Casual Hex

I saw a piece on CNN this afternoon about high school drop out rates in the United States. I knew the rate was bad, but good grief I had no idea how bad it was getting. The Silent Epidemic was mentioned and I quickly tried to view the site. I was promised a site covering the horrible epidemic that we are facing. Instead, I think everyone else watching CNN had the same idea and I couldn’t get the site to load.

Luckily, when I tried again later I was able to get in. I checked out the link to see statistics for any district in the country. First, I checked out Morgan County. 63% graduation rate. Not so hot. Huntsville City Schools? Even worse— 50-something. Yowch.

See, I grew up in Hoover, AL. What’s the graduation rate for Hoover? 89.8%. What about neighboring city Vestavia Hills where the majority of my friends lived? 95.7%. So… yeah, I have my reasons for being so negative about Morgan and Madison counties. Call me a snob, or whatever you will, but I want my daughter to have access to a school system that can provide for her. I keep hearing how great Grissom is and how Huntsville High isn’t far behind, but.. no. I don’t think so. Yes, I’m aware that Johnson, Lee and some other third school (I don’t remember, I don’t care) are bringing the ratio down, but are they so extremely bad to affect the total city ratio so greatly? If neither Grissom or Huntsville can deliver 80%+ then that’s not good enough. Period.

By the time Aegwyn is a teenager the three boys will be out of school. If we have to, we’re moving. Fairfax County, Virgina.. some of the school systems I saw while out in Washington (gah, any reason to move back out to the Pacific Northwest) or heck, even Hoover again. I really don’t get Huntsville. It’s a town of “good enough” everywhere I look. And for me, that’s far from good enough.