FOR SHOWERS AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEKEND. YOU CAN ALWAYS GET UPDATES ON THE NEW WEATHER
AUTHORITY APP AND ON THE
RADIO, 93.3, THE BEAT. THANKS,
DANIELLE. OCTOBER IS DROPOUT
PREVENTION MONTH AND IT’S A
TIME TO MAKE SURE EVERY
STUDENT, EVERY EDUCATION LEVEL
IS ABLE TO HAVE A BRIGHT
FUTURE. ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION
STATISTICS, THE NATIONAL
DROPOUT RATE IN 2019 WITH
5.1%, NOT INCLUDING THOSE WHO
RECEIVED A GED. AND WHILE THE
RATE HAS DECREASED IN RECENT
YEARS, THERE IS STILL A LOT TO
BE DONE TO PREVENT STUDENTS
FROM FALLING BEHIND OR
DROPPING OUT. JOINING ME NOW
IS ERIN MANGAN WITH
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF
JACKSONVILLE. GOOD MORNING,
AARON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
>> GOOD MORNING, CARLY. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME THIS
MORNING.
>>CORLEY PEEL: CAN YOU TALK
ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMON
REASONS THAT STUDENTS FALL
BEHIND IN SCHOOL?
>> YES. SO WHEN WE THINK OF
DROP OUT, IT DOESN’T NESTLE
MEAN SOMEBODY WHO HAS GIVEN UP
OR DOESN’T CARE ABOUT SCHOOL
OR HAVING A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE.
A LOT OF TIMES THERE’S
CHALLENGES THAT OUR CHILDREN
ARE FACING BOTH IN THE
CLASSROOM AND OUTSIDE OF THE
CLASSROOM. THAT BECOMES A
DISTRACTION. AND SOMETIMES IT
GETS SO TOP THAT THEY JUST
CAN’T KEEP GOING ANY FURTHER.
AND SOME OF THOSE COULD BE
THEY COULD HAVE A LEARNING
DISABILITY AND WE DON’T
UNDERSTAND OR KNOW THAT ENABLE
TO HELP THEM. RIGHT NOW WE’RE
THROUGH A PANDEMIC AND THIS
HAS A WHOLE NOTHER SLIPPED
CHALLENGES THAT OUR FAMILIES
AND CHILDREN ARE FACING
THEY’RE THEY’RE FALLING BEHIND
ACADEMICALLY, HAVING TO
NAVIGATE, GOING FROM VIRTUAL
TO IN-PERSON THEY’RE DEALING
WITH CHALLENGES OUTSIDE THE
HOME WITH EVICTIONS. ARE
FAMILIES HAVING TO MOVE AROUND
CHALLENGES WITH UNEMPLOYMENT.
SO THEY’RE HAVING TO CARRY
THIS ALL ON THEIR BACKS. WE
HAVE SOME OF OUR KIDS WHO EVEN
ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT THEIR
FAMILIES BECAUSE IT’S SO HARD
RIGHT NOW. AND THEN, OF
COURSE, THE SOCIAL PRESSURES
OF BEING IN SCHOOL AND
BULLYING KIDS ARE DEALING
GOING ON CYBER SETUPS, WHICH
GOES THE ON THE SCHOOL. ALSO,
IF THERE’S SO MANY CHALLENGES
AND EVERY CHILDREN CHILD HAS A
UNIQUE CHALLENGE THAT THEY’RE
DOING WEST. SO WE REALLY HAVE
TO PICK IT OUT SO WE CAN HELP
THEM.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND WHAT IS
YOUR ORGANIZATION DOING TO
PREVENT STUDENTS FROM DROPPING
OUT?
>> COMMUNITIES SCHOOLS OF
JACKSONVILLE HAS BEEN AROUND
IN DUVAL COUNTY FOR OVER 31
YEARS. AND OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO
PUT A CARING ADULT IN FRONT OF
CHILDREN TO LEARN WHAT THE
STRUGGLES ARE AND SO THAT WE
CAN HELP NAVIGATE THEM DOWN A
SUCCESSFUL PATH TO FUTURE. SO
WE WORK THROUGH CASE
MANAGEMENT WHICH SOME OF OUR
CHALLENGED STUDENTS WHO NEED
THE CLOTHING. THEY MIGHT NEED
FOOD. THEY MIGHT ACADEMIC
SUPPORT. AT SOMEBODY WHO CAN
HELP NAVIGATE WITH THEIR
TEACHERS TO CHALLENGES THAT
THEY’RE HAVING IN THE COSTS
ARE AND IT COULD BE SETTING
HIM UP WITH HOW SITUATIONS
THAT THEY NEED GLASSES.
SOMETIMES WE DON’T REALIZE THE
STUDENT CAN’T SEE A WHITE
BOARD FROM ACROSS THE ROOM SO
IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS
SIMPLE AS THAT FIX TO GET THEM
BACK ON TRACK. WE ALSO DO
LITERACY, TUTORING LITERACY AS
WE KNOW. IT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR
A SUCCESSFUL PER CENT IF
THEY’RE NOT ON GRADE LEVEL BY
4TH GRADE A LOT OF TIMES, IT’S
REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO GET
BACK AND THAT INCREASES THE
CHANCES OF LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL
WITHOUT THEIR DEGREE. AND THEN
WE DO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS,
THESE OPEN UP A WHOLE NEW
OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS ARE
LEARNING ROBOTICS. THEY’RE
LEARNING HOW TO PLAY SYMPHONY
INSTRUMENTS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL
LEVEL ARE HIGH SCHOOL AFTER
SCHOOL PROJECT AS FOCUS ON
COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS,
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SO WHAT
JOBS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM
AFTER THEY GO TO HIGH SCHOOL,
WHETHER THEY GO TO COLLEGE OR
NOT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY ARE SET UP FOR A
SUCCESSFUL FUTURE.
>> ALL RIGHT. AND YOU KNOW, IT
STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING. THEY
ARE BEHIND IN SCHOOL. HOW CAN
PARENTS MAKE SURE THAT THEY
HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES? HOW
CAN THEY GET IN CONTACT WITH
YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR
STUDENTS TO GRADUATE?
>> PARENT ENGAGEMENT IS SO
IMPORTANT. AND I KNOW THAT
PARENTS ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN
THAT LEVEL OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT THEY MIGHT BE GOING
THERE. SO WE’RE HERE AS A
RESOURCE TO WE WANT TO SUPPORT
THAT. THE KIDS AND THE
FAMILIES THEY’RE WHAT THEY’RE
GOING THROUGH. WE ALSO UNITED
WAY TO WHAT ONE IS A GREAT AND
WE CAN CONNECT. YOU’RE SEE
OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN
THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. BUT THE
BIGGEST THING WE CAN DO IS
LEARN WHAT OUR KIDS ARE
DEALING SO THAT WE CAN HELP
THEM AND GET THEM THROUGH IT.