They are going to drop out...

Keeping kids engaged and moving forward is always a challenge in school but today I was reminded of why education is at a crossroads.  As a discussion took place about a few students, everyone was left scratching their heads. We have brought parents in, check, didnt help.  We have gotten Family services involved, check to no avail.  We have added study halls, check, still failing and not attending regularly.  We have partnered students with student tutors and adult tutors, same result.  Then the statement of what can we do next and the answer we all struggled for is somewhere out there but we dont have it.  It's a fair chance this student is on the path towards dropping out.

All our solutions have fit in the box nicely.  The point I struggle with is maybe school needs to be built around the students better.  Most schools have students that bare the responsibility of growing up, getting to school, keeping up with school and surviving, so how do we reach them.  I am well aware that some students' "safe" place is at the school but what about the students who are safe outside of school?

Would online work for this student? Maybe, but not likely.  Would typical blended learning work, probably not because parents have given up. So now what?

I am continualling wondering if the old time family doctor model isnt the step we need here.  Would this type of blended envirnoment work?  Could the teachers go to the ranch or the where ever the student is working or located?  Could we partner with the employeers and use that environment and support to help the student build a cause for continuing?

I read about teachers and administrators finding students and bringing them to school but just maybe we are looking at this backword.  Lets load up the book mobile, take the technology, the experiments and go to them.  The work would now be real life and the homework would never be questioned about "what do I need this for"

I believe there are plenty of buisness models that could add there expertise to this new strategy, Avon, Schwan's, Tupperware etc.  SO the question now becomes could we?  And how can we?

Please ponder and share your thoughts, suggestions and possibilities.