Why California Needs Charter Schools Like Learn4life
Saving At-Risk Students Saves The State Billions
Opponents of charter schools claim that charters are stealing all the top students and costing public schools money. Learn4Life is doing just the opposite. They focus on at-risk students who have struggled in public schools and have dropped out or are so far behind, they won\’t be able to graduate with their class.
Learn4Life serves more than 40,000 students throughout California, helping them get a diploma, job training and life skills – all for free. Most are minorities, socio-economically disadvantaged and have aged out of high school (Learn4Life can take students up to age 24). Many are teen parents or have adult responsibilities like a need to work or take care of family members.
Putting students back into schools means putting money back into the state. Instead of creating a lifelong drain on public resources, the hundreds of thousands of dropouts saved go on to become productive, contributing members of society. These graduates are on track to break the generational chain of poverty, as many are the first in their families to graduate with a high school diploma.
Every dropout who earns their diploma is six times more likely to vote; 67 percent less likely to be unemployed and eight times less likely to be incarcerated. Learn4Life\’s impact on the California economy since 2001 is:
- $1.7 billion saved in social services such as law enforcement and other social impacts
- $3.6 billion created in tax revenue from higher earning grads
Learn4Life students at a glance:
- 60% are ineligible for enrollment in traditional school because they are 17 ½ or older.
- More than 2,500 are pregnant or teen parents. Nearly 75% of teen moms do not graduate from high school.
- 87% of our students are minorities and often economically disadvantaged.
- Thousands are English Language Learners.
- 16% receive special education services.
- 10% are homeless, foster or migrant students and benefit from Learn4Life\’s trauma-informed model.
- Hundreds are enrolled in a CTE Pathway, getting specialized job training so they can enter the workforce with a high-paying career immediately after graduating.
The good news is that students are 89 percent successful, by either continuing with Learn4Life, graduating or continuing with another school or technical/professional training. Forty-six percent go on to post-secondary education.
Learn4Life\’s unique educational model removes many obstacles that at-risk youth face so they can concentrate on schoolwork. They offer personalized learning, one-on-one attention, mentoring, counseling and a flexible schedule. Read more about how this life-saving charter school is helping California\’s most underserved student population.
About Learn4Life
Learn4Life is a network of non-profit public schools that provides students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 40,000 students across California, we help students prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit http://www.learnfourlife.org/.
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