People don't like to talk about the dropout rate for American high school students for many reasons. Therefore, dropout is a silent struggle that needs a voice to say "Hey, I am ready to learn, I just need an alternative educational opporunity."

Four out of every 10 high school students in America drop out of high school. Public schools in America are truly at the elite level on the world-stage. But, what can we do to address this silent problem that is only discussed in hushed tones in communities across America?

We need to understand that dropping out of high school is something that happens to even the brightest of our students. Freshman year of high school, a student may miss a couple classes worth of credits, Sophmore year a couple more, Junior year a couple more and by senior year, students are a full year behind in credits. That is the basic math, but lets look deeper. There are many reasons students drop out, but life has only still begun for a high schooler, and we need to begin to develop alternative educational opportutnities for our citizens.

Every drop-out student has special skills that must be 1) recognized and 2) encouraged. Student drop-outs are always very capable of learning and we must learn to provide alternative educational opportunities in our communities. Developing a community structure that offers chances for students to "make-up" credits they are lacking is an exciting way for communities to become actively engaged in their citizens education.

Communities must build another educational support system to teach drop-out students the skills they need to know to enter into exciting career paths. This support system has the dual effect of educating our citizens and creating an environment of learnedness in our town. There are many things we can do in our communities and we can start by creating a culture of learning in our towns. A community center that exposes the youth to educational opportunites in their own community centers is a great place to start. Your town can develop an educational "magnet" to attract students who would love an alternative educational opportunity!

Start a book club in your town. Sign the inside back cover and pass it along. Create a culture of reading, and then students will be ready for all kinds of learning opportunities.

This is just the start of a larger grassroots, community-centered thesis on making sure that no child is truly left behind. Get involved in your town's community center and create a culture of educational success in your town. Remember that learning is a lifelong journey and education never goes out of style!

You can do it! You are sparkly diamonds and I am proud of you already!!!