It will take a variety of efforts to reform American public education and stem the nation’s dropout crisis. This includes young men and women talking to their peers about the importance of staying in school. Whether it comes in the form of films such as Beyond the Bricks, through entertainment, or through simple conversations, it is important to enlist every teen and young adult in keeping their classmates and neighbors in school (as well as help them get the remediation at-risk kids may need to get up to speed).
This video from St. Louis rapper Keke Bubbles, one of 11 that are finalists in the DefJam Rapstar Get Schooled competition put on by the Get Schooled Foundation, is one example of the messages we need to help keep kids on the path to graduation. Even as we overhaul curricula and instruction — especially in the early grades — messages about the importance of education to our middle- and high school students also remain important. Watch, listen, consider and take action.
