Voice of the people: Schools value graduation rates over learning

Schools value graduation rates over learning

How much is a high school diploma worth? After looking online at some figures for local high schools, I can say not much.

At Kathleen, only 26% are math efficient and 36% are reading proficient. Lake Gibson's proficiency in both math and reading are hardly any better.

What is so striking is that Kathleen has an 80% graduation rate, while Lake Gibson graduates 92% of its seniors. This means that many kids are not learning what they need to learn, yet they are being allowed to graduate. That's because it's in the school's best financial interest to push these kids through to the next grade and out the door, so that fresh, new dollars can go into the school system.

Schools grow as a result, but many students are left academically adrift. When schools value graduation rates over learning, they do their students a real disservice. They sacrifice their students' interests for their own financial interests. Kathleen and Lake Gibson are judged to have value by their graduation rates, but if they were graded on what many of their kids didn't learn, they would receive an F, or at best an Incomplete. As a Kathleen alum, I am saddened.

Mark Dempsey, Lakeland

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This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Voice of the people: Schools value graduation rates over learning