FactCheck: Santorum Wrong on Dropouts

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Rick Santorum, who home-schools his seven children, incorrectly claimed on CBS' Face the Nation that "one of three children drop out of school" in the U.S., according to FactCheck. The 2009 dropout rate was 8.1 percent -- down significantly from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. "We're not sure where Santorum got his figures," FactCheck reports. "His campaign did not respond when we asked."

Posted by rcade at 05:55 PM | 30 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Frothy got it from the same source he uses for all his facts: he pulled it out of his ass.

#1 | Posted by axe at 2012-02-22 06:00 PM | Reply | Flag:

"His campaign did not respond when we asked."

You donâ€™t have to worry about The Sanitorium, because he will defend everything he says.

#2 | Posted by donnerboy at 2012-02-22 06:14 PM | Reply | Flag:

In some areas of the country--the dropout rate is 54%.

#3 | Posted by MURPHY at 2012-02-22 06:21 PM | Reply | Flag:

Santorum Wrong.

That pretty much sums up Santorum.

He's wrong, about everything.

#4 | Posted by ClownShack at 2012-02-22 06:24 PM | Reply | Flag:

In which areas of the country?

And how would the 2009 average dropout rate be 8.1% if there are schools with a 54% drop out rate?

#5 | Posted by ClownShack at 2012-02-22 06:27 PM | Reply | Flag:

Who ya gonna believe, the Voice of the Holy See in America, or your lying eyes?

#6 | Posted by northguy3 at 2012-02-22 07:13 PM | Reply | Flag:

I believe Mitt. He is one of the good guys. He is one of us. Go Mitt!

#7 | Posted by BradfordWinston at 2012-02-22 07:16 PM | Reply | Flag:

A religious fanatic caught lying to justify his ideology?

Wow. Who would have expected that?

#8 | Posted by Dr_Icepick at 2012-02-22 07:17 PM | Reply | Flag:

It has nothing to do with Santorum being a religious fanatic. The guy's an Italian. He can't help it.

#9 | Posted by BradfordWinston at 2012-02-22 07:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

I believe Mitt. He wants me to have my own planet full of nubile wives and an eternity to screw them silly.

#10 | Posted by donnerboy at 2012-02-22 07:32 PM | Reply | Flag:

a third! this is the problem with getting your current news from ancient holy books.

#11 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2012-02-22 07:34 PM | Reply | Flag:

hmmm....According to those ancient holy books aren't we all pretty much failures?

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

#12 | Posted by donnerboy at 2012-02-22 07:37 PM | Reply | Flag:

#12 good point.

#13 | Posted by BruceBanner at 2012-02-22 08:08 PM | Reply | Flag:

Bottom line is that close to a million students drop out of school every year. Now let's put Santorum's facts against anything Obama can come up with other than basketball stats. AND NO TELEPROMPTER cheating!

#14 | Posted by patriotwoman23 at 2012-02-22 08:23 PM | Reply | Flag:

The 2009 dropout rate was 8.1 percent -- down significantly from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, according to the National Center for Education Statistics

hello .. are there ANY critical thinkers left?
in our area suburban schools run about 7% .. our urban schools flirt with 50%

DETROIT-
Public schools across Michigan mobilized Wednesday to boost attendance for "Head-Count Day" .. the annual fall roll call that determines how much money each district receives under the state's per-pupil funding system.

Students in Detroit were treated to free meals, ice-cream parties, T-shirts, celebrity visits and a chance to win iPods and a plasma-screen TV â€" just for showing up for class .. Every student in class Wednesday represented funding for the school year .. Wednesday's carnival atmosphere masked grim financial realities. Enrollment has plummeted roughly 50 percent in the past decade, contributing to a $259 million deficit this year that has put the district on the brink of bankruptcy.

#15 | Posted by L_E_Light at 2012-02-22 08:27 PM | Reply | Flag:

Shut the fuck up, PatriotNOT. This isn't about Chuck Norris's beard!!!

Frothy is just another lying sack of fecal matter. Just like all you Republicunts.

#16 | Posted by axe at 2012-02-22 08:28 PM | Reply | Flag:

let's put Santorum's facts against anything Obama can come up with
-Patriotcrone

Santorum's "facts" are falsehoods. Is that not a problem for you, desertsnatch?

#17 | Posted by Dr_Icepick at 2012-02-22 09:23 PM | Reply | Flag:

#14 | Posted by patriotwoman23

Are you this retarded in real life?

#18 | Posted by jpw at 2012-02-22 09:40 PM | Reply | Flag:

It certainly wasn't that Democrat haven called Detroit. 1 in 3 graduate there.

#19 | Posted by KBM at 2012-02-22 11:06 PM | Reply | Flag:

Maybe one out of three Santorum kids drop out of home schooling.

#20 | Posted by squinch at 2012-02-23 08:37 AM | Reply | Flag:

That pretty much sums up Santorum.

Where were his ashes yesterday?

You would have figured such an uber catholic would have been proud to display his faith. Don't tell me he is a hypochristian.

#21 | Posted by 726 at 2012-02-23 09:37 AM | Reply | Flag:

"Where were his ashes yesterday?"

Well, yes, there's that.

But what I'm waiting for is the day he displays his stigmata.

#22 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2012-02-23 09:42 AM | Reply | Flag:

CNN says that 25% of those starting high school do not graduate. I apologize for cross checking 'fact check'.
globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.c
om

and only about 70% of entering high school freshman graduate every year.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the- press-office/president-obama- announces-steps-reduce- dropout-rate-and-prepare- students-college-an

#23 | Posted by Huguenot at 2012-02-23 11:10 AM | Reply | Flag:

www.whitehouse.gov

#24 | Posted by Huguenot at 2012-02-23 11:11 AM | Reply | Flag:

That pretty much sums up Santorum.

He's wrong, about everything.

#4 | Posted by ClownShack

You mean there is someone else that is wrong all the time like little o?

#25 | Posted by Sniper at 2012-02-23 12:49 PM | Reply | Flag:

"Enrollment has plummeted roughly 50 percent in the past decade, contributing to a $259 million deficit this year that has put the district on the brink of bankruptcy."

You may have some interesting point wrapped up in all your ranting, but you have to think this one through. Maybe you didn't mean to imply that this stat connects with the dropout rate, but that was the effect of your post. Decline in enrollment happens for many reasons, the largest of which is birth rate in most cases, unless you live in a place where transients come and go. To wit, my tiny HS next year will be at about 50% of the population it had 9 years ago. This is not a function of dropouts (you have to be 16 to drop out in the state in which I teach), but largely the result of baby bust. It's happening all over.

Dropping out, no doubt, is bad. (Remarkably low in my district these days. And no, I'm not extrapolating, just surprised.) Does anyone think it has anything to do with parenting? And by the worst number here (CNN's 25%), Santorum is still off by 8.33% (repeating). Well beyond margin of error, no? : ) Especially because if he had just said "1 in 4" he would have had the enemy (CNN) to back him up.

#26 | Posted by pragmatist at 2012-02-23 02:43 PM | Reply | Flag:

I learned recently from a nearby High school principal that the students who are counted as "dropouts" are any students who have been in highschool for 4 years and not graduated...even if they are still in school and intend to graduate.

Examples are kids who have moved a lot, missed too much school, pregnant, etc....any kid who simply didn't graduate in 4 years from the time they set foot on campus as a freshman.

and what is worse is that the state has to assign that "dropout" to whichever school they are at when the 4 years is up even if the kid actually graduates....they are still counted as a dropout at that school, which of course impacts his graduation and dropout rate.

interesting question here....should we be measuring "graduation rate" or "dropout rate" because I'm not sure it's the same data.

prag... any input here???

#27 | Posted by eberly at 2012-02-23 02:56 PM | Reply | Flag:

ALMOST ANY STUDY you read about dropouts is bullshit from beginning to end.

there is little if ANY provision when counting for students who simply move.....

#28 | Posted by afkabl2 at 2012-02-23 03:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

IE....they are counted as dropouts in many if NOT most states...

#29 | Posted by afkabl2 at 2012-02-23 03:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

Reading all the links and doing my own google search, it is apparent that the only one full of shit on this is factcheck. Anyone with even half a brain knows that the drop out rate is way fucking higher than 8%. What a bunch of liberal liars to even try to use that number. I hate Santorum - he is a dip shit, but facts are facts no matter how much the liberals wish they weren't.

#30 | Posted by Jacque_Strap at 2012-02-23 05:25 PM | Reply | Flag: