Truancy and tardiness: Does going after parents work?
Most people who work with truants say the parents are part of the problem. But is criminal action against the parents the right solution?
Yes, according to districts that are getting more aggressive in criminally prosecuting parents whose children rack up unexcused absences or show up late repeatedly.
Nationwide, more systems are resorting to punitive measures to command the attention of parents and make a point.
Earlier this year, parents in Loudoun County, Va., were stunned to find sheriff’s deputies at their front doors with court summons. The parents faced Class 3 misdemeanors because their children had been late too many times.
In a story on the summons, the Washington Post focused on one peeved couple whose three children had glowing report cards, but the parents were still summoned to court because of how often the kids were tardy. An attorney, the father argued that the summons represented an out-of-control nanny state. The Post story drew 868 comments.
Many posters contended it was wrong to criminalize lateness. So taking kids to school late repeatedly is a bad idea and impacts everyone — conceded. However, is it criminal behavior? Do you all really understand the significance of criminalizing everything in this country? We’ve all gotten so used to the massive overreach of government we don’t even stop to consider that there are better ways to manage our society. How about we handle it in the local school instead of in the courts?
But others argued that the parents ought to own up to their mistakes: The school didn’t take this action because a child was tardy once or twice. It obviously was becoming a routine and disruptive to other students and the school staff. Part of the education of the kids is learning that it’s important to follow rules. If the rules aren’t reasonable then you work to change them through the normal processes. I don’t think the acceptable process is teaching children to blatantly break rules if you don’t like them. I bet that doesn’t work at home! This is pretty simple. Go to court and explain that you are now following the rules, apologize, accept the suspended fine, and get the kids to school on time.
Cheryl McCoy and Danelle Swanson were led away in cuffs, each charged with educational neglect, after DeKalb Sheriff’s deputies pounded on their doors.
“When we get eight unexcused absences, that’s when we are getting involved,” said Sherry Boston, the DeKalb solicitor-general. The DeKalb County School District referred 900 cases to her office last year for truancy violations, she said.
The sweep underscores a nagging problem: truancy increases the likelihood that a student will eventually drop out. And students who drop out are likely to occupy a low rung on the economic ladder or a prison cell. Nine of 10 prison inmates in Georgia are high school dropouts
In Cobb County, the number of court referrals last year was around 350, said Paul Pursell, the school system’s truancy coordinator. Police complain to him that truants commit daytime burglaries and other mischief. Both Atlanta and Cobb schools refer cases to the courts after 10 unexcused absences, but school counselors and social workers get involved far earlier, typically after three unexplained absences.
Denise Revels, the coordinator of social work services for Atlanta Public Schools, said students who fail to attend until age 16, as the law requires, affect everyone. “They don’t become productive citizens,” she said. “So it’s a societal problem.”
School officials link parents with social services that try to help. This summer, Atlanta experimented with a month-long summer camp that placed 40 truant middle school students with Atlanta police officers. The kids took field trips, did community service, attended police training and bonded with cops, who plan to follow up with them during this school year.
“Court is really the last resort for us,” Revels said.
Sometimes, though, it’s the only option. About 70 of those 900 DeKalb court referrals last year failed to appear for their meeting with the judge, leading to bench warrants for their arrest, said Sgt. Adrion Bell, spokesman for Sheriff Tom Brown.
Swanson, 26, failed didn’t show for court after her child missed 16 days of kindergarten. McCoy, 43, skipped court after her teenager missed 37 days of middle school. Boston asks judges to impose one day in jail for each day of school missed, but only two or three cases actually got that far last year, she said. “The vast majority of our parents just need help and guidance.”
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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143 comments Add your comment
bootney farnsworth
August 3rd, 2012
7:54 pm
@ Dr. Craig
and just how do you force someone to care?
the state has a compelling interest in educating those who wish to be educated.
anything else is tyranny.
when will people in Georgia respect the rights of individuals to make choices they
do not approve of?
bootney farnsworth
August 3rd, 2012
7:57 pm
further:
we have discussed over and over again here the negative impact kids who don’t wish to be in school have on the ones who do want to be there
the state has a compelling interest to nurture the one who care, not punish them – and us- with the ones who don’t
Pride and Joy
August 3rd, 2012
8:09 pm
Hre’s a thought no one is thinking about:
If you fine a parent for TARDINESS, then what is likely to happen?
THey absolutely won’t be tardy — they’ll be absent.
I was recently at McDonalds at lunch time during a school day. Three elementary aged children, all from the same family were playing on the playground. I asked the oldest one why she wasn’t in school. She was honest. Her school project wasn’;t finished yet. So she stayed out of school to finish it. Her parent then made the decision to keep all the kids at home insetad of alloweing two to go to school while the other one, who had the project, stayed at home to work on it.
Be careful what you wish for.
If you fine a parent for bringing the kids late to school, they may just keep that child out of school all day AND their siblings.
Pride and Joy
August 3rd, 2012
8:19 pm
Long time educator, boy, do you realize what you just said? YOu said “vUnder no circumstances should lack of responsibility on the parents’ part become a burden for the teacher to find time in the already crowded school day to catch the child up.”
THen WHY should a lack of responsibility on the PARENTS part become a punishment for the CHILD? That’s insane!
It is the parent’s responsiblity. The kid can’t drive himself to school!
My, you need an education in common sense!
Public HS Teacher
August 3rd, 2012
9:10 pm
@ bootney farnsworth -
So often you are so far out on a limb – does it get cold out there?
Give kids a CHOICE to attend school or not and guess which the vast majority will select? LOL!!! You are really too funny.
Why don’t you buy an island and just get away from society?
It is to the benefit of the entire Nation to have an educated population. Educated citizens are clearly linked to so many good things for any community.
Since you want to “respect teh rights of individuals to make choices”, I wonder…. do you also champion the rights for a woman to chose abortion? My guess is that your conservative “values” get twisted on that one. LOL!!!
Mary Elizabeth
August 3rd, 2012
9:15 pm
“I’ve had students with excessive absences being forced to parent younger siblings, care for sick or drug-altered parents, or be abused/neglected/molested.”
=====================================
The unfortunate situations, stated above, are additional reasons why some students often fall behind their peers in academic skills and curriculum concepts. What is described, above, easily lends itself to not being able to concentrate on academics. Chronic absences and dropping out of school often occur for multiple reasons – for academic and emotional reasons, in combination.
Also, bullying could easily cause some students to be absent from school. Bullying is abuse and should never be allowed, especially in a school setting.
Big Mama
August 3rd, 2012
9:29 pm
I think I know what an IEP is, but can someone please explain to me what a 504 is?
Mom of former class cutters
August 3rd, 2012
10:12 pm
Have you all lost your minds? I worked to put a roof over our heads and food on the table. I left the house at 5:50 am. I returned home at 6:30 pm. You think I should have quit my job to follow my kids to school every day? You think I should have been arrested? Really? What about the kids learning actions have consequences to the one who actually don’t follow the rules. My kids took their lumps and grewup to be outstanding compassionate adults.
Public HS Teacher
August 3rd, 2012
10:13 pm
Big Mama -
It is my understanding that a 504 is used for students that have issues not quite as severe. For example, a student that may have a broken leg and cannot get to class on time might have a 504 that is an accomodation for the student to use a wheel chair or be excused to be tardy to class.
I had a student with a 504 because her brother committed suicide that year. She was depressed and getting therapy. The 504 was more academic in nature because her temporary situation impacted her ability to concentrate.
Public HS Teacher
August 3rd, 2012
10:16 pm
@Big Mama -
One thing to consider. IEPs and 504s need to be used sparingly and when a student needs them. They become part of the “permanent record” of the student. So, it isn’t a good thing to have one unless it is really needed.
Some parents do not realize this until it is too late. They think that these might give their child some advantage in some way. They don’t realize the negative side to them.
Burroughston Broch
August 3rd, 2012
11:24 pm
For all the teachers and former teachers complaining about class size, my step-daughter teaches elementary in Gwinnett and has a roll of 19 students, with not a special ed child in the bunch. It’s typical of her school.
I don’t understand the mathematics of the educational business (ed biz). When I look at a system’s enrollment and the number of teachers, assume that each teacher has a free period a day, and calculate the average class size, it always comes up to no more than 20. So please explain these laments about 30 and 35 students per class. Right now, I don’t buy it. Reminds me of the T-SPLOST propaganda.
Beverly Fraud
August 4th, 2012
12:13 am
The problem with education? Maybe it’s the LACK of integrity of those who have power.
Does Beverly Hall make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does Arne Duncan make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does Crawford Lewis make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does the “Miracle Man” in Bibb make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does Michelle Rhee make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does the NEA make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does Rod “Houston Miracle” Paige make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does the DeKalb School board make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does the “award winning” APS school board make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does NCLB make you think of the word “integrity”?
Does RTTT make you think of the word “integrity”
That’s a whole lot of things that DON’T make you think of the word “integrity”?
No wonder people want to dismantle it.
Truth in Moderation
August 4th, 2012
12:43 am
For home schoolers, there are no tardies. There are also no absences. Students must attend school 180 days/year. My kids are always sad when I make them complete school on a “snow day.”
me
August 4th, 2012
2:19 am
its not the parents some send there kids to school and they dont go some just hang on the streets or at others places until school is over, maybe if god was in there homes it would help also god needs to be in school when i was in school my teachers all had us to pray if you need not want to ust be quite until the ones that did was done school these days dont even honer the flag anymore that some of the problems. most school have no fun in them my nephew went to wheeler county school there was not kind of fun at all there should be fun in learning to make kids injoy going to school i home school him now he has learned more from me than he learned in school in 8 years school care less about special ed students most just like to work with kids they know or going someplacein life and thats not fair
NWGA Teacher
August 4th, 2012
7:04 am
Burroughston Broch, don’t assume that any teacher has a “free” or planning period.
Not all teachers have their own classrooms. EIP (Early Intervention Program), ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), and many special ed teachers are spread out across the school. They may go into classes to teach specific students, or their students may come to them throughout the day. Other teachers are media specialists (library), physical education, music, art, speech, gifted, administrators, etc.
Lee
August 4th, 2012
7:24 am
“But is criminal action against the parents the right solution? Yes, according to districts that are getting more aggressive in criminally prosecuting parents whose children rack up unexcused absences or show up late repeatedly. Nationwide, more systems are resorting to punitive measures to command the attention of parents and make a point.”
Let me rephrase, “Do we really want a petty, vindictive administrator who doesn’t know the difference between a Tweety Bird keychain and a deadly weapon to have prosecutorial powers over us?”
I think not.
They didn’t dismantle the Berlin Wall and East Germany. They moved it over here….
Lee
August 4th, 2012
7:51 am
Follow-up to the “petty, vindictive administrator” comment above. Apparently, those on-line educational doctorate programs don’t include a study of the Constitution.
Bus driver who was fired for displaying Confederate flag on his pickup truck wins first round of lawsuit.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0802/Free-speech-Can-school-fire-redneck-over-Confederate-flag-on-his-truck
bootney farnsworth
August 4th, 2012
7:59 am
@ public
yeah, I respect the right of choice, even when I don’t agree with it. pathetic strawman, by the way, easy to burn down. it would appear like many others here you are in the make them do as I want them to crowd.
lets try it this way. how about lets start jailing and flogging public teachers who resort to stupid hysterical off topic crap to attempt to deflect from their inability to discuss an issue with anything resembling logic.
while you’re at it, call me racist/homophobic/republican/xenophobic/bourgeois/elitist/sexist and ugly.
get them all out at one time so you can feel better. you still won’t have a club, but you might feel better
bootney farnsworth
August 4th, 2012
8:06 am
@ public
now to deal with the stupidity of your comment.
kids are already making the choice. that (I’ll type slowly here so you can keep up) explains the high incidences of truancy and absenteeism. it also explains the behavior issues of the kids who bother to show up.
the “societal good” done by forcing the ones who don’t wish to be there to attend is far offset by the damage done to the ones who want to be there. there is no societal upside to 1-compelling kids to attend so you can have a full classroom or 2-punishing the parents for item #1
bootney farnsworth
August 4th, 2012
8:08 am
@ Lee
have you ever tried to sue the system?
and it does squat for the lost wages in the period the suit occurs.
bootney farnsworth
August 4th, 2012
8:11 am
@ Lee
btw: your Berlin Wall comment is dead on. glad to know at least one other person understands the much bigger issue here
bootney farnsworth
August 4th, 2012
8:14 am
lets try this one other way:
the same morons who have run most every school system in Georgia into the ground are the same ones you wish to empower with the ability to punish people/send them to jail?
you really want this? really?
Tinkerella
August 4th, 2012
8:40 am
My son started skipping school during his encounter with the new math curriculum (yeah, I know…old topic but still…he will be the last class with it). He was miserable and I was already at work when I got the call that he was not there. Long story short after punishment, tutoring, etc., I got the call to go in front of the BofE in our county. Sat through a video with about 500 other parents which told us how terrible truancy is (and yes it is). We then were asked to meet with an administator to tell why our kids were truant. My turn came up and he said, all you have to do is write us excuses for his absences and this will all go away. I said WTH??? Absolutely NOT. He skipped school and I am not going to lie for him. I signed the paper and left. If I would’ve just given them some excuses that I lied on, they would get their government money for his attendance. They didn’t care that he was skipping because he was having problems in a class which made him miserable. He got a firm punishment at home but in reality it didn’t solve the root of the problem. For all of you who just assume it is us parents who oversleep and are just too lazy to give a damn are pretty far off the mark in a lot of cases. I work hard and I am up at 5:00 a.m. everyday.
Jack
August 4th, 2012
9:40 am
I like the idea of withholding welfare to parents who allow their children to skip school. That might not correct the problem, but it’ll certainly get the parents involved in order to get their food stamps.
AngryRedMarsWoman
August 4th, 2012
10:49 am
“I like the idea of withholding welfare to parents who allow their children to skip school.”
Interesting thought. So when little Jack misses too many days, big Jack loses his mortgage deduction on his income taxes for that year. Yeah, I can dig it.
mountain man
August 4th, 2012
12:28 pm
OK, let us just make school optional – but if a kid misses 5 days, he/she has to wear a GPS monitoring device. That way it will be easy to connect them to the burglaries and other crimes they commit. Also, when they leave school, then take away the “juvenile offender” status and just go ahead an put them away for serious time for their offenses. That is where they will end up anyway, we just need to get them into prison as soon as possible. Hopefully, we can catch them before they commit murder.
CCMST
August 4th, 2012
12:40 pm
@Burroughston Broch – what elementary? Maybe I can a new job, lol – too bad I’m middle school certified.
Seriously, the class size issue IS real – when the downturn started, the state waived the class size mandates that had been in place. Elementary classes, especially k-3, were not impacted to the same extent as MS & HS as their class sizes were lower to begin with (and there is evidence that shows lower class sizes help in the early years). So while your step-daughter may have classes of 19, others really do have classes of 35.
The class size average is a lie anyway, because it’s a ratio of teachers to students that doesn’t factor differences in teacher duties. Some are actually academic coaches with no classes of their own. Some teach small group special ed. Some teach ESOL (also typically smaller classes). So you could have 4 teachers: math coach, SPED, ESOL, Gen ed, and have 60 students. Looks like a ratio of 1 teacher to 15 kids – that’s great, right?? In reality, the SPED teacher has maybe 8 kids, the ESOL teacher has 12, the gen ed teacher has 30, and the coach offers “support” to all of those classes (and how effectively that happens depends on myriad factors).
mountain man
August 4th, 2012
1:57 pm
I think we should also push for a law saying that employers should not be able to discriminate (fire) against someone just because they are late or miss work. After all, it is that way in school.
See posts above.
PJ
August 4th, 2012
9:14 pm
@me ……………. <——– Those are periods. Feel free to use them.
Truth in Moderation
August 4th, 2012
11:32 pm
@mountain man
“Hopefully, we can catch them before they commit murder.”
It seems as if the OPPOSITE is true. The majority of the mass murder shootings were perpetrated by STUDENTS in schools. Also, the latest, “Batman shooter” was a high achieving HONOR student. So much for your unscientific theory. Compulsory education violates the First and Thirteenth amendment.
mountain man
August 5th, 2012
9:11 am
“The majority of the mass murder shootings were perpetrated by STUDENTS in schools. ”
I’m not talking about just “mass murderers”, who commit probably 1% of all murders. I am talking about regular murders- you know, home invasions at drug houses, robberies gone bad, drive-by shootings.
Lee
August 5th, 2012
10:33 am
“I think we should also push for a law saying that employers should not be able to discriminate (fire) against someone just because they are late or miss work. After all, it is that way in school.”
Have you ever tried to terminate an employee in today’s hyper-sensitive, politically correct environment? Almost impossible – ESPECIALLY if said employee is a minority. In fact, absenteeism and theft are about the only reasons you can fire someone and not get hammered by the courts or by one of the numerous government entities such as the EEOC or state Dept of Labor.
Poor performance? Forget about it. Suck it up and hire two more people to do the job of one.
mountain man
August 5th, 2012
11:06 am
“Have you ever tried to terminate an employee in today’s hyper-sensitive, politically correct environment?”
Just did.
mountain man
August 5th, 2012
11:11 am
For the lady in the article – maybe instead of involving the police (in her late problem), just keep the children after school 30 minutes each day that they are late. She probably won’t care. But maybe her kids will get tired of paying the price, and they will get HER moving in the morning.
mountain man
August 5th, 2012
2:21 pm
“The teachers do not want to be held responsible for student failure, so they try to shift the blame to parents and the students themselves.!”
I think teachers should be held accountable for student learning even in schools they don’t teach in. Make Atlanta teachers accountable for Florida Students! Don’t let them shift the blame.
Howard Finkelstein
August 6th, 2012
7:00 am
Arrest the parents? Absolutely.
Momtoktb
August 6th, 2012
10:21 am
@ title 1: “As a middle school teacher, when a healthy kid is absent too often, I get scared ’cause I know something very wrong is happening at home.”
Funny; as a middle school mom, when my “healthy” kid is absent too often, that is my clue that something very wrong is happening at SCHOOL (bullying by peer or teacher, learning gap not noticed by teacher and child fails behind and is anxious, etc.).
Ronin
August 6th, 2012
11:49 am
Simply another reason to educate your child at home.
Ole Guy
August 6th, 2012
11:56 am
As with many issues brought forth in this fine educational blog section, I simply do not see where the question should even exist…who’s the responsible party? THE ADULTS…THE PARENTS. Again, as with many issues, nobody seems to have/nor wish to assume responsibility/control. Should the parent/head-of-household/lead sled dog, or whomever appears to be the RESPONSIBLE ADULT in the family be held accountable for the kids’ attendance…? Why is this even a point of contention?? OF COURSE…if the kids outa school too damn much, fine em, jail em…whatever it takes to pull these peoples’ heads outa their sixes.
I fully realize there are many who seem to balk at the Ole Guy’s old school approach to these issues. I simply ask…wheres a WORKABLE solution? No meetings, conferences, or pow wows; no smoking of peace pipes; no signing of behavioral contracts, etc. Simply hit em where it hurts. These people obviously never learned the meaning of responsibility/accountability as kids; as adults, they’re no more responsible than the kids they were not all that many years ago.
Archie
August 6th, 2012
2:20 pm
There isn’t a whole lot you can do with parents whose attitude is “Take me or leave me but don’t bug me.”
North Georgia Mom
August 7th, 2012
4:16 pm
One Word: Homeschool!
Escape the public school insanity.
One more comment. I find it ludicrous that a Kindergarten mom could be charged considering that Kindergarten is not even required in the state of Georgia. And before someone starts disagreeing with me on this point, check the law. No compulsory school attendance until the age of six. She should have never enrolled the kindergartner.
Tippi Hedren
August 8th, 2012
3:41 pm
If parents are not responsible for their children, who are? In this day and age people are very particular about who they want disciplining their kids.
I would prefer that if you see my child acting out, you correct him however, most people are not okay with that. My point is, now that everyone wants to be totally in control and hyper-protective of their children (you can’t speak sideways to a child without someone getting upset) then take control and get your kids to school.
The best thing you can give your child is an education.
bri
August 23rd, 2012
1:46 pm
this attendence thing sucks!!! the social workers fowlling our everymove because a couple years ago my child had missed alot of school for health problems. no matter how many notes we give them or how many times she visits the nurse because shes going to throwup or is sick it doesnt matter. so today shes home sick and they calles and meanly said WHY IS SHE OUT OF SCHOOL SHE NEEDS TO BE IN SHCOOL! but when your child is sick you cant get them to school and thats a FACT!