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The graduation rate for the Los Angeles Unified School District has dropped to 44 percent meaning that more than half of the students in the LAUSD do not receive their high school diplomas.
This information was recently released by Education Week, and has been supported by the Gates Foundation. Numerous programs have been implemented to try and increase the number of graduates and decrease the number of dropouts. One such program is Teach for America.
The Teach for America program is a nationwide organization that strives to bridge the gap between the education opportunities available in high-income neighborhoods and the below-standard education available to those in low-income neighborhoods.
The program has become increasingly popular among students at Pepperdine, and is continuing to grow.
Breanna Curry, a senior and one of Pepperdine’s Campus Campaign Manager (CCM) for Teach for America, is responsible for spreading information about the program and for recruiting new students. Curry said she is passionate about her job and hopes to make a difference in the lives of the students she encounters.
“There are kids who are not receiving as good an education as other children solely based on where they live,” Curry said. “This is not OK with me.”
The Santa Monica/Malibu School District, for instance, has a graduation rate of 83 percent; almost double the LAUSD’s rate, according to Curry and the SMMSD Web site.
Those who are able to graduate in the LAUSD will most likely only be able to read and write at the level of eighth-graders, Curry said.
The 56 percent dropout rate has labeled the LAUSD as the 6th worst district in the nation, just below Baltimore, Detroit and New York City.
Teach for America sees this as our nation’s most pressing problem. Its mission is to achieve and make available, equal education opportunities to all regardless of socio-economic backgrounds.
“Teach for America works with the No Child Left Behind Act to ensure every student has someone who cares, that will present them with the opportunity to excel,” Amy Dyer said.
Dyer is also a Pepperdine senior and CMM. She said she feels completely committed to the program.
“Every student deserves to have a teacher that will open the doors to learning, help them refine their skills and abilities, and encourage them to pursue their dreams,” Dyer said.
Those who apply for Teach for America commit two years to serve as teachers in rural and urban low-income areas, after graduation. All majors can apply and 91 percent of those who go through the program, continue to work with low-income communities or education on a volunteer basis.
Teach for America has partnerships with several prestigious graduate programs that are available to their alumni, Dyer said. Many of these programs offer loan deferrals and financial scholarships.
Representatives and alumni from Teach for America, including Pepperdine alumni, will be holding an information session on Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. in the Fireside Room. All are welcome to attend.
Those interested in applying for the Teach for America program may do so at www.teachforamerica.com. The final deadlines are Nov. 5, 2006, Jan. 7, 2007, and Feb. 18, 2007. For more information, Dyer and Curry can be contacted through e-mail, and have office hours in Payson Library from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Monday.
Submitted 11-02-2006
MALIBU, CA
