Today, the New York Times features a story on “transfer schools,” schools that accommodate students who have fallen way behind in their coursework or have dropped out of school. Students who attend a transfer school may be able to graduate high school in five, six, or more years.
The author may focus on high school, but the truth is that the public school system failed these students – mostly from low income households – for nine years prior. Like most dropout prevention programs, playing catch-up at the tail end of students’ schooling ignores the dysfunction at the elementary and middle school levels.
