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CPS Chief Goes After Dropouts

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Sep 8, 2007 5:24 pm US/Central

CPS Chief Goes After Dropouts

Arne Duncan Goes Door To Door To Stir Up Students Who Have Dropped Out

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by Joanie Lum
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago Public Schools set attendance records for the first day of school and now the chief of schools is going after kids who didn't make it to class. CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, his message is: "it's not too late."

The new principal of Robeson High School visited students who haven't yet been to school.

"We want you to come back," said principal Gerald Morrow.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan and volunteers visited families in the Englewood neighborhood, because the dropout rate there is the highest in the system.

"How's it been not being in school? Rough. Not all it's cracked up to be, huh?" Duncan said.

One mother said her son has serious reasons for staying away.

"They carry guns and fights a lot," said Pamela Austin. "I don't want my child to be hurt."

But she said her son Leo will go on Monday. Robert Doxy said having Duncan at his front door made him speechless.

"I wanted to bless him and thank him for giving me another chance on going to school, making a better decision in my life," Doxy said.

"This is the right thing. I'm pleased," said Duncan. "For some students it's in their heart, they need help."

School officials acknowledge most students were told ahead of time that Duncan would be visiting their house to talk about going back to school. Duncan said he'd like to do this again, sometime during the school year.

The public schools posted a new record for first-day attendance last Tuesday, with 93 percent of the district's 409,000 students showing up for class.

The group targeted students from 10 high schools with high dropout rates.

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