Email and student retention

Once again, the efficacy of using email with students has interacted with the issue of student retention. After not having seen Luis in class for a complete week (one of the students who usually attended almost every day) I called (the more traditional method of student teacher contact) and left a message. A day later, I received the following email message:

From: luis c.
Sent: Tue Jul 24 17:29:43 PDT 2007
To: bbakin@

Subject: Hi Mr Bakin


Hi Mr Bakin,well, yesterday i recieved yor message and i call you at PSC but it was at 15:30 pm, I´m working in a factory ans this is the reason why i´m not going to school, thank you very much for everything, God bless you and I´ll see you in another time, but i dont´l leave the school completely, I´m now enrolled at PSc saturdays, you know, the education is the most important in my life, it´s my future and any day I´ll get a better job with of course with a better payment after to get my GED certificate in English, this is one of my first short term goals.


See you later Mr. Bakin. Good Luck.


Luis C.


Apparently, he tried to return the call, but I wasn't at the school, so he emailed me! Having a secondary information pathway kept me informed about his status and I know that he hasn't "dropped out," just changed to a different program.