Thursday, May 17, 2012

EDUCATION - Violence in Schools, View From an 8th Grader

"8th-Grade Journalist Spotlights Violence in School, Hopes Obama Will Notice" PBS Newshour 5/16/2012

Excerpt

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour): Now to our series on the dropout problem in America.

Personal experiences outside of pure academics often contribute to whether a student may leave school. Tonight, we visit Saint Petersburg, Florida, where one eighth-grader's enthusiasm for journalism has helped shine a light on problems in his school, while at the same time brightening his future.Ray Suarez reports for our American Graduate project.

RAY SUAREZ (Newshour): This is how 14-year-old De'Qonton Davis starts every school day in Saint Petersburg, Fla. He wakes up early and walks his 12-year-old sister, Terrijana, six blocks to the bus stop.

To the casual eye, his family's neighborhood seems pleasant and sunny. But on closer look, the scars of poverty and a lingering recession become apparent, high unemployment, foreclosures and some of the highest crime rates in the city.

Last month, De'Qonton says he began making it a point to walk with his sister, after a man she didn't know repeatedly tried to get her into his car. Terrijana refused and got away unharmed.


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