I had some extra time with my sixth grade history class today, so we talked about the State of the Union address. I had some definite favorite and least favorite parts (though I was watching by myself, I said both “blech” and “thank you!” out loud over the course of the speech), but I wasn’t sure what to think of Obama’s educational vision of forcing kids to stay in school until they graduate or turn eighteen.  So I asked my students how they thought we should be addressing the high school dropout problem.

These were some of my favorite thoughts to come out of the team proposal-writing process (remember that these are 11/12-year-old kids):

I agree with Obama that dropping out should be illegal because it affects everyone if they have a hard time finding jobs and supporting themselves and it might lead to crime. Usually I believe in letting people do whatever they want if it doesn’t hurt anyone, but this could actually affect other people.

(Our resident libertarian spent a long time seriously thinking about this one, and may be on the way to changing his world view.)

Kids are committing suicide because they hate high school so much. Why would we force them to stay if it’s so stressful for them? There should be a way for them to continue their learning outside of school, online or something.

(For some reason, his groupmates thought this was ridiculous. I’m pretty sure they weren’t listening.)

Sometimes people drop out because their families need the money. There should be a special high school for adults who need to go back and finish when they’re thirty.

(I love how ancient thirty is to them.)

They should only be allowed to drop out of high school if they have a really good reason and good grades. They would have to apply with their guidance counselor. If their grades are really bad, they should be given a tutor instead of dropping out.

(This group said doing poorly in school does not count as a good reason to leave - if you have bad grades, they thought, you need school all the more)

Teenagers don’t know how to make good decisions. They shouldn’t be allowed to quit school.

(They know what they’re becoming.)

People who want to drop out should have to take a class about what could happen to them if they don’t finish school. Or at least listen to a talk about it.

(Can’t wait for these kids to encounter the joys of motivational speakers at high school assemblies)

Wow, no one in our group has ever gone to a public school. We are a bunch of spoiled brats!

(No comment.)

(Okay, actually, I told them that private school doesn’t (necessarily) make them spoiled brats, but I was impressed they were challenging their worldview and pushing towards empathy.)