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Trenton,
NJ – Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Alma
Powell, chair of America’s Promise
Alliance, tomorrow will launch the New Jersey
High School Graduation Campaign, a year-long
effort to combat the high rate of high school
dropouts. They will be joined by 500 partners
from across New Jersey representing schools,
businesses, non-profit and faith-based organizations.
The
kick-off symposium, to be held at Rutgers
University – Newark, will be the first
in a series of forums to tackle the issue
of the high school dropout crisis, and craft
solutions to keep kids in school and better
prepare them for college, work, and life.
The Campaign will culminate with a major
summit in the fall of 2009 to present policy
recommendations, identify best practices,
and detail a strategic plan that forges
collaboration between schools and non-profit
organizations and the corporate sector.
The
campaign is aimed at reducing high school
dropout rates by promoting support for students
and their families, supporting teachers,
cultivating school leaders, promoting business
and community engagement and establishing
high expectations and rigorous school curriculum.
The High School Graduation Campaign was
organized in response to a call to action
earlier this year by the America’s
Promise Alliance to convene Dropout Prevention
summits in all 50 states and in 50 targeted
cities by 2010. Newark, Jersey City and
Camden are target cities in New Jersey.
Every 26 seconds a student drops out of
school in the United States; that is a total
of 1.1 million per year. In New Jersey,
about 19,000 students failed to graduate
in 2007 with costly implications: Students
who do not graduate are twice as likely
to continue to live in poverty, three times
as likely to be unemployed, and eight times
as likely to end up in jail or prison.
America’s Promise Alliance is a coalition
of non-profit organizations, corporations,
charitable foundations and faith-based organizations
committed to helping at risk children to
succeed and grow up to be productive members
of society. General Colin Powell is the
founding chairman of the Alliance.
The Alliance contributed $25,000 in a planning
grant to the Attorney General’s Office
to organize the High School Graduation Campaign.
The Attorney General’s Office is the
lead state agency in Governor Corzine’s
Strategy for Safe Streets and Neighborhoods,
an anti-crime blue-print that focuses on
innovative law enforcement measures, prisoner
re-entry programs and prevention. Keeping
young people in school is a paramount strategy
in reducing and preventing youth violence
and gang activity.
“Working
together to ensure that more young people
are graduating from high school and succeeding
is critical for New Jersey,’’
Governor Corzine said. “When we help
increase the number of people who graduate
from high school and who are career-ready,
it naturally leads to stronger families,
safer streets and more vibrant communities.
The aim is to ensure that kids are headed
in the right direction and not falling into
the trap of a life of crime. Staying in
school is one of our best crime-prevention
tools, and it requires the collaborative
efforts of all of us to make it happen.”
“The
Alliance is excited about our partnership
with New Jersey and is committed to provide
state and local leaders with the support
and guidance they need to develop a comprehensive
action plan that appropriately addresses
the reasons why New Jersey youth are leaving
school without a diploma,” said Alma
Powell. “Every school day 7,000 students
drop out. This is a catastrophe that impacts
our entire nation and is especially severe
in some of our larger metropolitan areas.
As parents, teachers, elected officials
and education and business leaders, it’s
our duty to come together to provide our
young people with all the essential academic
and life supports necessary for them to
graduate on time, prepared for college or
the job market.”
Governor
Corzine and Mrs. Powell will be joined by
Attorney General Anne Milgram, Secretary
of State Nina Wells and Education Commissioner
Lucille E. Davy at the kick-off symposium.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker is also scheduled
to speak.
“We
can't arrest our way out of the problem
of violent street gangs and gun violence,''
Attorney General Milgram said. “That
is why we must be equally aggressive in
supporting programs aimed directly at children
and more specifically programs aimed at
keeping kids in school. We must make kids
at risk more resilient to the pressures
of gangs, and we will.''
Education
Commissioner Davy said, "We recently
announced our commitment to transform our
secondary schools to ensure that a high
school diploma in New Jersey signifies true
quality and accomplishment. We want all
of our students prepared for both a postsecondary
education and a career. We must continue
to find new and better ways to keep our
students in school so that they can succeed
in a 21st century global economy."
"As
Secretary of State, I see firsthand how
arts education, volunteerism and civic engagement,
faith-based initiatives and other, proactive
efforts inspire our youth, and drive them
to achieve at extraordinary levels,"
Secretary Wells said. "The success
of this campaign is paramount to meeting
one of our most important responsibilities
as leaders in state government; namely,
to pursue the highest level of educational
excellence, cooperative relationships and
support system for our children that, together,
will ensure the highest graduation rates
possible."
"At a time when our economy is roiled
with uncertainty and chaos, the need for
our young people to stay in school and obtain
a quality education is greater than ever,’’
Mayor Booker said. “Newark's youth
- tough, resilient, determined - already
face many challenges in their struggle to
manifest their personal excellence and achieve
their dreams. Now, we are coming together
at the federal, state and municipal levels
to ensure that our young people can, indeed,
gain their share of America's Promise."
Participation
in the High School Graduation Campaign is
broad-based; several foundations, businesses,
schools and community organizations are
involved in the planning and implementation
of the campaign. The MCJ/Amelior Foundation
and the Nicholson Foundation are both active
partners for the kick-off event and each
have contributed $15,000 to the campaign.
Al Koeppe, the executive director of the
Newark Alliance, is heading a statewide
coalition of businesses supporting the campaign.
Verizon has committed $35,000 and will be
serving as the premier sponsor. Horizon
Blue Cross Blue Shield, PSEG, State Farm
Insurance, Prudential, and the New Jersey
State Chamber of Commerce have also signed
up as supporters.
Other
entities participating in the planning for
the initiative are the New Jersey Commission
on Higher Education, Rutgers University,
Newark Public Schools, the City of Newark,
Camden Public Schools, NJAfter 3, Communities
in Schools, Teach for America, and the Paterson
Education Fund.
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About
the America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is
the nation’s largest partnership alliance
comprised of corporations, nonprofit organizations,
foundations, policymakers, advocacy and
faith groups committed to ensuring that
children receive the fundamental resources
- the Five Promises - they need to lead
successful, healthy and productive lives
and build a stronger society. Building on
the legacy of our founder General Colin
Powell, the Alliance believes the success
of our children is grounded in experiencing
the Five Promises - caring adults; safe
places; a healthy start; an effective education;
and opportunities to help others-at home,
in school and in the community. For more
information about America's Promise Alliance
visit www.americaspromise.org.
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