>> Narrator: What do
parent-teacher meetings
have to do
with financial success?
First of all, consider
how big a role education plays
in just getting a job.
A high school graduate is almost
twice as likely to have a job
as a person who never graduated
from high school.
And then, a college graduate
is almost twice as likely
to have a job as someone
with a high school diploma.
So every extra year of education
means you have a much better
chance of being employed.
And what about income?
Well, the average high school
graduate makes almost 40% more
than a dropout.
For example, if a dropout
made around $20,000 a year,
by comparison, a high school
graduate would earn
at least $7,000 more.
And similarly, a college grad
would earn over $17,000 more
than that high school graduate,
for a total of nearly $45,000.
For every year a child
continues to stay in school,
his or her earning power goes up
around 15%.
With education, the numbers
keep rising and rising.
Research shows
that when parents are involved
in their children's education,
the kids do better in school.
Parents can help them
towards greater achievement
in three ways:
Help their kids with homework;
Always talk with them
about school;
Help them manage their time.
Parents who stay informed
have higher-achieving children.
>> If we believe that education
is important, as I do, we have
to model that for our children,
and convey the message in every
way we can, both by doing, and
talking, and being involved.
>> It's the school's job
to work with parents,
so don't hesitate
to visit your child's school
or talk to the teachers,
in person or by phone.
Dropping out of school is
a process that begins early on.
So, if your child seems
to be struggling in any grade,
it's time to meet with teachers
and the school counselor
to talk about ways to help
your child get back on track.
Many schools provide alternative
programs that can help prepare
students for the kind of
employment and income
they deserve as adults.
>> Not every student
learns in the same way.
So, sometimes we have to
generate or create alternative
programs to meet their learning
needs, their specific learning
needs of students who might not
fit into that traditional
setting.
>> My daughter just started
at Shabazz last quarter,
after having a very difficult
experience at a large school,
which was pretty anxiety
provoking and not comfortable
for her.
So for her, she comes home every
day saying she loves school.
>> So that students can become
re-engaged in the learning
process, and get a new
opportunity to be successful.
>> He likes to talk,
and he loves ideas.
And there's 15 other kids
in the room, and he's had to
really learn to interact
with other students.
And the teachers here have been
so good with helping him
learn how to do that.
And that's been a great thing
that's happened here as well.
>> Narrator: Whether
it's at an alternative school,
or through parents' involvement
to keep their kids advancing
at any school,
every extra year of education
results in better
job possibilities
and greater income potential
for those kids.