The Boston Globe reports that Deval Patrick wants the minimum dropout age to raised to 18 years old... his reason for this echoes exactly what Kerry Healey was saying during the campaign.
It's too easy for students to drop out of school in Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick told educators on Monday, advocating for lawmakers to raise the minimum age.
Students can drop out of school at age 16, which Patrick said is two years too soon for such a life-altering decision. He said he would support legislation to raise the minimum age."Permitting young kids to drop out at 16 is another example of an antiquated education policy," Patrick said.
It's also worth noting that during the campaign Deval Patrick was only "willing to consider" raising the drop out age.
Patrick's signature item is full-day kindergarten for all students, a program Healey supports only for communities that want it. Healey also agrees with Patrick that class sizes should be smaller. But Healey's main push is to prevent dropouts by raising the compulsory attendance age. A spokeswoman for Patrick said that he would be willing to consider raising the age but that he doesn't have a position on Healey's plan to test students twice a year.We're still waiting on the plan to educate "the whole child," but at least he's taking a good idea (even though it is someone else's) and running with it.
