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CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DROPOUT STUDENTS DISCUSSED AT SUMMIT

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, July 30, 2009 11:21 PM CDT

Dropping out of school is a serious setback and not just for the student involved, said community leaders Thursday.

About 100 educators, parents, students and residents attended the day-long Dropout Prevention Summit sponsored by the Pine Bluff School District and held at Pine Bluff High School’s Little Theater.

Nearly 70 percent of students complete high school — for minorities the national average lowers to 50 percent — according to statistics from America’s Promise Alliance.

Carl Boyd, an educator and lecturer from Arizona, spoke in the morning about the differences between the media’s messages and parents’ messages to youth.

“We have to realize the impact of mass media,” Boyd said.

Boyd also entertained. He sang the first verse of “Word Up,” — which garnered plenty of audience participation — and referred to musicians and music known to different generations to underscore his points.

Boyd provided a list of some lessons for what he deemed “pre-habilitation.”

“Prevent the need for rehabilitation,” he said. “Keep it from happening in the first place.”

He quoted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and outlined how a community could rally around at-risk students, elevating expectations and opportunities for success.

After Boyd’s presentation, the audience watched a video on the state’s dropout statistics and then listened to a panel discussion on the causes and effects of students leaving high school.

Don Bebee, a project specialist at the University of Arkansas System’s Criminal Justice Institute, moderated and asked six panel members five questions each.

Panelists brought their personal stories to the table to discuss how leaving high school effects the student, family and community.

“I think that even those who have dropped out can be re-engineered or re-tooled to become productive in society,” said Pine Bluff Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. “It helps you have a reproductive work force and have potential employees for potential employers.”

Pine Bluff Police officer Robert Treadwell said a high dropout rate increases the amount of crime.

“Whenever we’ve got a high number of kids on the streets ... our crime is driven up,” he said.

There also was agreement among panelists that community members needed to see the positive in Pine Bluff and its children.

The Rev. David Morgan with Healing Place Ministries said students who drop out might not go back to acquire skills such as reading because of their fear.

“At that point, I think the dropouts are paralyzed by fear,” he said. “I think we become trapped by our own poor choices.”

Treadwell said one dropout in the family can lead to others.

“It starts to create a domino effect,” he said. “It’s difficult trying to interview a person who can’t understand their basic rights.”

Ann Williams, the executive director of Leadership Pine Bluff with the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County, said industry leaders do not always see Pine Bluff as a well-educated community.

“One of the first things that they say is: You don’t have the work force,” she said.

She advocated parents and others showing children what was offered in Pine Bluff, such as the Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center and the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas.

“If we can get kids at an early age excited about our community, maybe they’ll stay in school.”

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