President's Viewpoint

Sounding the Alarm
The school dropout crisis has devastating effects on young people. NEA plans to face it head-on.

The statistics are staggering.

According to estimates, about 30 percent of high school students drop out before graduation, meaning about 1 million students fail to graduate from high school every year. That amounts to some 7,000 students who drop out of school each day.

This is a deadly number that is having devastating effects on America's young people, especially low-income and minority students. Only 5 in 10 Black and Hispanic students graduate on time with a standard diploma, and less than one-half of American Indian and Alaska Native students complete high school.

What happens when Johnny and his friends drop out of school? Studies show that each class of high school dropouts costs the nation more than $200 billion in lost wages and tax revenues, as well as spending for social support programs. High school dropouts have an earnings disadvantage that tends to remain with them throughout thei