Morton touts grad changes, but critics concerned about success

Published 9:39 am Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Quotes from State Superintendent Joe Morton on why he’s behind changing the state’s graduation requirements.

—It increases economic development:

“Some people think it’s revolutionary — but it’s really very practical. I look at this as an economic development tool. The kind of industries that are looking at Alabama want a well-qualified person and require quite a bit of education. They don’t have any job openings that say: ’Looking for a high school dropout.”’

—It can turn high school hierarchy upside down:

“There’s this dynamic now where the kids who take advanced are labeled as ’nerds’ and (teased). There is a lot of pressure on students not to stand out and not to make good grades.”

“So what if you flipped that and they all were advanced? Now the majority turns out to be the ’smart kids.’ Think of what Alabama could look like. Don’t think about our 200-year history — think about in the next 10 years, what can Alabama really become? And we can become an Alabama that is moving ahead or we can be the one that traditionally brings up the rear.”

—It can help reduce prison overcrowding:

“It’s a very handicapping condition for the student who drops out and the state that student lives in because what are they going to do for the rest of his or her life with less than a high school diploma? What are they going to do? They’re going to be in jail I guess because about 85 percent of our jail population are high school dropouts.”