Michael Powell wants to go to college. At age 21, Michael has lived a tumultuous life.

Growing up without a father, dropping out of Boston Public Schools (BPS) at the age of 16, and tangled in a life of crime and poverty that led to numerous incarcerations, Michael's story is no different than countless other young black males in the city of Boston.

However Michael is determined to turn his life around.

Today Michael is enrolled at Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc.'s Young Adult GED program in Dorchester.

Michael, along with his 45 fellow students, is determined to pass the GED and be the first in his family to graduate from college.

On a recent visit by one BPS official, Michael, an introvert by nature, raised his hand to the surprise of many classmates to ask: "Why did you all make it so easy for me to drop out?"

Michael's question is on the minds of many students who now realize that dropping out of school was not a smart decision and blame the school system for making it so simple.

Annually, Boston Public Schools' dropout numbers are estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000 students. Dorchester's share is a whopping 38.4%.

While the city and other community-based organizations are working to identify early indicators for dropouts and to devise prevention and intervention strategies, Dorchester residents must be informed of the adverse effects of the dropout crisis on the very fabric of the city, notably on crime, prosperity and overall quality of life.

Widespread awareness will without a doubt exhort Dorchester residents to demand more accountability from their elected officials and from a school system that graduates just under 60 percent of its enrolled students.

The most viable solution to this crisis is to put in place a system of multiple pathways to graduation for all students including those at risk of dropping out as well as students who have already dropped out of school.

A well-funded and highly flexible alternative education consortium comprised of Boston Public Schools, community-based organizations, parents' organizations, charter schools and the private sector could help to reverse the trend of low graduation rates.

Such a system could put procedures in place to accommodate all off-track students including older students and returning students. Students would select from a variety of programs that would all lead to a high school credentialing including the GED.

We need to think creatively about how to solve Boston's dropout crisis and we must do it quickly.

Until then Michael and countless other young adults in Boston will keep wondering why we did not intervene to stop them from dropping out.

By the way, Michael just passed the GED. He is currently working with a counselor at FDNH to complete his financial aid forms and select college courses. In the spring of 2008 Michael is poised to be the first individual ever in his family to enter college.

Mamadou Ndiaye is the alternative & adult education director at Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc.

Source: BostonHaitian.com [1]