Defining At Risk

One of the things that I'd like to do with this blog is to comment on various literature that is out there surrounding the concept of alternative schools. For reference, I linked an article called "Alternative Education for At Risk Youth: Issues, Best Practice, and Recommendations".

First, the term "at risk youth" has often been criticized as having a negative connotation. There may be some merit to this belief but essentially the term merely indicates that the student may slip through the traditional education system. Indeed, alternative schools were created to catch these students by offering a service that varies from the practices in traditional schools. These practices can be varied and disparate but they are all alternative.

This article begins with a fact that I have been stressing for the last few years; "although vocational training...may be in the best interest of students, schools tend to focus on the college preparatory track." Why is this I ask when according to the U.S. Census only 27% of the public has a bachelor's degree or higher. Yet, everyone is on the college track.

Schools need to get with it. Just as going green is one of the components of the major shift that Americans must adapt to in the new "flat earth" economy, schools must adapt to the new structure of the economy. Preparing everybody for college is a disservice to the 70 plus percent who have other plans. Moreover, college waste time when for the first two years you take the same classes that you took in high school. It is an inefficient system for the majority.

Ha! you thought alternative schools are for the small percentage of students who can't make it in the traditional school. I'm saying here that the majority don't fit in with the model of traditional school. Most of these students have just learned how to work through the system. Americans have built a system of education that allows us to reach the age of 22 and say I don't really know what I want to do. Adolescence has been gradually moving upward. What I mean is that kids tend to rely on their parents for a longer period of time.

Students should be made aware of what kinds of professions are available and subsequently design their knowledge base around these areas. High school should be a place where you start developing you profession or interest rather than preparing to be a good college student.

Well, I didn't get very far on the article but I guess I can examine this article over many posts. My aim above is not to say that schools have everything wrong, merely, that they need to update and become flexible. In essence we must stop recycling the 19th century delivery model. It is time to enter a brave new world.

What would a flexible and modern school look like?