Visit Pajamas Media

My guest today is Rob Nelson, a political activist who works on behalf of Right To Succeed, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that launched the “Drop 50″ campaign, to cut school dropout rates across America by 50% over five years.

[](/sites/default/files/uploads/2011/04/Rob_Nelson_2.jpg)[](/sites/default/files/uploads/2011/04/Rob_Nelson_21.jpg)

Glazov: Rob Nelson, thanks for joining me.

I want to talk to you about why conservatives must lead on education reform in this country, but first talk to me about the problem in American schools and about one of the most telling manifestations of this problem: the dropout rate.

Nelson: Thanks, Jamie. I think by now most people know we have a major crisis in American education. Across the country public schools are failing and failing big. They’re often poorly run, bureaucracy heavy, and failing to bring kids over the bar. But here’s something you may not know. On average, almost 40% of American kids are dropping out before they finish high school. In Chicago, it’s around 50%. In L.A., it’s almost 60%. In a few big cities, it’s nearly 70%.

Why dropout rates as a measurement of success or failure as compared to test scores? It’s a bottom line measurement and you can’t argue with it. When nearly half to ²⁄₃ of kids aren’t graduating — it’s total system-wide failure. If a school is getting 100% on their exit exams, but half the kids aren’t taking the test, is that success? What if Fed Ex delivered 50% of its packages on time and to the right place, but the other half never arrived? The CEO and top management would be fired. When it comes to schools we need to start holding the top management of our cities and our schools accountable in the same way. The system wide level of failure is unacceptable and absolutely inexcusable, and a looming travesty of astronomical proportions.

Glazov: But wait a minute, isn’t it the responsibility of the kids who drop out?

To continue reading this article, click here.