241 Parents Of Truant Students Miss Meeting

[matcom]

<snip>

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Prosecutors summoned parents of repeatedly truant children to attend a meeting about the law concerning excessive absences, but 241 of the adults didn't show up.

Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols mailed letters about the Tuesday evening meeting to 582 parents, and about 41 percent were absent.

State law allows prosecutors to to hold parents accountable for their children's school absences. Knox County in February arrested 19 parents whose children had 10 or more unexcused absences from school. Parents found guilty can be punished by a year in jail.

"We have only just begun," Nichols said. "We mean this. I don't know how else to say it. You're going to send your child to school."

Cecelia Donaldson, who received a letter about her 5-year-old grandson's absences, went to the school where the meeting was held but refused to enter the auditorium where the other parents heard remarks from county officials.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/03/16/parents_of_truant_students_miss_meeting/

[Deja Q]

1. What next, grandparents held liable if parents skip prison?

Aunts and uncles forced to pay fine by proxy?

Frigging asinine.

Let the schools deal with the truant brats; many parent(s) are too busy with their job(s) or are just careless to take this ridiculousness seriously.

Edit: Spellingz

[johnnie]

3. Let the school deal with them?

Schools aren't able to do anything because these people (like the ones who don't give a shit about their children and refuse to go to meetings) will sue them as soon as the school tries to do *anything*.

[tinymontgomery]

2. And yet the schools

And yet the schools and especially the teachers will be held accountable for these students scores and whether the kids stay in school or drop out. Kids don't do well feds and state take over the school.

[demnan]

4. It's kind of funny really

This fits in the "acorn doesn't fall far from the tree" department.

[ashmanonar]

5. that's what i got out of it...

lol.

"parents of truant students no-shows to meeting"

:D