An op-ed by Dr. Jacques Gibble titled Dr. Jacques Gibble titled “Relationships a must for student retention” explains:
“Staying in school. A 2006 study called “The Silent Epidemic” reported that many of the students who left school were not failing in academics. Indeed, only one in three claimed that as a major reason for dropping out. One of the biggest reasons? Lack of a strong relationship with at least one adult in the school.
“While two out of three indicated that there was someone who cared about their academic success, a full 60 percent indicated that they had NO ONE in school with whom they could talk about their personal problems.”
WATCHDOG: Two wags of the tail! Whatever their role at the school, be it custodian, teacher, coach or principal, adults need to be receptive to youngsters seeking a positive relationship. Adolescence is a difficult period of life, and we all needed someone who showed interest, listened well, gave us good advice and was encouraging.
