Skippers Better Watch Out!

By this time, I think we all know that our public school system is flawed. However, I think this is just a little ridiculous:

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/ypsilanti_township_to_consider_2.html

Parents of so-called “chronically absent students” now have to pay for their student’s absence. Literally. An ordinance is already in place in Ypsilanti Community Schools. Michigan requires students between six and fifteen years old to be in school during regular school hours. The new ordinance that the Board of Trustees voted on at Tuesday night’s meeting would raise the age to seventeen. This change reflects a change in Michigan State Law. (I’m not sure exactly what happened at this board meeting in regard to this particular ordinance; it seems the biggest topic on the agenda was a number of changes in the leadership of Ypsilanti-Willow Run Board of Education) Kids who choose to skip school can only be ticketed if they are found on public property, but the new ordinance would allow officers to ticket kids who hide out in any residence, public or private. This offence is considered a misdemeanor. The first offence could cost the delinquent and his parents a $50 fine. The second offence is punishable by a fine of $100.

We all get it. Schools are under the jurisdiction of state governments. Schools aren't what they used to be (and they certainly aren't as competitive worldwide as they need to be). People think that in order to learn kids need to be in school so it’s against the law for kids to NOT be in school when they’re supposed to be.

I still see some problems with this.

How do you define “chronically absent?”  Is this for the whole school day or simply for certain classes? What happens to the kids who drop out on their eighteenth birthday? Is all that effort lost, or do teenagers have to start paying their own fines? What about those kids who are red-shirted and don’t start school until after they’re six years old? And about investigating the location of students on private property…is it just me or does that sound a little like an unreasonable search/seizure? (Fourth Amendment)

I have had late arrival all year and I love it, not only because I have the opportunity to take a dual enrollment class at the community college and sleep in a bit more every morning, but because there is no traffic when I get to school, and if there is I get to laugh at the students who skipped first period. It’s hilarious.  

Moreover, I believe that school just isn't for everyone. As much as we try to have a program or two for everyone to join and love, with the amount of budget cuts that are upon us, “extra” programs that students live for are the first to go. One cannot force a person to endure and participate in something five days a week that they do not enjoy and are not the least bit passionate about. Graduation requirements are not realistic for some students who are not motivated and not gifted in the academic ways of school. This also puts a lot of pressure on the teachers who are graded in a large part by the performance of their students, both in their class grades and on standardized tests and exams at the end of the semester. Placing consequences on parents for the actions of their children is somewhat unfair when they reach the point of independence and defiance. I can see two really bad situations come out of this. One is where the parents simply cannot pay for their student’s actions and that puts the whole family in a bad place. The other involves a student skipping school for a reason other than to have fun and when an abusive parent finds out that they now have to pay…things don’t end well for the student.

“Sound Basic Education”