consequential in other areas, to be sure, but not in dropping out). Mostly the students who drop out are doing so because they can't do the work, and are endlessly repeating grades before dropping out.

I wonder if the district, or maybe the county's department of health, would have the data on how many teen pregnancies contribute to the dropout rate - in the city as well as in the suburbs. Suburban teens are having sex too, but city teens are vilified for it.

I also wonder, if the teen pregnancy rate is so high, is the adoption option being offered to these young people?

There are many of us here in Monroe County would are trying to grow our families, and would welcome those little babies into our homes and our hearts. This seems to be a win-win-win for the young parents, the family wanting to adopt, and - most importantly - the new baby.

I also agree that more funding needs to immediately be put into the elementary school programs, as those are the foundations upon which the students build their educational careers. I would spend more on smaller class sizes, more teachers, and more special help for students who are struggling to keep up.

I would also choose to spend funds on special programs for the students who are advanced, and bored in class, as my daughter is, waiting for others to catch up. (I informally homeschool her, as most all parents do, by using workbooks, websites, and by attending the plethora of cutural outlets available in our great city... many offer discounts, or are free - like library and bookstore storytimes!)

Coolgirl, the number of births to teenage moms in the city of Rochester is approximately 116. That's not a big number. Many of those girls do in fact go on to graduate. In Rochester boys drop out at a significantly higher rate than girls. So while teen pregnancy cannot be completely ruled as a factor in drop-outs it is relatively small compared to the overall dropout population. So let it not distract us from the real underlying causes.

Thank you for your comments on allocating more resources at the foundation level, and noting that high achievers are not being challenged. For what it's worth, the interim Superintendent has shown his definite awareness of these issues. Of course, NCLB and the State accountability system do absolutely nothing for high-end students.