Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Dropout Drama

April 15, 2005 1 min read
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I really enjoyed reading “Dropouts In America” [Books, March/ April]. In 1977, I dropped out. I fought to keep my son from leaving school and did a homeschool program just to get the diploma. I now fight again with my 16-year-old to stay in school. “Why? It is such a waste of time”; “They have no idea how to teach”; “I am not learning.” He is right. For 12 years, I fought our broken public school system. My children all have superior to high-average IQs in a broken system of special education that has failed to teach reading, writing, and math.

As their mother, I have no idea how to keep going, knowing my children are not learning. I have boxes and boxes of files, binders, doctor reports. I wonder if [Education Secretary Margaret] Spellings would want to see what a parent goes through.

Katherine Boggs

Phoenix, Arizona

Teacher Magazine welcomes the opinions and comments of its readers. Letters should be 300 words or fewer and may be edited for clarity and length. All submissions should include an address and phone number. Send letters to tm@epe.org or to Teacher Magazine, 6935 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.

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A version of this article appeared in the May 01, 2005 edition of Teacher Magazine as Dropout Drama

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