State Laws Punishing Parents for the Sins of the Children

No one likes the meter maid when they do their job, or the cop that does their job. In fact the best teachers use to be the ones that no one liked until they became older and was able to appriciate the job they really did. Since when did the socity become a popularity contest instead of doing their job TEACHING!!! I am a parent my profession is a nurse. I don't know how to TEACH my kids so they understand social studies or science. I can try to help them understand how to do their homework and to remember to study for their test but I am not going to do it for them or take the test for them so why should I get looked upon as a bad mother if they do poorly. I will support and work with the teacher but 9 out of 10 times they won't work with me.

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The long-term solution to ameliorating this problem is to balance school funding to give all children the opportunity for an equal education, not a poor education for poor kids and a rich education for rich kids. After that, we need to let the kids suffer the consequences for their classroom scholastic achievements, however great or small they may be. If kids attend school. pay attention in class, do their homework and study, they will pass. A teacher cannot spend the one on one time with students tutoring them in their lessons, nor should they be expected to.

Parents can help kids with their schoolwork, but there have been to many changes in our overall expectations of education for our children. We bitch & moan about the homework they have, but homework is a necessary component to learning. We don't have to sit down and personally tutor our kids or hire tutors for them. My parents couldn't have tutored me, but everything I needed to know about a subject was either in my textbook, or my notes. What kids need to know is still in their textbooks and notes, so what has changed? We expect schools to educate our children, instead, WE SHOULD EXPECT OUR KIDS TO GET AN EDUCATION.

I don't get this agenda of making parents pay the consequences for their children's failing grades. It's up to the kids. As for too many tardies or absences, that's what we have truant officers for... to get after the problem with the kids, not to expand the invasive, intrusive, militaristic nanny state we have already established for parents.

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As a substitute teacher I see kids sleeping and eating during class not to mention the disruptive ones. In some countries an education is valued and a privilege and the parents know that and they teach the children that is the way to a better life. I don't see that here. I think a lot of responsiblity lies with the parents to make sure their children have a good attitude about going to school and that learning is important and that their children do the work that is necessary.

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I don't think parents should be punish because there are lots of factors that contributed to kids effort in school! parents should be involve in their kids education but not punish for what their kids do.

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We are so quick to point fingers of blame; when in fact we should be looking at ourselves. The real problem with the education system in this great nation or ours is the LACK of Proper funding and time investment in our younger generation.

We have OVER CROUDED class rooms and shorter days in school for learning. The kids spend most of the day being herded onto buses and less time in class. Let's extend the school year to 44 weeks per child and take a slower pace to allow for the lack of time per day per child. This way the teachers have more time per student and don't have to worry about summer lay-offs. BUT WAIT THAT WILL COST US MORE $$$$.... NO IT WON'T ..In the long run we'll have better educated children that might, just maybe, give with the rest of the world. Think about it......Math scores US vs. India, Japan, China pick one..

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EYES ARE NOW OPEN. KIDS ARE BRATS. .IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO HOMEWORK. WE SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE ..WE TEACH TO BRUSH THEIR TEETH, HOW TO EAT GOOD FOOD. TEACH ABOUT GUN CONTROL, TEACH SEX INFO.I HAD 17 YEARS . OF TEACHING I FINALLY I OPENED MY EYES. NEXT PARENTS WILL WANT US TO WIPEW THEIR BUTTS.AMEN

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I think some thoughtful parent responders are confusing volunteering at their schools with supporting their children's education at home. These are two very different things. The vounteer organizations are terrific, but most parents today simply don't have that kind of time.It's about getting involved with your own child and making education a priority in your home.

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I don't know any teachers who only work an 8 hour day. Most of them work 12-14 hour days, and also put in time over the weekends. Many must take continuing ed classes each summer. Half-a-dozen of my closest friends are teachers, from pre-school to PhD professors, and all of them lament the lack of parent involvement, and the testing that interferes with actual teaching. No one becomes a teacher for the money or the work, but for the joy of seeing the light go on in a student's eyes when they comprehend a new thought.

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when my children were in public school no homework.When we taught at home 2-8,they had homework.My children also read alot and watched ed.tv that we(my wife and I) checked what they taught.In high school,teachers were pc and did not stay after school and to see them you had to make appointment 2 days in advance.When I went to see teachers,we were followed by security and I was the oldest parent(64) and looked 70,and walked with a cane due to helicopter crash.My neighbors are hs teachers and get to school on time and leave asap and go boating,etc.

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I've been a public school teacher for the past 10 years; 5 in CA and 5 in Alaska. Teaching was a career change for me, after a graduate degree and 15-year career in the medical field. I've taught in both upper-income and Title 1 (extremely low income) schools, at the middle school and high school levels.

Here is what I've found: overwhelmingly, behavioral expectations and training at home play out in the classroom. I'm still teaching, despite the overwhelming level of stress, low pay, and despite what several other posters have said about lack of teacher effort and hours (I work, on average, 50-60 hours per week). I feel completely exhausted and used up by the end of each school year. I'm still teaching because there ARE some students who are well-parented, have decent behavior, and want to learn. Even a significant minority of my students who are NOT well-parented (such as one of my girls this year whose mom is in prison for murdering one of her own children) manage to succeed; these kids are the ones who inspire me to get out of bed each morning and do it all over again.

However, school and classroom environments are directly and indirectly influenced by societal trends at large. There has been a growing societal trend of lack of personal integrity and accountability, and blaming others. This plays out in many students not managing their own behavior, working when they are supposed to be working, or writing their homework assignment in their planners as directed, much less actually doing the assignment. Some students even run around the classroom during direct instruction, or tell other students or the teacher off. These students know there are no meaningful consequences for their misbehavior and disrespect, either at school or at home. They tell you as much.

Then there are parents that pull their kids out of school for a vacation, sometimes for the entire first or last month of the school year. Or the priviledged parents who buy their son/daughter the vehicle of his/her choice on his/her 16th birthday, despite failing grades in all classes and multiple messages home relaying son or daughter has been chronically absent from class. These are parents who are trying to win their child's approval - to be his or her best friend rather than his or her parent.

Many parents are supportive when I call home or send an e-mail. Many others, however, automatically deny or defend their child's behavior, blame the teacher or school, or basically ask ME to raise their child ("I don't know. . . do what you want with him/her." "I've got too many younger ones who need my attention", etc.)

It's time for a personal accountability revival. Since it's not happening through non-legislated social means, these laws are a good start.

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This is ridiculous... they want to blame teachers, blame parents, blame kids, blame funding, etc.... When are these educational "experts" going to own up to the very simple fact: the methods and environment don't work for everyone. Some kids learn differently, at a different pace, or need a different type of structure or environment. Everyone is different and standardized education only works well for a portion of the student population. They need to start thinking a bit more creatively and move towards creating classes, charter schools, etc. that offer different environments, alternative methods, etc.

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Passing the laws that may punish teachers for the failure of their students was one of many totally unreasonable laws passed by this years Florida legislature. I believe they should be punished as well as the students who make no effort to succeed in school.

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Considering a vast majority of parents out there should NEVER have had kids to begin with, where do you start? Parent's today are SO not ready or competent to reproduce. The miracle of birth has been replaced by a cheap side show magic act. It doesn't take much to wave the magic wand & pop out a child that should never be born. One look at the CLOWN CAR VAGINA of OCTOMOM & you see the end result. Shame on everyone for letting it get this far. The schools are left to police parent's bad choices. NOT everyone should have children. Plain & simple. Start taking responsibility for your ill choices or pay the fine. It's LONG over due.

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With respect to the reference to Deuteronomy 24:16, parents ARE responsible for the children until the age of accountabiliy (i.e. 18 years old).

With respect to the question "Should parents be accountable for kids bad grades?" ABSOLUTELY!!!! As one of my college professors (and an educator for over 40 years) once stated, "...education begins in the home not the classroom!!" Unfortunately, over the past several decades we have transferred parental responsibilities over to the teachers, and the public schools are no longer places for learning with teachers having to deal with a host of issues that is NOT their responsibility in the first place!!! I applaud those states taking measures to hold the parents accountable as it is their responsiblity to "train up a child in the way he(/she) should go..... (Proverbs 22:6)."

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Children should go to bed at a reasonable time. They should eat breakfast EVERY morning. Parents should supervise their kids homework. They should go to parent/teacher conferences and if possible volunteer in their childs school for at least one event a year. If I am accountable for a childs performance in school then parents should be accountable as well. The sad fact is...there are a lot of parents who don't do their jobs. They let the TV and the VIDEO GAMES do it for them.

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Just another reason I'm glad I've never had kids.

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The reality is, that thye type of system we have become, has cause and effects. First, We are NOT teaching the children the truth in public school because it is run by a govt that wants them taught Propaganda... This is NOT new!

The sytem of Education was far superior in the past to what we have today. Just look at how many So called experts like this psychologist who think she ahs the answer... just more govt and fines...Does she know what the Federal Reserve Really is?

Doe she know what the Civil war was really fought over?

We have more so called Eductaed people and yet,l the great majority of them could NOT answer these two simple questions, and get it right.

Look at the quality of Commercias and programs! They are stupid and geared toward a ingorant polulation.

I was in High SChool in the late 1970's in Florid and the schools already were bad.... Really Bad, as in you had to wooryn about being pysically assualted and have your lunch money taken....

These Social Planneres are clueless! The systen of A, B, C D and F worked just fine. It is too much govt, a sytem that devlaued the monetarty unit and makes it almost impossible to get ahead for most average people. The whole systen is corrupt, taxed to death and we as Nation are Bankrupt!

Don't belive me, wait and see within two to five years the devalutation of the monetary unit will reqwuire more Dollars and prices will be very hig, and worst cade, HYPERINFLATION all because we allow these so called educated Experts get on TV and talk down to people. The Pychologist herself makes the money she does because the goct regulates it so that they can actaullat chatge more, and trust me, they are have as many problem in thir life as those they talk down to.

Gte the GOVT out of eductaion, and everything esle as this is HOW AMERICA BECAME GREAT! THAT IS A HISTORICAL FACT!

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Sure parents should provide some help in teaching their children but if the stats are reviewed truthfully and correctly the children who have involved parents are the more afluent parents who do not work 12-14-16 hours days just to feed, clothe and put a roof their heads. When the out of control expensive economy that we live in requires this a low income parent must choose between loosing their kids do to those missing basic neccessities or going to jell. What a stupid choice.

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Why is everyone except the person who's job it is to teach responsible. The teachers are responsible if the child doesn't learn.

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If you are going to have kids it is YOUR responsibility to raise them and DO THE BEST you can do for them and that includes getting them an education. Teachers are not babysitters they are there to teach HOWEVER, there must be a partnership between parents and educators. THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GRADE each other.

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