A Recipe to Improve B-Lo Graduation Rates

Buffalo City Schools' graduation rate is reportedly down 7% from last year. Good news is we still don't suck as bad as Rochester and we only suck one percentage point worse than Syracuse. In her characteristic Newspeak fashion PamelaCBrownPhDHarvard has ejaculated yet another bucket of professional emesis on WBEN's website : 



Upon my arrival in Buffalo, I learned that the District's graduation rate from 2011-2012 was around 48% based on preliminary results.  In response to that, the District immediately implemented several strategies in order to improve our graduation rate, including the following:


Creating a College-going Culture through:


Setting an aggressive target of an 80% graduation rate by 2018 
Informing the community about Say Yes scholarships 
Ensuring that all graduating seniors apply for college and scholarships

Improving Instruction through:


Providing professional development for all staff 
Conducting Instructional Rounds in all schools 
Increasing access to student data for early intervention 

Interventions for Struggling Students through:


Providing after-school academic programs 
Providing a Credit Recovery program 
Offering Summer School for all students 

With these key strategies in place, we are very optimistic that increased graduation rates will follow.  As always, it is our goal to provide a world-class education for every child.


Now if the scores dropped 7% and they are now down to a 47% graduation rate for Seniors, I am having a little trouble following the good Doctor's Harvard math.  She claims the rate was at 48% when she got here which is pretty damned forgiving given the new data released today.


If Dr. Brown and her merry band of misfits want to get serious about "ACCOUNTABILITY" I suggest the following exercise in unabashed finger pointing -- which is exactly what the situation calls for -- and the last thing any of the three piece invertebrates who slither in and out of their City Hall cubicles will ever do. 

1. Canvass each high school for a list of non graduating Seniors.

2. Cross reference each of these non graduating Seniors with attendance records.

3. Cross reference each of these non graduating Seniors with discipline files.

4. Cross reference each of these non graduating Seniors with suspension records.

5. Contact the legal guardians of each of these non graduating Seniors and inform those with less than acceptable attendance, discipline and suspension records that their children are no longer the responsibility of the Buffalo Public Schools.

6. Advise them how they may register for Bennett Night School or a GED program.

7. Slam the door in their faces and say Your Problem, Deal With It For Once !

Then allow the remaining kids with learning and legitimate issues such as LEP or medical issues to take advantage of the programs Dr. Brown is going to fill with slugs who won't participate or appreciate any of it.

Watch Graduation Rates Improve.