Dear Editor:
As a 2000 graduate of JCHS, I was by no means a model student. Like most students, the courses I excelled in were the ones I foun d most relevant, and the ones I didn't make any connections with were the ones that I either did poorly in, or skipped (this was reflected in my very average GPA).
When I went to college everything changed. Nearly all of the courses I took were relevant to me and I graduated with honors. I know others who have experienced this, and also many others who had the same experience once they entered the world of work. If we find meaning in what we are studying or doing for a living, we do better. That's a very important part of the concept of the small learning communities JCHS is moving towards. I have spent considerable time learning about the planned changes and am confident it will lead to a better educational experience for today's kids. I believe the changes will lead to greater successes by students and we will see fewer dropouts.
I am supportive of the single new high school with multiple learning communities for the fact that this is the lowest cost option to address our overcrowding issues at the high school. Couple that with providing learning spaces more suited to today's student and this seems like a winner to me.