Attending a forum on youth in Oakland at City Hall last night, I was pleasantly shocked to learn of the numerous programs offered to support our kids. Everything from Radical Roving Recreation Programs to gang prevention and intervention to school options for incarcerated or critically ill students. However, I was also disappointed to hear of the high non-graduating rate in town. OUSD estimates that of the students entering 9th grade in 2005, about 40% did not graduate in 2008. Now, where they went, no one knows for sure. Some just dropped off the radar; others transferred to charter schools; and others moved out of town, or out of state. So, tracking the start of that class of seniors in the fall of 2007, another 18% did not cross the high school stage in June this year. Clearly, the biggest problem OUSD and the town face with students is simply getting them to class and keeping them in school. Oakland probably has more violence, truancy and gang intervention programs than other U.S. towns our size. I'd love to see a comparison of similar towns. So, as I like to look for solutions...what do you think is the best thing we can do to keep kids in school, and off the streets?
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