Tag Archives: fifth-year seniors

Hold the Applause

Failure can hide in what passes for “success” stories. Like the story Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schrunk told recently about a graduate of Drug Court. Speaking to the Portland City Club, Schrunk described how a man holding a baby, and accompanied by an attractive woman and an older couple, approached him at a Drug […]

Helplessness and the Status Quo

In Portland, Ore., school officials are struggling with a disconnect between how the city sees itself (very livable and very special) and the poor performance of its public schools (almost half of high school students don’t graduate in four years). Fifth-year seniors are becoming a trend. “The stigma of a fifth year is not what […]