"Speak Out" is an expression of opinion from the Editorial Board of WBTV, and is presented by General Manager, Nick Simonette.
As you watch students get their high school diplomas this month, I've got some numbers for you to think about:
19,000...
2,000…
and 2014.
Last year more than 19 thousand students in North Carolina gave up.
19 thousand dropped out of school.
For some perspective, 19 thousand is almost the student population at U-N-C-Charlotte.
Closer to home in C-M-S, nearly 2,000 students quit high school last year.
That's about the size of East Meck High.
How sad....
Something has to be done.
And we don't think this is the sole responsibility of parents.
Don't get us wrong --
We agree parents play a huge role.
But these numbers are so scary, we can't wait until parents get it together.
We think the community has to help rescue our future.
YOU can volunteer in your neighborhood school.
Help tutor.
Look into what students in your community need to complete their high school education.
Superintendent Peter Gorman says by the year 2014 - he wants to reduce the drop-out rate.
His plan is for principals to closely monitor students on the verge of slipping away.
That sounds good, but shouldn't that have been done already?
Guess that's another editorial.
For now, we'll just say we understand there is no quick fix to this epidemic, but we do believe all of us are part of the solution.
Tell us what YOU think. SpeakOut@wbtv.com.
