Rather than address problems in the school system, Texas education commissioner Robert Scott called Thursday for the state’s leading businesses to band together voluntarily to refuse gainful employment to those who have dropped out of high school, regardless of the reason.
"We need a commitment from businesses in this state to not hire kids who have dropped out of school. It would send a powerful message to these kids to stay in school. It would be better for them, better for businesses and better for the state in the long run," Scott told the Texas Association of Businesses (TAB), according to the Dallas Morning News.
His remarks came in response to a call from numerous Texas organizations and agencies for drop out and public education accountability reform in the face of increasingly dire drop out rates.
The TAB responded to his remarks Friday, calling them “irresponsible.”
“There’s no doubt that commissioner Scott has good intentions, but closing the door on children who are vulnerable to running off course or turning to crime is not the answer,” TAB president Bill Hammond said in a statement.
Holly LaFon has written and worked for various local publications including D Magazine and Examiner.
