Decatur Dropout Programs
WILL-TV and AM 580 produced a series of programs looking at the high school dropout problem in Decatur schools. WILL-TV’s Dropping Out: Why Students Leave Decatur Schools featured dropouts and their families, Decatur educators, counselors, school board members and city and civic leaders. WILL-AM 580 conducted a series of reports in conjunction with the Decatur Herald and Review.A follow-up TV program is scheduled for May 2003.
Community Partners:
The Decatur Herald and Review Decatur Joint Drop-Out Task Force
Funded by:
The Pew Center for Civic Journalism provided a grant for the project. Support for WILL-TV’s live program was provided, in part, by Decatur Memorial Hospital Heart and Lung Institute, and J. Hubbard Company Insurance and Bonds.
Related links:
- May 31, 2002 -- Jim Meadows reports on an earlier effort and on how the current Task Force plans to be more effective.
- May 30, 2002 -- Jim Meadows reports on some of some of problems young people run into, and some of the efforts already being tried in Decatur to help them.
- April 18, 2002 -- WILL-TV hosts a call-in discussion of the dropout situation with community leaders in studio. AM 580's Tom Rogers has a recap.
- April 1, 2002-- Decatur-area high school dropouts of all ages are being invited to take part in a survey detailing their situations. AM 580's Ali Kawa reports.
- March 22, 2002 -- Dave Dickey recaps comments and criticisms from the town hall meeting.
- March 15, 2002 -- Ali Kawa reports on a mentoring program for students possibly contemplating dropping out.
- February 15, 2002 -- Ali Kawa reports on budget problems that shut down an alternative program to keep teen mothers and mothers-to-be in school.
- January 31, 2002 -- Ali Kawa reports on a new program designed to keep students in class.
- January 28, 2002 -- Tom Rogers reports on the experiences of a Decatur woman who chose to drop out more than two decades ago.
