There have been mixed feelings regarding many of the policies at GHS. The accountability policy is one that the school district is known for, but is it the right thing when it comes to students? The real question is if the policies are helping do what school is supposed to do – prepare young people for life after high school.
In college, students are given more responsibility and are expected to know how to take accountability for their own academics. However, not all high school students are motivated by grades, and, according to GHS Principal Mr. Todd Mueller, many do not have the ability to plan their futures very far in advance. Rather than letting students slip through the cracks, Gretna has policies in place in order to give students every opportunity to be successful. While some may think that the policies implemented at Gretna are unnecessary and unfair, the results say otherwise.
“It (accountability) was put into effect because a lot of times the teen mind doesn’t think more than five minutes in front of them,” Mr. Mueller said. “We’re not going to let somebody negotiate away or compromise their education because they made a poor decision as a teenager.”
The GPS mission statement explains that the district strives to maximize every student’s potential. It does not promise that everyone will receive a diploma.
“We don’t have a 100% graduation rate. We never have, and we probably never will, but what we do have is about a 96% graduation rate which is really, really good,” Mr. Mueller said. “We can’t save everybody, but we’re going to save everybody that we can.”
Dr. Tamy Burnett, a professor and co-director of the honors program at UNL has a background in administration. She was not familiar with Gretna’s policies, but she said she can see why they were implemented. Despite being an educator in a college setting, she said she understands the difficulty of being a public school administrator. She said that the students she works with are typically more motivated than the average high schooler.
Overall, college is a choice that individuals make to further their education. It is not forced upon them by law the way high school is. Gretna’s accountability policy is designed to help young people finish what they started and complete their education even if they do not wish to or do not have the ability to continue their academic journey after 12th grade.
“I understand that it’s not going to be popular, but I rest very well at night knowing that that was the right decision for everybody’s education,” Mr. Mueller said. “And if kids are mad at me, but they get a better education, I can live with that.”
