When
Kaylee Waldherr slipped and fell on wet grass two years ago, she never
dreamed her broken ankle would land her in a wheelchair for six months
and cause her to drop out of school.
The
further she fell behind in her studies, she said, the more overwhelmed
she felt, even with offers of help from the high school staff.
Waldherr
decided to leave Emerald Ridge High School in the middle of her
eleventh- grade year and take care of her two younger brothers as an
at-home nanny. Her plan, she said, was to eventually enroll in community
college and earn a general education degree (GED).
While it sounded like a good plan, the 19-year-old admits she was never fully satisfied.
“I knew a high school diploma would give me a better foundation for college and looking for jobs,” she said.
When
Waldherr learned about a new program this year in Puyallup that offers
student dropouts an opportunity to return to a specialized program to
earn a diploma or GED, she knew she was a perfect match.
This
fall, the teen is one of nearly two dozen student dropouts who have
re-enrolled in school in the newly launched “Puyallup Open Doors”
program.
The
students range in age from 16 to 20, dropped out in junior high or high
school, and left for a variety of reasons including medical issues,
substance abuse, pregnancy, financial issues, homelessness, or a
disengagement with learning, said Mary Jo Harvey, director of homeschool
and continuing education.
“Our main purpose is to engage every student and leave no one out,” Harvey said.
Puyallup
Open Doors will become a self-supporting program in the future through
state funds outlined in 2010 legislation designed to re-engage dropouts
throughout Washington state, said Chrys Sweeting, assistant
superintendent of instruction, learning, curriculum, and assessment.
The
program is housed in classrooms inside a building that the district has
leased on South Hill Park Drive near the Best Western Hotel.
Harvey
said it was important to have the classes held near a city bus stop to
make it easy for students who don’t drive. She has also worked hard to
make the program friendly and welcoming, including having comfortable
furniture and reading material in the lobby.
Sessions
are scheduled mornings and afternoons to accommodate student work and
home schedules. Each student has a personalized education plan designed
to make them successful.
The
district mailed postcards this fall to 1,300 students who had dropped
out of school and who met the program’s criteria of being between 16 and
20 years old as of September 1, 2013. The information on the postcard
explained Puyallup Open Doors and invited them to consider enrolling.
The program is also open to students outside the Puyallup School District who meet the same age requirement, Harvey said.
Waldherr, who lives within several miles of the leased facility, attends the program for approximately two hours twice a week.
She signed up this fall for two classes — math and language arts — in her first time back to school in over a year.
“I’m only 15 credits shy of graduating,” she said. “I’m not that far behind.”
Waldherr
completes her coursework online in a computer lab environment and is
supported by a certified teacher who can answer questions and help with
her learning plan.
Each
student enrolled in the program has his or her own personal
identification password and can also log in to work on online courses
from home.
Waldherr said she likes that the classroom is quiet without a large number of students to distract her.
Her
goal, she said, is to graduate with her high school diploma this June,
attend college, and pursue a career in daycare or nursing, preferably as
an Intensive Care Unit nurse.
For
more information about Puyallup Open Doors, contact Director Mary Jo
Harvey at (253) 841-8630 or visit the district website at http://ow.ly/raaQR.