What's the Problem With US High Schools?

GrumpySimon asks: "ABC News is reporting that High School kids are dropping out of high school in 'epidemic proportions', with an estimated 2,500 kids quitting daily. What's wrong with our school system that so many kids prefer working 40 hours a week instead? How can this be fixed?" It seems to be an America truism that "things get better after High School," and it wouldn't be surprising if most of you readers feel the same way. However, why does it have to be this way? What's the big problem with American High Schools where more and more children are feeling that it's better to risk the "real world" than to continue on with their education? Of course, another question that should be asked is: Is High School really the problem, or is it America's Educational system as a whole?

Comments

Correlation != Causation

[Jo3sh]

The article makes it sound like a HS diploma is some kind of magical shield against societal problems:

Dropouts are more likely to face poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Typically high school dropouts earn $19,000 a year. High school graduates earn $28,000 a year on average.
If you drop out of high school, your chances of running afoul of the law increase.

and others...

But correlation != causation. Being a tool who is likely to run afoul of the law is correlated to lack of a high school diploma, not the other way around. Capability and drive and good judgement are correlated with success, and also with surviving high school.

It upsets me when people play fast and loose with logic like this. The solution is to cure societal ills, not to encourage people to finish high school. If there were a mechanism in place to teach kids good judgement and drive, we'd end up improving graduation rates AND poverty rates, recidivism rates, drug use, violent crime, etc. Encouraging tools to finish high school will only increase the number of tools with HS diplomas.

Q: What is wrong with American High Schools?

[Riquez]

A: Americans