Politicians call it the achievement gap. Educators and families call it heartbreaking. Only 69 percent of Latino students graduate from Utah high schools compared with 91 percent of white students.
Many challenges keep young Latinos from graduating: language barriers, economic pressures, lack of role models and stereotyping in schools, to name a few. Experts say finding solutions is critical to students’ futures and the state’s well-being.
High school graduates pay an average of $139,100 more in taxes over their lifetimes than nongraduates and save the country about $40,500 in public health care costs. By 2050, about 20 percent of Utahns likely will be Latino.
The Salt Lake Tribune spent nine months following students Abby Gonzalez and James Hernandez to see the stories behind the statistics.
Read the article and come back and comment. What’s your solution to all of these challenges?
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