The North Coast times-eagle., September 10, 1982, Page 10, Image 10

T H E N O R T H C O A S T T IM E S E A G L E , F R ID A Y , 10 S E P T E M B E R 1982
S tu d e n ts w e r e in v o lv e d a n d m o tiv a te d b e c a u s e
w e k n e w t h e i r s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s , a s d id
t h e y . We i d e n t i f i e d c a u s e s f o r t h e i r b e h a v i o r
an d th e ir a c a d e m ic s k ill le v e ls . T h a t w as
o n l y p o s s i b l e b e c a u s e th e s c h o o l w a s s m a l l
e n o u g h f o r u s to g e t to k n o w t h e m .
W e s a y e d u c a t i o n a s t e a c h i n g th e y o u n g to
n e g o tia te t h e ir e n v iro n m e n t an d a s d e m y s tif y ­
in g t h e i r c u l t u r e s o t h e y c o u ld o p t i m i s t i c a l l y
a n tic ip a te b e c o m in g p a r t i c i p a n t s . B e c a u s e we
w e r e c o m m i t t e d to t h a t , a n d d e m o n s t r a t e d i t ,
w e q u i c k l y g a i n e d c r e d i b i l i t y w ith s t u d e n t s a n d
p a r e n t s . W e h a d e n o u g h h o l d in g p o w e r to g e t
d o w n to t h e s w e a t y t a s k s o f d a i l y s k i l l d e v e l ­
o p m e n t.
T h e s e s c h o o l s h a v e p o s i t i v e l y t o u c h e d th e
liv e s and s e lf-c o n fid e n c e o f m a n y young p e o p le .
In m a n y l e a r n e r s , v i c t o r y i s b e in g s n a t c h e d
f r o m th e j a w s o f d e f e a t .
Defeated
Learners
F R O M
P A G E
F IV E
n e e d s — w a s , h o w e v e r , a o n e - t i m e o n ly r e q u i r e ­
m e n t, a n d w a s n o t m a n d a te d to b e d o n e on a
y e a r l y b a s i s . B u t t h e la w i s t h e r e , a n d s c h o o l s
a r e f r e e to m a k e th e s e r e p o r t s to t h e i r ow n
sc h o o l b o a rd s and p a re n ts .
A c c o r d i n g to o n e w r i t e r , a " t y p i c a l r e s p o n s e "
f r o m tw e n ty - th r e e of fifty s ta t e s w h e n a s k e d
fo r d ro p o u t in fo rm a tio n h a s b een : " . . . we r e ­
g r e t to in f o r m y o u th a t th e s ta t e d e p a r t m e n t o f
e d u c a tio n h a s v e ry little d a ta a b o u t c h ild r e n
o u t of s c h o o l. . . e s p e c ia lly w ho, w h a t c a ta g o r ie s
th e y r e p r e s e n t , w h e r e th e y a r e , o r w h y th e y a r e
n o t in s c h o o l . "
We c a n g e t b e t t e r ? S u r e w e c a n . We c a n :
— G e t o u t r a g e d . ( Q u in c y t e a c h e r s a l w a y s a t ­
t r i b u t e d p a r t o f o u r s u c c e s s to o u r f i n e l y d e v e l ­
o p e d s e n s e of o u tr a g e .)
— G e t s c h o o l s to r e p o r t o n th e " n e e d s " o f
c h ild r e n n o t a tte n d in g s c h o o l.
— G e t t h e s t a t e to a d o p t a n d i n s i s t t h a t " C h i l d ­
fin d " be a y e a r l y e v e n t.
— G e t y o u r l o c a l h ig h s c h o o l s to c l a r i f y t h e i r
e d u c a t i o n a l g o a l s — in l e a r n i n g o u t c o m e s , n o t
o r g a n iz a tio n a l n e e d s — a n d th e n ,
— I n s is t on d e c e n tr a liz a tio n a n d a lt e r n a t iv e s
s o t h a t t h e g o a l s a t l e a s t h a v e a c h a n c e to w o r k
fo r a ll s tu d e n ts .
I c o u l d h a v e l e a r n e d to h i t a c u r v e b a l l . M a y ­
b e t h e r e w e r e to o m a n y p l a y e r s a n d to o few
co a ch e s . P e rh a p s we n eed ed te a m s -w ith in -te a m s .
B u t I c o u ld h a v e b e e n ta u g h t, a n d m a y b e n o w I
w o u ld b e w r i t i n g h a p p i e r s t u f f , l i k e h o w to h i t
th e s l i d e r . I w a s n o t a n in c o m p e te n t l e a r n e r . N o
o n e i s . T h e r e a r e o n ly in c o m p e te n t p e r f o r m a n c e s .
F o c u s i s s t i l l w o r k i n g o n i t . Q u in c y i s g o n e
( a s i s A d a m s H ig h S c h o o l i t s e l f ) , th e r e s u l t o f th e
c l e a v e r in th e w r o n g h a n d s . ( A n o t h e r s c h o o l -
w i t h i n - a - s c h o o l , A d a m s E x t e n d e d D a y S c h o o l,
h a s b e e n t r a n s f e r r e d t o G r a n t H ig h S c h o o l .)
We c a n d o m o r e . W e h a v e t o c a r e a b o u t p e o ­
p le e x p e r i e n c i n g l e a r n i n g d e f e a t . In t h e m i d -
1 9 7 0 s o n ly s e v e n o f f i f t y s t a t e d e p a r t m e n t s of
e d u c a t i o n h a d d a t a o n y o u th o u t o f s c h o o l . O n ly
f if te e n h a d c o n d u c te d a n y s tu d ie s on c a u s e s of
s c h o o l d r o p o u t . T h i s l a c k o f d a t a on a s u b j e c t
t h a t i s n o t d i f f i c u l t to r e s e a r c h i s o u t r a g e o u s .
In s p i t e o f O r e g o n 's d r o p o u t r a t e , c l o s e to
t h e b o t to m in c o m p a r i s o n to th e o t h e r f o r t y -
n in e s t a t e s , w e do g a th e r in f o r m a tio n . We h a v e
a r e m a r k a b l e la w on t h e b o o k s t h a t p a s s e d th e
l e g i s l a t u r e a n d b e c a m e la w in O c t o b e r 1 9 7 3 .
It s p a w n e d " O r e g o n P r o j e c t C h i l d f i n d " , a n d I
d e a r l y w i s h e v e r y s t a t e w o u ld f o llo w th e l e a d .
T h i s la w r e q u i r e d t h a t " , . . s c h o o l d i s t r i c t s
a r e to r e p o r t on th e n u m b e r a n d n e e d s o f c h i l ­
d r e n w ho a r e n o t a tte n d in g s c h o o l. . . . " T he
n e e d s ! H e a r , h e a r ! I w is h w e e v e n w e r e g o o d a t
i d e n t i f y i n g t h e n e e d s o f c h i l d r e n w h o a r e in
s c h o o l.
T h e la w a l s o r e q u i r e s a r e p o r t on " a l l c h i l ­
d r e n n o t a t t e n d i n g s c h o o l . . . . t h i s i n c l u d e s th e
s o - c a l l e d 'd r o p o u t ' p u p i l . . . . "
" C h i l d f i n d " w ith t h a t l o v e l y d i r e c t i v e —
J e r r y C o n r a t h w a s o n e o f th e p r i n c i p l e m o v e r s
o f th e A d a m s H ig h S c h o o l e x p e r i m e n t in P o r t ­
l a n d . H e t a u g h t h ig h s c h o o l f o r s e v e n t e e n y e a r s
a n d b r i e f l y a t P o r t l a n d S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y . H e is
c u r r e n t l y te a c h in g u n d e r g r a d u a te a n d g r a d u a te
e d u c a tio n s tu d e n ts a t L e w is a n d C la r k C o lle g e .
" T h e D e f e a t e d L e a r n e r " w a s th e b a s i s o f a
s p e e c h he gav e la s t y e a r a t an A m e ric a n F e d ­
e r a t i o n o f T e a c h e r s c o n f e r e n c e in W a s h i n g t o n ,
D .C ., a n d w a s th e t i t l e o f a c o u r s e h e t a u g h t a t
L e w is a n d C la r k .
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CìmPORT AUTO CgnTER
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