Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1987-03-29

Duration: 00:25:57

Subjects: Education | High school dropouts | Northdale Magnet Academy (Baton Rouge, La.)

Contributors:

• Masingale, Sonya Host
• Hinton, Rob Reporter
• Suire, Harold Interviewee
• Helire, Leroy Interviewee
• Thomas, Arthur Interviewee
• Deemer, Lettimarie Interviewee
• Gonzalez, Diana Interviewee
• Bowlin, Maxie Interviewee
• Wingard, David Interviewee
• Spivey, Sherrie Interviewee
• Hutchinson, Rebecca Interviewee
• Guillot, Fred Interviewee

This episode of the series “Folks” from March 29, 1987, focuses on Louisiana’s 45% high school dropout rate, the highest in the country. Rob Hinton first profiles Northdale Magnet Academy, an alternative high school for high school dropouts and potential dropouts, which offers counseling services and vocational education. He interviews: Harold Suire of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce; Leroy Helire, principal; Arthur Thomas, junior; Lettimarie Deemer, sophomore; Diana Gonzalez, sophomore; Maxie Bowlin, senior; David Wingard, sophomore; and Sherrie Spivey, instructor. Sonya Masingale then conducts an in-studio interview with Rebecca Hutichinson, the project director for Northdale, and Fred Guillot, a math instructor at Northdale. They discuss: the reasons why students drop out of school; the benefits of the smaller class sizes at Northdale; students getting lost in a traditional environment; the signs of a potential dropout; the chances that Northdale students will pursue higher education; and the counseling services offered at Northdale.