Greenfield Schools - Dropout Factory (Boston, Springfield: how much, transfer, tenants)

[teachertype]

A new study just out by John Hopkins University has labeled the Greenfield, Mass. Public Schools, specifically the High School, as a "Dropout Factory."
Google it for details, methodology, etc.

The neighboring school system, Gill-Montague, continues to be on the Mass. Dept. of Education under-performing list.

All the Franklin County, Mass. schools are poor educationally and socially.

When you pick a place to live, how much do you use school quality as a deciding factor?

[smarty]

Originally Posted by teachertype

When you pick a place to live, how much do you use school quality as a deciding factor?

Is it quality of school or quality of student that they are measuring?

[teachertype]

They're measuring quality of school. Obviously, if Greenfield's school is labeled a "Dropout Factory" then the students have dropped out and aren't still there to be measured.

You can look up the John Hopkins study and come to your own understanding of it.

However, poor community + lot's of family/social problems + plus low quality schools = dropout factory. The arithmetic of life.

[OhEdo]

Originally Posted by teachertype

A new study just out by John Hopkins University has labeled the Greenfield, Mass. Public Schools, specifically the High School, as a "Dropout Factory."
Google it for details, methodology, etc.

The neighboring school system, Gill-Montague, continues to be on the Mass. Dept. of Education under-performing list.

All the Franklin County, Mass. schools are poor educationally and socially.

When you pick a place to live, how much do you use school quality as a deciding factor?

While these types of broad-scope surveys are somewhat useful for drawing general conclusions, as with all studies of this nature almost all mitigating factors are left out and only the numbers dutifully recorded. The authors of the study themselves admitted that the only thing they looked at were the number of entering freshmen in a given year and the number of those original freshmen who graduated. Any who did not graduate were presumed to be dropouts. That is simply not the case for most of these schools.
In the case of Greenfield, most went to many of the private schools in the area, transferred to the local vocational school or simply moved away (and a good number transferred in). As a graduate of Greenfield High School who then went on to a very prestigious college (along with many of my friends and siblings), I saw first hand that very few of my freshmen classmates actually dropped out; the worst I witnessed was that a few had to repeat grades which I regard as a good thing compared to unconditionally graduating everybody.

[willdufauve]

There's a lot of social problems in Greenfield H.S. too. Bullying is a serious problem, drugs, and teen pregnancy.

Some people are trying to address it. Denial won't help.

[OhEdo]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

There's a lot of social problems in Greenfield H.S. too. Bullying is a serious problem, drugs, and teen pregnancy.

Some people are trying to address it. Denial won't help.

I attended Greenfield HS a number of years ago and enjoyed my experience there. Bullying was limited, and pregnancies were few and far between. Our biggest problem at the time were the few kids who would get themselves killed in car accidents (maybe 1-5 a year), which is a common problem in rural areas. If what you say is indeed true, then those problems do need to be dealt with. You are right that denial doesn't help and nearly all schools have problems that need to be addressed. I was simply stating that the 60% graduation rate noted in the study is misleading.
BTW, willdufauve, I seem to recall you are from the North Shore, but for some reason live in Greenfield and really can't stand it. I (and I'm sure others as well) are curious - why are you still there? I don't intend these as fighting words; I am geniunely curious.

[willdufauve]

No fighting words taken, OhEdo. You can dispute the John Hopkins findings if you want. My money's on John Hopkins. I believe GHS also was on the MA Department of Education's "under-performing" list until this year.

I did grow up on the North Shore and went to undergraduate school in Boston.

I haven't left Greenfield fully but relocated my business out of town in August. I was looking in Springfield but found a sweet deal on commercial space in Holyoke. So far, Holyoke, despite it's bad reputation, is working out to be a fantastic decision for me. My space is huge, renovated loft-like, low rent, and my fellow business tenants are rapidly becoming friends.

There's more education news in today's Greenfield Recorder. The Gfld Education Association has filed a grievance against Mayor Forgey for unfair labor practices.

[askaboutme8908]

I live in greenfield, dont go to school at this highschool but my sister does.. it really is a horrible school lots of drugs, fighting, teen deaths due to car accidents and alcohol and bullying, lots of drop outs too

[willdufauve]

Sorry your sister is in a bad situation. I really feel for her. I hope she'll hang in and finish her education. Our kids deserve better than Greenfield gives them. Unfortunately, there's no hope on the horizon for this town.

[French Colleen]

And where are the parents in all this? Are they required to make their children attend school? Are their consequences when the children don't attend? Does the GFLD school program have an Anti-Bullying Program? Do parents-school officials-law enforcement work together to stamp out the bullying? Taking away welfare support payments from parents who don't insure their children attend school might make a significant difference in attendance rates. Does GFLD High School still have programs like Auto Shop, Print Shop, Wood-Working? How about asking for volunteers from the High School and the local senior centers to work on homework and reading with the younger kids so that they don't get behind and will want to stay in school? It takes MORE than a good teacher to educate a child. If you think your school is crummy....then get busy and start helping to make it a good school.