Tackling school drop-out rates

ENGLISH

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa Public Schools has released it´s latest campaign to tackle school drop-out rates. “Let´s keep our kids at school” is an initiative designed to support students and guarantee their success while improving the Tulsa graduation rates beginning with classes 2017 up to 2020. From December 12 to 16, teachers, authorities and administrative personal will go out to the streets and ring the doorbells of the houses of the students who haven’t still showed up to class.

“During the past few weeks the principals of our schools have tried hard to reach those students that were enrolled in this new academic year but that have failed to come to school,” said Stacey Vinson, leadership teacher. “They have made important calls, have checked social media and even talked to other students trying to locate the missing students. Some of them have moved away, but it is those who still live in Tulsa that need to be checked because we need to know why they are not coming to school and what we can do to bring them back.”

“Keeping our kids at school” will focus on the kids entering grades 9 to 12.

“We know that long term success starts with an excellent education from kindergarten up to 12th grade,” explained Superintendent Deborah A. Gist. “We are committed to ensuring a place in school for the students of the 2017 graduation year that want to come back to school and graduate at the same time of their friends. We are also focusing on the 2020 class so that they start high school on the right foot, and get ready for college.”

In order to locate the drop-out students, task teams have been assigned at each school to establish strategies to find out what is best for each special case.

“We want to meet with our students where they are and where they feel they can learn,” said Vinson. “For example if there is a student that has a solid relationship with his math teacher, the teacher needs to come with the rest of the team to the student´s house. Every day our teachers and school personnel create important bonds with the kids, relationships that can change lives and bring back to school those kids who are in trouble.”

From September the 12th to September the 16th a group of teachers, authorities and school staff will pay a visit to all those kids that have failed to start the new 2016-2017 academic year. For more information contact Stacey Vinson, vinsost@tulsaschools.org. (La Semana)