There have been numerous attempts to improve public education in the United States over the years. The No Child Left Behind Act has created required benchmarks for students through standardized testing with a focus on improving the performance of children in school, but it does little to help keep kids in school. In fact, it makes passing even more daunting of a task for those who have difficulty keeping up.
Truancy is a big issue in the United States. Every 26 seconds a student drops out of an American school. This problem is consistent throughout the nation, but it is not easily fixed on the national level. Leaders in Champaign have decided to tackle this issue locally — and aggressively. Today begins Operation S.T.O.P. (Stop Truancy Outreach Program) by going door to door in neighborhoods known to have truant students to try to bring them back to school. They plan to discuss the causes of truancy with parents and want to stress that the community is ready to help them in every way it can.
If you would like to take part in Operation S.T.O.P. you should be ready to board one of the buses at the Mellon Administration Building at 703 S. New St. in Champaign at 5:00 P.M. this evening.