Baltimore sends parents to jail for truant kids

[DefLepard]

Hope this hasn't already been posted...

I just read this online and thought I'd share


Story =

About a dozen parents have been sentenced for their children's truancy this year and some have gone for jail for the crime, the Baltimore Sun's Erica Green reports.

Green profiles Barbara Gaskins, who spent 10 days in jail after her 15-year-old son missed the overwhelming majority of school days this year. She says she dropped him off at the bus stop each morning and taught him the importance of education. She was worried about finding childcare for her four young children while serving the time.

"We're dealing with less than 1 percent of students and parents, and certainly this is one of the toughest decisions we have," Jonathan Brice, who oversees the school district's truancy office, told Green. "But it's critical that we get those parents' and young people's attention about the seriousness of being in school." Education experts, however, were less confident that cracking down on parents would lift attendance.

The school system's court liaison Alfred Barbour told the paper that no parents served jail time last year--and that only three did in 2009. Hundreds of them are cited each year for truancy however, and charges are filed after a student misses 15 days. For parents to be convicted, the school has to prove they knew their child wasn't attending school.

Criminalizing parental laziness has had something of a nationwide movement lately. California's new strict anti-truancy bill took effect at the beginning of this year. Parents can serve up to a year in jail if convicted of allowing their children to skip class. Florida and Texas already have similar laws on the books. And one Michigan prosecutor wants an ordinance passed to send parents who miss parent-teacher conferences to jail for three days a pop.

HOW in the world is this helping a parent control truancy ?

 

[Goofyluver]

For parents to be convicted, the school has to prove they knew their child wasn't attending school.

Sounds good to me.

 

[DefLepard]

And one Michigan prosecutor wants an ordinance passed to send parents who miss parent-teacher conferences to jail for three days a pop.

This is the best one of all, miss a parent teacher conference, go directly to jail do not pass Go..

 

[FredinFL]

I say they have a hell of a lot of nerve. Talk about Big Brother watching. Mind your own business. It's their business and the kids if they aren't going to school. Jailing a parent for that is ludicrous.

 

[scrapquitler]

HOW in the world is this helping a parent control truancy ?

It's not. They are just trying to scare other parents by making an example of a few.

But really, if your 15 year old is going to be truant, and he wants to be defiant, what are most parents going to be able to do about it? I knew someone who was dropped off and picked up right at the front of school by her parents every day. Mom dropped her off, waved good bye and drove away. The girl stood outside talking to her friends until Mom drove away. Then she'd get in a car with her friends and leave.

 

[RockAndRollBallerina]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've read about to date. You can not blame the parent at all if their kid just plain isnt showing up for class or school, particularly when it comes to teenaged kids.

 

[Art 1]

Good.

 

[Cindy B]

The district I work for takes parents to court if they miss days. After 3 days, the truant officer gets notified, after 10 days a letter regarding possible court actions, then it goes from there (court attendance)

I know parents get fined a hefty amount due to missed days.

If the students miss enough days, they are to fail for the year. I have a student that has only come to school three days since February.. .three days!

The saddest part is for some the fine (up to 1000) is no big deal.. the students would rather be "working" than going to school.

 

[pls5286]

We now have DFs son. Truancy is one of the issues his ex had. If he missed one more day, she was going to jail. He has missed over 20 unexcused days this year. If he didn't want to go to school, they didn't make him. For an autistic child, that was not good.

 

[Hannathy]

It's not. They are just trying to scare other parents by making an example of a few.

But really, if your 15 year old is going to be truant, and he wants to be defiant, what are most parents going to be able to do about it? I knew someone who was dropped off and picked up right at the front of school by her parents every day. Mom dropped her off, waved good bye and drove away. The girl stood outside talking to her friends until Mom drove away. Then she'd get in a car with her friends and leave.

Then Mom should have walked her right into the office every morning and signed her in and then let the school deal with her if she left at that point.

Why in the world would you just drop a child like this off?

I think it is good ,why have laws in place if no one is ever going to be held to them. They need to put more in jail, and the truant child should also have to go to facility also.

 

[Hannathy]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've read about to date. You can not blame the parent at all if their kid just plain isnt showing up for class or school, particularly when it comes to teenaged kids.

Of course you can. Until they are 18 or emancipated they are your responsibility and absolutely you are to be blamed.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

This is the best one of all, miss a parent teacher conference, go directly to jail do not pass Go..

But mom and dad do not fall under compulsory attendance requirements in ANY state. Sure they should be held accountable to send kids to school, but to go to jail because they won't go to a conference conducted when teacher says it will happen.

Oh heck no.

But I really have no problem with holding parents accountable when they claim they can't make their kid go to school.

I did not like their homeschooling law, so we did not move there and chose VA instead. (I realize this was not a homeschooling article, but something about how that state runs their compulsory requirements rubs me the wrong way.)

 

[disneyjunkie]

So you send the parent or parents to jail. What happens if they get fired as a result? If the family lives in public housing, the jail time could be grounds for eviction. Now you have an unemployeed parent with a homeless family. Great policy.

 

[DaParkers]

I say they have a hell of a lot of nerve. Talk about Big Brother watching. Mind your own business. It's their business and the kids if they aren't going to school. Jailing a parent for that is ludicrous.

I completely disagree. Truant students are more likely to get into trouble. I live in a city where a large percentage of crimes are perpetrated by juveniles. Baltimore is similar. Juveniles that don't go to school. When my wife is robbed by a teenager that should be in school, it isn't just his parents problem, it's mine also. I cut school a LOT as a teen. If my mother would've gotten in trouble because of it, I would've went to school. Kids cutting school don't care about themselves, but most care about their parents, so I truly believe that most would change their behavior if their parents could possibly go to jail. A teenager recently turned himself in for murder after his mother was arrested for helping him run from the police.

 

[Hannathy]

So you send the parent or parents to jail. What happens if they get fired as a result? If the family lives in public housing, the jail time could be grounds for eviction. Now you have an unemployeed parent with a homeless family. Great policy.

and it all could be avoided by sending your child to school. simple as that. send your kid to school and then don't worry about loosing your job or housing.

 

[golfgal]

I would rather see a parent in jail for 10 days than their child in jail for life

 

[MM27]

The push right now is to have teacher evaluations tied to student test scores. So, yes, they should be holding parents responsible as well. I can't teach them if they don't come to school.

 

[Leajess99]

Our school system has a web program that allows parents to see all grades and absences a child has. I check them regularly and if I find something on the attendance than I am checking with my child and the school.

I have received the truancy note because my middle schooler was not remembering to turn in her school excuses from the doctor's appointments. I turned those in and talked with the principal who was clueless with what was going on with my child although the assistant principal was aware of the whole situation.

We have kids here that will skip school given the chance. Earlier this school year we had a kid nt getting on the school bus. He would wait for it and then just walk away as the other kids got on it. This went on for probably 2 weeks when I finally got tired of it and contacted the assistant superintendent in charge of school services as the middle school assistant principal knew nothing of it and he was a middle schooler. I just can't see how a parent doesn't notice a child not coming home with school work or anything else. The assistant superintendent made a trip out to watch in the morning and finally got it taken care of.

Truant kids not going to school generally spend the day getting into and causing trouble.

 

[FredinFL]

I completely disagree. Truant students are more likely to get into trouble. I live in a city where a large percentage of crimes are perpetrated by juveniles. Baltimore is similar. Juveniles that don't go to school. When my wife is robbed by a teenager that should be in school, it isn't just his parents problem, it's mine also. I cut school a LOT as a teen. If my mother would've gotten in trouble because of it, I would've went to school. Kids cutting school don't care about themselves, but most care about their parents, so I truly believe that most would change their behavior if their parents could possibly go to jail. A teenager recently turned himself in for murder after his mother was arrested for helping him run from the police.

I disagree and stand by what I said previously.

 

[twinglesmome]

The parent should have to physically walk in the school building with the kid if this is an ongoing problem. I wonder what would happen if the kid went to a facility (not necessarily jail) where education would be provided rather than putting the parent in jail.