Luring Chicago dropouts back to school, one doorstep at a time

Check out this WBEZ story featuring the Principal of Englewood's Harper High School located at 6520 South Wood Street. Do you think CPS should chase after the high school dropouts and re-enroll them into school?

Leonetta Sanders is not actually looking for dropouts. The district doesn’t do that yet. But it could learn a lot from the way the Harper High School principal goes after her truant students.

“Where are you supposed to be at right now? (At school). Why aren’t you in school? (I don’t know.),” Sanders said.

Sanders works off a list of names and addresses—today it’s freshmen. But out on the streets, she’ll go after anybody—forget the list.

When she sees one of her students pushing a lawn mower down Damen Avenue at 11 a.m., she’s on it.

Sanders: What you pushing this lawn mower for? (‘Cause I’m finna go home and cut my grass.) OK, and then what you gonna do tomorrow at 7:45? (Be at school.) You gonna be at school, Baber? (Yes.) Are you sure you’re gonna be at school? (Positive.) You gonna have on your uniform? (Yes). You ready to learn? OK. Now don’t lie to me, if you say you're gonna be there I expect you to be there, OK? (OK) All right. (OK).

Sanders crosses the street at a furious pace. She heads straight for the gas station where Baber had been hanging out—and ducks inside.

“I understand some of my kids are hanging out here during the day—they’re supposed to be in school. And I just caught one of them leaving here. So I need you to let them know, that they need to be in school, starting tomorrow—full uniform.”

From behind thick, bulletproof glass, the gas station attendant promises not to sell anything to kids during school hours.

And that’s how the morning goes. Sanders knocks on doors, talks on porches. “A lot of people are like, ‘You the principal? Coming out to the house?’ Yeah!”