We always hear how kids in the inner cities (especially minorities) are at a disadvantage. These kids blow that theory out of the water!
The Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles isn’t known for educational and economic opportunity. In fact, it’s one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city. But members of the Verbum Dei High School class of 2015 are doing something very few of their neighbors have done.
Though only 2.9 percent of Watts adults have a four-year degree, 100 percent of Verbum Dei’s graduates are heading to college in the fall.
Maybe it’s because their parents are more involved. Maybe the teachers were better. Maybe the school environment was more intellectually stimulating. Whatever it was… it should be studied and duplicated!
According to the report “the students are all one to two years behind academically when they arrive.”
Each student participates in a work study program one full day per week.
Since they’re working for their tuition, students are invested in their schooling and determined to succeed, according to school officials.
That means the kids are working, with adults, who are gainfully employed in career. Chances are, those adults are doing a lot of mentoring… and that’s obviously a good thing!
Wouldn’t you just love to know what the cost per student is at this school? I bet it isn’t anywhere near the cost at many of our failing school districts.
H/T IJReview.
Photo credit Twitter/DavidMechamTime
