Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, teen brains are not mature and cannot make these life-changing decisions for themselves. Not being a college graduate is one thing, but not having a high school diploma essentially cuts you out of the majority of the workforce. Yes, you can get a GED later, but still.

I've had two kids go through MCPS. One is in high school now. Yes, some students don't want to be there. I don't care. I'm more worried about the ones bringing guns to school and fighting other people in school. We need to pay for more schools to house violent kids and keep them away from the general student population.

Me again. I recognize that there is an overlap between kids who don't want to be there and kids who are violent. But it's worth it to our society to force some students into a high school diploma, to ensure they can get more jobs and won't be a burden on our safety net in the future. And we need to think of alternate solutions to stop exposing our kids and school staff to violent offenders. I would support a more punitive form of justice for these youngsters, instead of the slap on the hand they're getting right now.

Anonymous wrote:Budget cuts are coming. If not right away, then in one year. MCPS wastes so much money trying to keep kids in school who don’t have the interest and/or ability to learn. Some high schools are full of kids hanging out in the hallways and refusing to go to class but it is compulsory for them to be there. They eventually graduate with a HS certificate because the staff gets sick of them and move them along. Teachers pass these students because of pressure from administrators and because no one wants another year of the same charade. Why force older teenagers to stay in school. It would save money and resources to reduce the compulsory age to be in school to age 16 rather than 18. Thoughts?