Missed Parent-Teacher Conferences Could Mean Jail Time for Parents

Cassie,

I had the same problem you had. This was about 10 years ago (son turned out ok, thank heavens). I was a really involved parent whose child just decided he was going to start doing wrong. I had attended every meeting since pre-school, was a volunteer in the classroom, knew every teacher on a first name basis, kept the kid involved in activities, etc. and still he decided to start skipping school and smoking pot and drinking (he would sneak out after first period). So I got permission from the principal who was a really great understanding man --- and I ATTENDED CLASS WITH HIM. EVERYDAY! I told him that since he was not responsible enough to be where he was supposed to be then I would make sure he was where he was supposed to be! I would walk him into the class, greet the teacher and then stand outside the door until class was over. Then I would walk him to the next class, greet the teacher and again stand outside the door. Man -- it made not only my kid behave but apparently had a real impact on a lot of the kids. Somehow having a mom walking through the halls and standing outside a classroom door scared them shitless. I did this for about 6 months. AND it was a real financial impact on my family. We were barely making it as it was and boy there were a lot of things that had to be skipped that year while we did this. My husband was working as much overtime as he could. In the end somehow my kid realized that he was really important to us that we would decide to do this and he really became a serious student after that. It may not work for every student, everytime but it worked for us. Just passing this along.

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Thats the answer to everything nowadays. Lets throw em in jail. We need to take back our country fromthe extremism thats taken a hold on it.

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Sorry but imposing jail time on parents who miss parent-teacher conferences will not work nor will it solve the problems of juvenile delinquency and violence. Parents aren't able to parent as a direct result of the child protective laws. Beat your child for doing wrong or restrict their movements by locking them in the house along with the rest of the family for the night and you could go to jail on charges of child abuse so parents are no longer permitted to discipline children to correct behavior. Take away privileges and you could be charged with child neglect so parents are forced to provide the necessities of life in a manner dictated by society and their children. So instead parents do the best they can but if the child won't behave the parent is forced to let the child do as he or she pleases but then the parents are held accountable when the child commits a crime (or becomes or gets someone pregnant).

I say it's time to eliminate the child protective laws and restore parental power and control to the levels where it belongs. That will reverse the dangerous trend we see today.

Most parent-teacher conferences are scheduled at times when working parents are at work and they often can't get time off to attend let alone get paid time off to attend.

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MOST KIDS WHO COMMIT VIOLENCE are demonstrating the effects of POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. They have been abused and/or molested, and over the course of the next 3-4 months, their brains have drastically changed.
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be molested! 86% will NEVER tell, even when asked! Instead, they begin acting out... Then they are expelled from school, banned from the church bus, not allowed to play with the neighbor's children... THIS convinces them that they are inherently BAD, and that they were abused because they DESERVED IT!
LEARN THE SYMPTOMS OF PTSD in children and adolescents, and DEMAND help for these precious, suffering children! Symptoms include: nightmares, inability to fall or stay asleep; regression, repetitious, traumatic play; preoccupation with danger; personality changes, psychosomatic pain / blowing pain out of proportion, exaggerated fearfulness, accident proneness, loss of ability to concentrate in school; aggressiveness... punching oneself in the face, banging one's head on the wall, wiping feces on the wall, setting fires, cutting and breaking objects, cutting or abusing ones-self, pulling out hair, pulling out permanent teeth...ANY weird behavior. These behaviors are NOT voluntary, they are SYMPTOMS caused by severe ABUSE! see http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/mental/diagnose/ptsd.htm

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First we make it a crime to discipline children and call corporal punishment child abuse, then we get annoyed when these kids are not under parental control. Now we want to jail parents who don't attend parent teacher conferences. I think we just need to round up all the little unruly brats and put them in concentration camps so we can brainwash them to the goverment's way of thinking and involuntarily sterilize all their parents so there will be no more unruly little brats born. There that should solve all our problems. (Extreme sarcasm intended.)

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Maybe parents should be allowed to discipline their children without the threat of the law stepping in. Take away parental rights then pass laws to hold parents accountable?? What's wrong with this picture??

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This is a joke. First of all, 75% of the kids don't even have a male at home -- and if they do, 50% of the time it isn't their father. 25% of the kids don't have a mother at home. Who are they going to arrest? Most Americans would be shocked to know how many kids in the inner cities live with their grandmothers. The problem is that most of inner city moms have given birth 4 times by the age of 22. They then live on food stamps, cash assistance for rent and for electricity, etc, until their own daughter is 17 (or younger) and starts the baby cycle over again. The solution? Sterilization after the second child, and birth control implants in girls from the age of 12 until they marry. That would slow the cycle of breeding. Currently, the irresponsible people are producing 5 generations for every 3 generations by taxpayers.

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I imagine that the Detroit School District applies social promotion (the teachers do teach, but the students are not required to learn until high school: no matter what grades the students EARN they are still passed on to the next grade. In high school that's when they are accountable for earning their diploma).
ANY district that has social promotion, produces more criminals than college students.

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IF YOU DON'T NO WHERE YOUR 12 YEAR OLD IS AT 2AM, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM ALRIGHT,AND I DON'T THINK IT IS SCHOOL.

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I wonder if the brothers refusal to wear a raincoat in the shower have anything to do with it only to end up skipping out on their responsibilities when the shower is over and the kid is born. Naaaaaaa! Can't be 'caus it's the macho thing to do...............

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People, this is the s$*t hole Detroit we are talking about. The same place were the person heading the city's schools can't even read or write. It is another liberal toliet. I think we should wall off all liberal places and regulate their access to the rest of the country. Taking care of the liberal problem will cure 100% of the world's problem.

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When children attend free public schools, the price for the parents should be mandatory communication with the teachers of their children, at least monthy, if not more often. It could be by e-mail, telephone or in person, but at least it would give the parents information about the progress of their children, and the teachers could get information about what is going on at home with the children. If parents are "too busy" or too "overwhelmed", they should give their children up to parents who actually WANT to raise children and care for them.

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Republicans from Texas and Kentucky have already tried this idiotic approach and failed. That should tell you right there what a braindead idea this is. Taking away welfare benefits if kids misbehave....are you going to attach the paychecks of people who aren't on welfare if their kids misbehave? Maybe the whole punitive approach should be revisited. How about schools that actually teach the kids how to live in the world as it is? How about jobs that pay a living wage? How about housing people can afford? How about food with some nutritutional value? How about healthcare for people with mental problems who need help or medication? How about if we, as a nation, forgot about sports and wars and other huge wastes of resources and spent our time and attention on our kids?

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Simple answer. Start praising your kids for what they do right instead of just criticizing them when they do something wrong. Kids need to feel they are loved by the parents and just negative criticism turns them off. When they get plenty of praise for doing the right thing it reduces anxiety. When parents scream at their kids subconciously they feel it on an emotional level and it affects them mentally. Don't just praise them for anything but for what they do that is special. It works. Try it.

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This country is getting more and more pathetic. I am disgusted at the rediculous solutions to the problems. First off, I think this country (Americans and illegals alike) forget that an education is a priveledge which we have taken for granted. The problem now is that it is a law for our children to attend school. Now people cannot understand what a true honor it is to have that ability. They have taken for granted everything that comes so freely to them. I think that if a child (ungrateful monster) refuses to go to school then they should be forced to work in hard labor. I know, what a crime. But I truly think if they see the alternative then they might see how fortunate they are. I also believe that if they refuse to complete high school they should not be allowed ANY federal assistance since they have not been a productive part of society and have proven they are leeches. The assistance is there to help, not sustain forever. I think also, if we actually were allowed to discipline our children we might keep the fear of God in them so they stay on track. Also, stop being so politically correct. If we werent so concerned with appeasing everyone, we might not be breeding such a group of self rightious selfish lazy useless bloodsucking hateful disrespectful lil monsters. Call a spade a spade. The truth hurts. I doubt this won't turn into a racial stimulant by the spade comment but that was not my intention. If the shoe fits wear it though. I can hold my own. It is irrelevent which race you are if you are working your way into a better life. Dont blame your ethicity for your failures and say its because of discrimination. It may just be because you weren't good enough. If you work through your life with your hand out then I will pray for a brave soul to come chop it off. I also believe that this whole fight for equal rights is a load of crap. "If you want what I have, do what I do." Why should anyone just think they are deserving of anything of which they have not earned. This is the trouble with the whole country. Back before the wheel, if you were hungry, you found your own food or you did not survive. Why should any human struggle to provide for themselves then have someone take it away??? Last I checked, that is like a scavenger or a parasite. Anyway, maybe someone will agree with me but I could care less if they do. Just keep in mind, the longer this all goes on the less chance any of us will have to have the American Dream.

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So, you want to put the parents in jail for up to 3 days for missing a parent-teacher conference! Who's watching the kids then? Sure not the school system. My oldest son is 28, I went to all of his so called parent-teacher put the parent down sessions. My youngest 3-all under 12 are now home schooled. Not everyone can do this for various reasons, but at least the school, school board and the state cant tell me to come to a conference!

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My daughter is a straight A student taking AP classes. I don't need to attend every conference. I go at the start of the school year not at the end. That is my choice. I see her progress reports and she is home every day and night. No one should have the right to tell me I'm gonna go to jail for not attending a meeting that is not necessary!

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