Read more: Local, Education, Community, Diversity, Quincy Public Schools, Lonny Lemon, Human Rights Commission
QUINCY, IL -- Quincy's Human Rights Commission met with Superintendent Lonny Lemon and the school board administration Thursday night to discuss various diversity issues.
According to the latest 2008 data, African-Americans have a 68 percent dropout rate compared to the state dropout average of 74 percent.
Although it's a bit better than the state average, Lemon told me that's not good enough.
He told me the district has made a lot of progress with diversity within the past school year.
For example, when the district ordered new text books, it placed strong consideration on those that were ethnically diverse.
Lemon said two diversity seminars were held this past spring for teachers.
He also talked with African-American students at Quincy University about possibility choosing education as a career field.
Lemon says only a very small percentage of African-Americans decide to teach, which makes it difficult to recruit minority teachers.
He also asked those students to consider mentoring African-American students in the Quincy School District.
Fifteen have agreed to do so.
Chair Dennis Williams told KHQA he's pleased with the progress.
He says if we don't invest in and pay for minority students' education now, we'll end up paying for their jail time in the long run.
