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Residents Speak Out on GHS Graduation Rate
Galesburg School District administrators said they couldn't figure out how to tackle a declining graduation rate without the public's help, and that's definitely what they got.

District-205 held a community meeting Thursday regarding the state-mandated restructuring plan the district needs to file -- due partly to G-H-S once again not making Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal No Child Left Behind standards -- but concern centered around a graduation rate below 77% last year.

A number of participants suggested parents needed to be more involved in the educations of their children. But one, Danni McNeely, suggested there's something students can do to help incoming freshman -- students who McNeely claims might often feel like no one cares about them.

"Juniors and seniors who want to volunteer to mentor these Freshman; make sure their week is going okay," McNeely said. "If they do miss a day, they call and say 'Hey, missed you today. Why weren't you here?' That's going to go a long way."

Resident Dick Conklin says parental involvement is only part of the answer, and thinks there's a lot of time in the restructuring process that could be wasted.

"Maybe we ought to spend some time finding the school districts around the country who have dealt successfully with the disadvantaged, low income population in increasing their graduation rate," Conklin said.

The African-American graduation rate is down to 63%, and that has Galesburg Support Group for African-American Affairs member Fred Hord demanding answers and wanting information from the district.

"(SGAA wants) one, information regarding the retention and suspension rates at the high school of blacks, latinos, and whites," Hord said. "Two, information regarding the number of full-time black, latino, and white faculty and staff at the high school."

Hord, through a statement he claims his group recently approved, also asked for curriculum data, textbook information, teacher recruitment data, and other things, that the group wants by February 26th.

But Naomi Law says that view is a little out of whack.

"We need to stop thinking this is a black, or a white, or a poor, or a rich think," Law said. "It is a Galesburg community thing."

Law says she heard parents outright lie Thursday night -- from how good the principals are, to how good the school board is, to even how great parents are.

But Law says if all that's true, why are any kids failing? She says everyone needs to work together, talk to the kids themselves, and figure out a solution.

A plan of action is due to the school board next month.


(Resident Al Smith speaks to at the GHS Restructuring meeting Thursday night.)


(Under 100 residents attended Thursday night's restructuring meeting. WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.)
02 12 10 by Newsroom
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