Week 15: "The True Cost of High School Dropouts" - NY Times

1. The amount of high-school-age kids dropping out of high school is a growing problem in the USA. 
2. A high-school graduate is more likely to pursue a higher-education degree and therefore end up making significantly more income throughout their life.
3. Every high-school graduate benefits taxpayers with an extra $127,000 over their lifetime, and has a 50-100% increase in lifetime income compared to an adult who didn't graduate from high-school.
4. Our economic competitors, in Europe and Asia particularly, are increasing their number of high school graduates while the US' number of high school graduates is dropping - this will negatively affect our economy. 

As a high school student, this issue heavily impacts my life. Although I know that I will not be dropping out of high school, I understand that this is a very prevalent issue in the US, especially in poorer areas. The state of our future economy is also influenced by the amount of money many American citizens are making in relation to the rest of the world; therefore, it is also influenced by the number of high-school graduates the US is responsible for (because high-school graduation has such an impact on a person's lifetime income). This article also serves as way to highlight the importance of education in America, and how the failing of the American education system will do nothing to help the future of the country.

Source: Levin, Henry M., and Cecilia E. Rouse. "The True Cost of High School Dropouts." New York Times. 25 Jan 2012: n. page. Web. 5 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/opinion/the-true-cost-of-high-school-dropouts.html?_r=1&ref=contributors>.