S.F. cites parents of chronically truant kids

[Ordie]

S.F. cites parents of chronically truant kids

Nanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff Writer (nasimov@sfchronicle.com)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
[/URL]



San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris issued citations Tuesday against six parents whose young children missed at least 50 days of school this year, the first time the city has prosecuted adults for student truancy.
Harris cited the parents of four children, ages 6 to 13, on charges that they kept the children home despite repeated efforts by the school district and law enforcement to address the problem.
"The charges are that they have violated California's Education Code and allowed their children to go without an education," Harris said at a news conference with the city's school chief, Carlos Garcia.
She called chronic truancy a matter of public safety and said the vast majority of prison inmates and homicide victims are dropouts or habitual truants.
The prosecutions are the result of a pilot program begun in 2006 to reduce truancy, Harris said.
Arraigned Tuesday, one child's parents pleaded guilty and will pay a $100 fine. The parents of another child pleaded not guilty and could face trial.
The two remaining parents entered no plea but said they will work with the DA's office and social service agencies to create "parental responsibility plans" to help them start sending their children to school regularly.
Efforts to locate and interview the parents were unsuccessful.
Harris and Garcia would not say why the parents refused to send their children to school. But Garcia said that in general, "child care issues and drug issues" have led parents to neglect their children's education.
If the four children remain truant next year, their parents could be charged with misdemeanors and ordered to do community service or jail time, Harris said.
The four are among nearly 4,300 San Francisco students who, as of May 6, were either "chronic truants" (20 or more absences), or "habitual truants" (absent 10 to 19 days) this year.
Garcia said that the path from truancy to parental prosecution is lengthy, and that the school district spends months encouraging parents to send their children to school through phone calls, letters home, private meetings, hearings before the School Attendance Review Board, and offers of help from city agencies and social services.
Harris said she has assigned three prosecutors and three advocates to the truancy detail, in addition to their regular duties. She said staff held group mediation sessions for more than 1,750 parents of truant children to "make clear the consequences of their children's failure to attend school."
Not everyone is happy with the move to prosecutions.
"I'm totally shocked. That's a very crude way to try to stop truancy," said Tamara Johnson, a community activist and mother of three. "If the school district did all they can, and it's still not working, then maybe we need to separate the parents and the kids. After a certain point, then we have to look at what's really at the root of the problem."

Source:[url]http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/11/BAT41175BJ.DTL&type=printable (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/06/11/BAT41175BJ.DTL&o=0&type=printable)

[Firetxmi]

They have been doing that in my neck of the woods (North Texas) for a while. It actually works really well. It has saved many a kid who has been getting into drugs and other problems.

Many times, dare I say most of the time, being truant is a symptom of a much larger problem. At least around here, the judge (who the kids call "Judge Dread") takes into account circumstances like illness, deaths, etc and does not punish those parents or kids. He can mandate that a kid get evaluated for a drug problem, go to counseling, or receive other services.

Most of the time I am not for the government intruding, but I think in this case it really does some good and brings some kids back into the fold who otherwise would be lost.

[szr]

Never truant but I was chronically late to school by the time I reached 11th and 12th grade. Usually showed up between 5 and 45 minutes late (stylishly late, I thought). It was intentional, and I'd slow it down if I thought I might accidentally be on-time. Blamed it on the subway (a plausible excuse most days :)). A good psychologist would say I was exerting my independence from my parents who had me at school 10 minutes before the doors opened from preschool until I was old enough to call my own shots. No sick days either--my parents would hear none of it. I'd have to go to school and then be sent home by the school to get a sick day.

I can't imagine parents who would aid and abet their children's truancy, especially in those critical developmental and formative years (ages 6 to 13) cited in the article. Those years are so important not only for intellectual development which will serve as a foundation for learning for the rest of their lives, but social development as well. But it's incredibly common and I'm glad that it's being addressed somewhere. Parents may have problems of their own but it's inexcusable to burden their children with those problems by preventing them from getting a fair shot at a successful life.

[Laworkerbee]

"I'm totally shocked. That's a very crude way to try to stop truancy," said Tamara Johnson, a community activist and mother of three. "If the school district did all they can, and it's still not working, then maybe we need to separate the parents and the kids. After a certain point, then we have to look at what's really at the root of the problem."

Yeah Tamara the school districts actions are so crude compared to your idea of separating children from their parents :roll:

Activist for what?

[wicked_hind]

Yeah Tamara the school districts actions are so crude compared to your idea of separating children from their parents :roll:

Activist for what?

Who knows, but I might sound like a bit harsh when I say this, but if a kid becomes a truant, falls behind, and has to repeat the same grade level, that's his or her own fault. If the kid decides to drop out, let them learn life's lessons the hard way. It's up to the parents to make sure that their children get the best education that can be offered to them, but ultimately, in the long run, it's the kid's responsibility if they want to learn and go make something of themselves.

[PeterRJG]

Can't wait for the Australian Govt's (state and federal) to treat truancy at least 10% as seriously as it's taken in America. Here, nobody truly gives a sh!t. There's been grumblings and pledges, but nothing concrete.

And, many a time when it is taken seriously and dealt with, the kid is seen as a victim and little more is done.

[deagle]

why don't we just jail the kids instead /?? give them a choice b/w juvenile detention or school.

[wicked_hind]

why don't we just jail the kids instead /?? give them a choice b/w juvenile detention or school.

Seems simple enough, but to some kids, juvi doesn't threaten them.

[szr]

why don't we just jail the kids instead /?? give them a choice b/w juvenile detention or school.Jail 6-13yo kids because their parents are making no effort to get them to school?

I hope you just fired off a reply without reading the article and don't actually believe that. :lol:

[seraosha]

Who knows, but I might sound like a bit harsh when I say this, but if a kid becomes a truant, falls behind, and has to repeat the same grade level, that's his or her own fault. If the kid decides to drop out, let them learn life's lessons the hard way. It's up to the parents to make sure that their children get the best education that can be offered to them, but ultimately, in the long run, it's the kid's responsibility if they want to learn and go make something of themselves.

That sounds great on paper, but until a child is 18 a parent is responsible for raising that child...this is designed to straighten up parents more than kids. It's in everyones best interest that the next generation of citizens is educated, and unfortunately due to utter slacking parents, some kids aren't getting to school. Think about what kind of parent needs to be threatened with jail time to get their kid in school...the kids are better off with intervention early, than later. And yes, ultimately and in the long run, it's the kids responsibility to make something of themselves, but making sure they have the tools to do so is up to adults.

[wicked_hind]

That sounds great on paper, but until a child is 18 a parent is responsible for raising that child...this is designed to straighten up parents more than kids. It's in everyones best interest that the next generation of citizens is educated, and unfortunately due to utter slacking parents, some kids aren't getting to school. Think about what kind of parent needs to be threatened with jail time to get their kid in school...the kids are better off with intervention early, than later. And yes, ultimately and in the long run, it's the kids responsibility to make something of themselves, but making sure they have the tools to do so is up to adults.

I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for the further insight.

[brainplay]

This is just a little reinforcement to serasosha's comments.


If the school district did all they can, and it's still not working, then maybe we need to separate the parents and the kids. After a certain point, then we have to look at what's really at the root of the problem.

Note the hints of "vicitimization" starting to show there. Seriously though, not only North Texas but all of Texas takes the truancy thing seriously. I imagine alot of other states do as well to the point of it being mundane. So why the S.F. obesession? Omg, they're following some dirty government rules for once?

[Ordie]

So why the S.F. obesession? Omg, they're following some dirty government rules for once?

Public school funding from the state is based on attendance. SF public schools are losing students to private and suburban schools. Truancy becomes a big deal to the bottom line. If it's an avoidable truancy (i.e. ski trip to Tahoe) some schools bill the parents $40-50 per student for each day lost.

[brainplay]

Yes I understand that Ordie and its the same in many other US schools. Heck it would be even more so if we passed that darn school voucher plan. It still doesn't make up for the big press issue unless its a slow news day.

[deagle]

its a hard tactic, let them choose b/w school or jail or detention or something.

[Kaplanr]

This is just a little reinforcement to serasosha's comments.

Note the hints of "vicitimization" starting to show there. Seriously though, not only North Texas but all of Texas takes the truancy thing seriously. I imagine alot of other states do as well to the point of it being mundane. So why the S.F. obesession? Omg, they're following some dirty government rules for once?

Seems pretty simple to me; way too many unfit, unqualified and uncaring people getting their jollies one minute and getting knocked up as a result. Once you're past kids having kids, we have whole neighborhoods of clueless parents who can't learn responisibility and wisdom at the feet of wise and responsible people -- there aren't any around after 3-4 cycles of this.

Procreation by permit only. ;)

[shocker1]

If I am not mistaken you can go to jail or pay a hefty fine if your kids skip school for a certain number of days in Georgia. Not sure if anyone has been prosecuted, probably have though.