Selected Readings on Truancy Laws

Full Text :

Why is it good to make pupils stay on at school until they are 18? Under the Bill promised in the Queen's Speech this week, state education will be compulsory for two more years unless the pupil is employed under an apprentice or training scheme. The political reason behind this is the government's anxieties about young people known as NEETS (Not in Employment, Education or Training), of whom there are now about a quarter of a million aged 16 to 18. Obviously it would be good, in what people call the 'knowledge economy', if more of those trying to enter it had some knowledge. But it does not follow that forcing education on them will help. There are already huge problems of truancy, and of disruption of classes by those who do not want to be in them. This will get much worse if disaffected 16-18 year olds swell their number. Small firms not able to afford training will not be allowed to hire this age group. As a result, the experience of work (though not what is laughingly described as 'work experience') will be denied thousands of young people who would be the better for it. The reform typifies the dominant theme of current legislation--the need to show good intentions, combined with an absolute lack of interest in the actual result.

Source Citation:

Moore, Charles. "The Spectator's notes.(Column)." Spectator. 305. 9352 (Nov 10, 2007): 11(1). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Oak Harbor High School. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=OVRC&docId=A172437323&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=oakharbor&version=1.0>.

Full Text :

If you're like most teens, there's a test you actually look forward to taking: your driver's test. You carefully memorize the difference between K-turns and U-turns, dotted white and solid yellow lines. You rack up the requisite hours driving with your jittery parents. And you wouldn't think of missing a drivers ed class. Anything to get your license.

But now, for an increasing number of teens, there's one more requirement to meet before getting a driver's license: not skipping school.

Georgia and New Mexico recently joined the growing number of states that link student attendance to driving privileges. Truancy definitions vary by state, but teen driving laws in those two states and 16 others boil down to this: Miss too much school and you miss out on driving.

New Rules of the Road

Officials hope the laws will drive home the point that attending school is important. "Students who don't attend school regularly don't learn, and they don't ultimately succeed academically," said Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who recently threatened to deny licenses to teens who have more than seven unexcused absences.

Pawlenty and others in favor of attendance requirements say the rules will help steer kids in the right direction. "We know truancy ... directly impacts the long-term growth of students and their future earning potential," said Loretta Lepore, a spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Sheila White, a truancy officer in Utah, thinks the laws may ultimately keep kids from going down the wrong road in life. "It's probably the number-one thing that has happened to most criminals," she said. "They stop going to school and then they get into trouble. If we catch them while they're young ... sometimes we can turn them around."

Wrong Way to Go

Critics say the laws are an accident waiting to happen. "Expanding traffic laws to solve social ills ... seems dubious at best. Once adopted, such an approach could theoretically (and wrongly) be expanded to achieve other socially desirable goals, such as getting a college degree," read an editorial in The Detroit News, in response to Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's attempt to introduce a truancy measure.

Karen G. Derrick, a former member of the Salt Lake City School Board, says such measures don't take into account the cause of truancy, such as family or learning problems. "You need to look at each child. Sometimes the reason kids are truant is no fault of their own."

Florida parent Rebecca Marek thinks the truancy driving law in her state infringes on parents' rights to discipline their children the way they see fit. "It is a school's responsibility to educate the child, to do all they can. But in the end, it is the parent's responsibility," she said.

Skip Driving

Get Talking

Ask students: Why might some states link student driving privileges to school attendance? Do you think such measures would increase student attendance? Why or why not?

Background

* The following states have laws requiring students to stay in school or maintain a certain grade point average to earn or keep their driver's licenses: Arkansas. California. Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana. Mississippi, New Hampshire. New Mexico. Ohio, Tennessee. Texas. Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

* In 1988, West Virginia became the first state to impose an attendance requirement on teen drivers. According to Mary Lopez, a spokesperson for the Department of Motor Vehicles, the program has been successful. In the 2002-2003 school year, the department threatened to suspend the licenses of 2,159 students. Of the 589 students who actually had their licenses revoked, 493 had their driving privileges restored after improving their attendance.

* According to Loretta Lepore, spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, nearly 14 percent of Georgia's 1.5 million students missed more than 15 days of school last year and 36 percent of students missed more than six school days. Lepore said tougher truancy measures are needed because the state ranks 48th among states in the percentage of high school graduates.

Doing More

Ask students to discuss why some students might miss a lot school. Have students brainstorm ideas to help solve truancy problems.

Take part in a CE poll on this News Debate. Go to www.weeklyreader.com/co.

Source Citation:

"Skip school, skip driving: tough truancy laws slam the brakes on teen drivers.(News Debate)." Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication. 104. 5 (Oct 8, 2004): 3(2). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Oak Harbor High School. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=OVRC&docId=A125487791&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=oakharbor&version=1.0>.

Full Text :

BACKGROUND

Mark Twain romanticized the notion of truancy in his famous novel, Huckleberry Finn. In that book, Huck learns more about the world from life experiences with friends Jim and Tom than from the time he spent in a classroom.

Modern school officials, though, say truancy is a real problem and not a subject to be treated lightly. Tony Harris, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Education, says truancy violations are important, not just because kids need an education, but also because state funding for schools is based on average daily attendance.

Here's how some places around the United States have dealt with truancy:

In Alabama, 10 parents were indicted on misdemeanor charges and faced jail time for allowing their children to skip school. One parent served 60 days in jail. The rest promised to help their children's attendance improve.

63,000 students of 180,000 public students in Detroit missed more than a months worth of classes last year. The parents of the 67 worst offenders were called to a meeting and warned of possible jail time if the situation doesn't improve.

In Twin Falls, Idaho, a juvenile court judge expanded a program called "attendance court." Parents who neglect to make sure their children attend school can face jail time.

In Benton, Tennessee, the mothers of two teenagers who repeatedly missed class were orderd to spend two days in jail.

George Ward, a Wayne County prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, stresses the importance of getting kids to school. "We have to somehow wake people up. Kids belong in school."

LAST YEAR, ALFONSO ORLANDO, age 14, missed 58 days of school in Detroit, Mich. This year, Alfonso has already missed 32 days of school. If Alfonso doesn't change, his mother, Cynthia Orlando, may have to go to jail. A Michigan law says parents whose children habitually miss school can be sent to jail.

Michigan is not the only place holding parents responsible for their kids' truancy, the act of missing school without permission. In Alabama, one parent has already gone to jail for 60 days. Illinois, Ohio, Florida, and several other states have similar laws.

A Major Problem

In the past, school officials and lawmakers across the United States tried many tactics in order to crack down on kids who were truant--from taking away students' driver's licenses to sending police to round up kids from local shopping malls. Nothing seemed to work, however, because truancy rates across the country have not declined. School officials hope that getting tough on parents of kids who skip school will help cut the truancy rate.

A Good Idea

Detroit school board members say the crackdown is meant to get parents involved in their kids' lives. Cynthia Orlando said, "We've got to take this step because they [her sons] could end up in a life of crime and have no future."

Nelinda Delgado, a 17-year-old student, agrees. Delgado said, "I think [the laws are] good because there are certain kids who don't go to school, and they need to get educated."

Kathy Christie, of the Education Commission of the States, said, "I think [holding parents responsible] puts importance [and] value on how important education is in this country."

Unfair for Parents

Other people, however, do not think sending parents to jail is a good idea. Nadine Strossen of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said, "How is the kid going to get to school if the parent is in jail?"

Angela M. Hesse of Illinois has been sent to jail twice on truancy charges because her two teenage kids consistently missed school. Hesse said the truancy policy only made family matters worse. Hesse said, "It has torn our family completely apart.... Punishing parents [does] not ... accomplish anything."

Lucretia Crawford, 15, also disapproves of the truancy policy. Crawford said, "Kids ... have minds of their own. You can put Mom, Dad, and even Grandma in jail, but that won't solve all the problems."

Should parents be punished if their kids chronically skip school?

The American Civil Liberties Union is a private organization that defends Americans' rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Representing both individuals and groups, the ACLU advocates civil rights and freedoms such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble, and protection from unreasonable searches. The 275,000 member organization has argued or supported every major U.S. civil liberties case since it was founded in 1920. It has offices in all 50 states.

* Minimum Wage. The smallest amount of money that an employer may legally pay a worker. The U.S. minimum wage came into being in 1938 under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rate started at 25 cents per hour and has gradually increased until reaching its current rate of $5.15 per hour. President Bill Clinton recently urged Congress to increase the minimum wage, by they defeated the bill.

Source Citation:

"Punishing Parents if Junior Skips School.(schools and local governments attempt to enforce truancy laws)." Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication. 99. 15 (Jan 14, 2000): 3. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Oak Harbor High School. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=OVRC&docId=A58669766&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=oakharbor&version=1.0>.

Full Text :

After the homeroom bell rings, 16-year-old Marcus hands his teacher a note. He wants to be excused after second period so he can go to the doctor. His teacher doesn't know that Marcus has forged his mother's signature.

Marcus and a few buddies plan to meet for a day without teachers, classes, or homework. Although he's not known as a troublemaker, Marcus doesn't like school and has already missed Five days in the marking period.

If Marcus lived in Maryland, Virginia, California, or one of a growing number of other states, he or his parents could be severely punished for his skipping school. In Virginia, for example, students who don't attend school regularly can have their drivers' licenses taken away.

Parents of school skippers in Maryland can be fined as much as $500 and be sentenced to as much as 30 days in jail.

Although no one questions the importance of going to school and getting a good education, many people say such laws are too tough on young kids. Critics believe the are also unfair because they punish parents for kids' actions. Supporters believe the laws effectively curb teenage crime and keep kids in school.

A Gateway to Crime

"Truancy is ... a gateway to crime," says President Clinton, who recently announced $10 million in grants to fund antitruancy programs in schools. "When young people skip school, they are telling their parents and the community that they need our help," said the president.

Opponents, however, object to police detaining possibly innocent children. "We have better use for our police officers than to just pick up idle kids on the street," says school activist Gayle Cloud, of California. Other critics think punishing parents for their kids, wrongdoing is unfair.

What do you think? Are tough laws a fair way of keeping kids in school? Should parents be punished if their children are habitual truants?

Source Citation:

"New truancy laws: right or wrong? (Pres. Clinton announced a new $10 million program aimed at reducing truancy, but some critics say the new regulations are too severe)." Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication. v96. n6 (Oct 14, 1996): p5(1). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Oak Harbor High School. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=OVRC&docId=A18761881&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=oakharbor&version=1.0>.

Full Text :

What if you could decide whether to attend school? That decision could soon be up to the young people of Colorado. State senator Russell George has proposed a law ending required school attendance in Colorado for students of all ages. The state's General Assembly is due to vote on the proposed law this month.

The idea came to George when he was considering ways to enforce that state's truancy law. "Forcing kids into school when they don't want to be there has a negative effect on the schools--and on the other kids who want to learn," he decided.

Leaving school attendance up to young people would be a startling move. Every state in the United States has a compulsory school-attendance law--usually for those aged 7 to 16.

But an editor of the Denver Post, Al Knight, was among a number of people who liked George's idea. He said that states could more readily control disruptive students. A freely chosen education would be more highly valued than a required education, he further argued.