No-show parents could face jail time

[chanel]

Detroit parents may get more than detention for missing their child's parent-teacher conference.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is pushing for an ordinance that would allow schools to punish parents who repeatedly miss parent-teacher conferences. The punishment- up to three days in jail.

Worthy plans to officially present the proposed ordinance in Mid-August. She hopes that this ordinance would make parents be more responsible and involved in their child's education, ultimately keeping more children out of trouble.

This raises concerns with some parents, however, who are worried that it could target single parents or those who cannot take off work. Others say that just because a parent misses a meeting, doesn't necessarily mean he or she is negligent.

CNN Newsroom: Blog Archive - No-show parents could face jail time - CNN.com Blogs

Radical? Predictions?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Detroit parents may get more than detention for missing their child's parent-teacher conference.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is pushing for an ordinance that would allow schools to punish parents who repeatedly miss parent-teacher conferences. The punishment- up to three days in jail.

Worthy plans to officially present the proposed ordinance in Mid-August. She hopes that this ordinance would make parents be more responsible and involved in their child's education, ultimately keeping more children out of trouble.

This raises concerns with some parents, however, who are worried that it could target single parents or those who cannot take off work. Others say that just because a parent misses a meeting, doesn't necessarily mean he or she is negligent.

CNN Newsroom: Blog Archive - No-show parents could face jail time - CNN.com Blogs

Radical? Predictions?

If the State wants to raise a child, they should PAY for the child and all its needs and wants. More Nanny State bullshit.

 

[chanel]

I believe Ms. Worthy is trying to get the schools OUT of the business of raising children, and forcing parents to be involved. I don't think jail time is appropriate, but certainly her goal should be applauded.

I read about some schools that cut off welfare checks to parents of truant children. Apparently, it's very effective.

Education World ® Administrators Center: Programs Combat A Community Problem-Chronically Truant Students

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I believe Ms. Worthy is trying to get the schools OUT of the business of raising children, and forcing parents to be involved. I don't think jail time is appropriate, but certainly her goal should be applauded.

I read about some schools that cut off welfare checks to parents of truant children. Apparently, it's very effective.

Education World ® Administrators Center: Programs Combat A Community Problem-Chronically Truant Students

Simply ignorant.

 

[Greenbeard]

That's a conundrum. If what happens outside of school is just as (if not more) important to a student's performance/outcomes do we blame schools for factors beyond their control or empower to try and influence those factors?

Tough to say. You mention that cutting off welfare checks can combat truancy but does mere attendance improve outcomes? Or are those former truants just disruptive to the process, impeding the kids who do go to school to learn something? You can punish parents for not showing up to meetings or not sending their kids to school but is more required of them than that? If those measures actually have good outcomes then all right; it just seems like the problem is much more intractable than that.

 

[chanel]

To paraphrase education philosopher Yogi Berra, "School success is 90 percent showing up; the other half is mental." Maybe that's an overstatement, but research does show conclusively that attendance is strongly associated with student achievement (Johnson, 2000).

Educational Leadership:Reshaping High Schools:Improving Student Attendance

More and more states are demanding "teacher accountability" based on student performance. Why not expect the same accountability from those that birthed them?

I would like to see parents fined for incorrigible behavior, and "no-shows" for students who miss detentions and mandated tutoring sessions. That's big bucks for many districts.

Conferences? Some kids simply don't need them.

 

[goldcatt]

I missed both of my childrens' conferences the first quarter this year. They sent a note home telling me they were scheduled for 2 and 2:15 pm the next day, when I had an obligation at work I couldn't reschedule or delegate. A phone call in the morning informed me I was a horrible parent for putting work before my children (in fact they insinuated I was a horrible parent for working at all), I was wasting the teachers' valuable time that was set aside and scheduled for me and they refused to reschedule for a later time.

Then when I called, e-mailed and screamed bloody murder to both of their teachers and the guidance office for a copy of some test results I would never have even known about if they hadn't happened to mention taking the tests, I was a nuisance parent. Go figure. I had to contact the district office and threaten to sue to get my own kids' records.

There are often two sides to every story, you know. Some parents really don't care and we all know it, but some schools could care less about the parents too. Punishing parents for school officials or teachers on an ego trip is beyond stupid.

 

[editec]

Jail time for not having a parent teacher conference?

That's preposterous.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Jail time for not having a parent teacher conference?

That's preposterous.

Not to the left.

 

[chanel]

Definitely a bit much, but Detroit schools are amongst the worst. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

My kids' school hands out report cards at conferences. They will not mail them or send them home with the kids. "If you want it, come get it." However, where I teach our grades are on line. Parents can check regularly and then call or email with concerns. There were parents I communicated with almost weekly. No conference necessary.

 

[Greenbeard]

Maybe that's an overstatement, but research does show conclusively that attendance is strongly associated with student achievement (Johnson, 2000).

I'm lazy enough to not look up the study cited but the question there is whether attendance is correlated with things like pre-existing student motivation or family stability, i.e. is it predominately a selection effect. If something like that is going on, then simply having kids who'd otherwise not be there in the classroom doesn't necessarily indicate they'll do better.

It's a bit like using research that shows children do better in two-parent households to argue for marriage incentives in public assistance--it assumes that just forcing people who don't want to be together to remain in a marriage will generate the same outcomes enjoyed by families that voluntarily remain together (and, in fact, informed the study in the first place).

Like I said, it's a tough call. But hopefully if Detroit does implement this policy, they have good pre- and post- intervention data so its effect can be evaluated. That would be fascinating.

 

[goldcatt]

Definitely a bit much, but Detroit schools are amongst the worst. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

My kids' school hands out report cards at conferences. They will not mail them or send them home with the kids. "If you want it, come get it." However, where I teach our grades are on line. Parents can check regularly and then call or email with concerns. There were parents I communicated with almost weekly. No conference necessary.

That's how it is at my kids' school too. And they are good kids, no problems and above average overall. How is a conference necessary? The point I made to them is if you're going to make the conferences mandatory, allowing the parents to have a say in scheduling them is extremely important. Not every parent can take off at the last minute at their convenience.

I made peace with the teachers and the school....eventually. But the fact that they consider a single working parent with a schedule an inconvenience to THEM when it's MY children at issue is something that sticks with me. And a huge reason I would oppose something like what's proposed here.

Not all teachers or schools are like the one my kids go to (they both had kids less than 2 years out of school themselves as teachers - which was a big part of the problem, IMO), but enough parents have real problems with the same sort of issues that it seems extraordinarily dumb to paint with such a broad brush.

 

[Modbert]

Not to the left.

Yeah, because the overwhelming amount of support in this thread for this is from Liberals.

 

[Shadow]

I missed both of my childrens' conferences the first quarter this year. They sent a note home telling me they were scheduled for 2 and 2:15 pm the next day, when I had an obligation at work I couldn't reschedule or delegate. A phone call in the morning informed me I was a horrible parent for putting work before my children (in fact they insinuated I was a horrible parent for working at all), I was wasting the teachers' valuable time that was set aside and scheduled for me and they refused to reschedule for a later time.

Then when I called, e-mailed and screamed bloody murder to both of their teachers and the guidance office for a copy of some test results I would never have even known about if they hadn't happened to mention taking the tests, I was a nuisance parent. Go figure. I had to contact the district office and threaten to sue to get my own kids' records.

There are often two sides to every story, you know. Some parents really don't care and we all know it, but some schools could care less about the parents too. Punishing parents for school officials or teachers on an ego trip is beyond stupid.

I've had similar things happen. Every year they try to schedule my conferences between 1-2 pm. Every year I tell them I can not attend during these hours due to being a single parent who works (with only a half hour lunch break). I try to get them to either schedule at 8:00/8:30 am (before my work schedule) or at 4:30/5:00 pm (closer to the end of my work schedule ,so I don't have as much time to make up). They have always refused because that puts the teacher at an inconvenience and then insist on a schedule right in the middle of the day (or none at all)..every single time.

Now, I realize they are tyring to accomodate other parents too,which I can understand,but they really don't even seem to put any effort at all into helping a situation such as this. They were better at trying to accomodate when my kids were in grade school....mid school is a different matter though. It has been my experience that the staff is non flexable in reguards to just about anything and everything... from dropping of paperwork to picking up report cards,forms,paying for yearbooks and even when dealing with confiscated items such as cell phones and IPods and such. And I would agree it seems to stem from ego and attitude problems from the school staff. I would not be in favor of any type of punishment in relation to parent conferences,I know first hand why many may not be able to attend them.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Portland schools encourage evening conferences. Most of my conferences were in the evening. The one time I missed was because the wife insisted on doing a daytime conference, and then she skipped.

There never was another time I could get with that teacher, who was very annoyed at me as a result.

Portland schools only do conferences in the fall, they let the kids out early, and both parents and teachers are given a lot of flexibility.

 

[chanel]

Our school does everything in its power to accomodate parents. Conferences can be scheduled on any date, provided the teacher is available.

Maybe that's an overstatement, but research does show conclusively that attendance is strongly associated with student achievement (Johnson, 2000).

I'm lazy enough to not look up the study cited but the question there is whether attendance is correlated with things like pre-existing student motivation or family stability, i.e. is it predominately a selection effect. If something like that is going on, then simply having kids who'd otherwise not be there in the classroom doesn't necessarily indicate they'll do better.

It's a bit like using research that shows children do better in two-parent households to argue for marriage incentives in public assistance--it assumes that just forcing people who don't want to be together to remain in a marriage will generate the same outcomes enjoyed by families that voluntarily remain together (and, in fact, informed the study in the first place).

Like I said, it's a tough call. But hopefully if Detroit does implement this policy, they have good pre- and post- intervention data so its effect can be evaluated. That would be fascinating.

I didn't look up the study either, but the article is from a respected journal. I will say that in my own experience, the only students who FAIL are attendance problems. Even if showing up only has a minimal effect on achievement, NOT SHOWING UP generally leads to failure.

Threat of jail time can be a very effective deterrent. But hitting people in the pocketbook often works as well. We starting fining kids $100 for smoking on school property. It cut the smoking down about 95%.

 

[goldcatt]

Portland schools encourage evening conferences. Most of my conferences were in the evening. The one time I missed was because the wife insisted on doing a daytime conference, and then she skipped.

There never was another time I could get with that teacher, who was very annoyed at me as a result.

Portland schools only do conferences in the fall, they let the kids out early, and both parents and teachers are given a lot of flexibility.

To be completely fair, the district here is one of many in the area busted for selling teaching and upper level staff jobs to the highest bidder....which is a common enough practice in some places but also tells you something about the kind of people we're dealing with. The kind who have to buy (or have no problem selling) what are some of the highest-paying jobs in a depressed area. It's a gold mine for them, nothing more.

(For obvious reasons I won't give out the name of the district where my kids attend school, but if you research government corruption cases in the Middle District of Pennsylvania - no PACER access necessary - there are quite a few officials under indictment from multiple school districts. And those are just the ones who've been formally charged with cases pending.)

I realize there are good schools and good teachers out there. Sounds like you're working with some of them. But without knowing the details something tells me a place like Detroit is probably more like where I live than it is like Portland. Jail time for parents = bad idea.

 

[Shadow]

Portland schools encourage evening conferences. Most of my conferences were in the evening. The one time I missed was because the wife insisted on doing a daytime conference, and then she skipped.

There never was another time I could get with that teacher, who was very annoyed at me as a result.

Portland schools only do conferences in the fall, they let the kids out early, and both parents and teachers are given a lot of flexibility.

My kids are usually out of school for conference week also and when they were younger the grade school they attended did offer evening conferences,which was really nice. Now, that they are in Mid School that has changed,which makes it hard for me when they won't re-schedule the mid afternoon times they keep giving us.

 

[xotoxi]

Yet another disgusting example of governmental control.

 

[chanel]

I'm sure this woman is getting slammed in the press out there but I give her kudos for "thinking outside the box" The corrupt bureaucrats running Detroit schools have no interest in changing the status quo. Shame for those kids. Parents don't care. Schools don't care. Apparently one woman does. And she'll probably lose her job because of it.