Troubled Teens Resources

At least when troubled teens find that their poor behavior has landed them in schools for troubled teens, they are still in a position to graduate. Professional and accredited schools for troubled teens also include academics so that the teen does not fall too far behind.

However some teens education is interrupted by their misbehavior or, given current zero tolerance policies, through no real fault of their own.

“He related a story about a student enrolled at the Harrisburg LAB site who worked over his lunch hours and his duties involved opening boxes and stocking shelves at a local retailer. He inadvertently carried the box cutter knife he used at work back to school with him, another student saw it and reported him and he ended up being expelled under the school’s zero tolerance policy.

“A lot of these kids aren’t bad kids,” he emphasized. “They just made bad decisions.”

“These kids” are those who, for one reason or another, have put their education in jeopardy. They are however not going to fall through the cracks in one Illinois school district where “learning alternative branch” (LAB) schools can keep troubled teens on track to graduate.

“Nine out of 10 of these students have a lot on their plate, and we try to help lighten that load,” Norris said, whether it be discipline problems at home or other problems, such as homelessness. He related cases where the staff worked to find clothing or other needs, like school supplies. “We had one student who had lived in a car for three years. Oftentimes, no one has shown them how to be successful. What we find is they want to have the same opportunities as all other students.”
(source)