High-School Dropouts

On the front page of your paper (May 28), it stated that “the dropout rate here hovers around 32%.” However, on Page 3 of the Opinion Section, Max Hull states that in Los Angeles about 42% dropout by high school. The statistics don’t quite add up.

Your series on “Why Do Students Quit?” is outstanding. Too bad it won’t be read by those who need the information the most.

As a teacher, taking early retirement, after 23 years of experience in Los Angeles, I think Hull’s figures are probably closer to the mark. Too many of my seniors have writing skills inferior to the seventh graders I taught 23 years ago. Last semester my classes averaged 37 students per class. It is almost impossible to give written assignments more than once a week and still have time to keep up with my subject matter, make lesson plans and write up tests.

The students learn by doing and those without skills don’t even bother to try. Reduction of class size should be the No. 1 priority. Grouping by ability levels was done 23 years ago but now my gifted students sit next to students who should be in remedial classes. Teaching is a wonderful and often rewarding but also a very frustrating profession.

SHELLEY O. SMITH

Granada Hills