cracking+down+on+truant...parents?

Cracking down on truant…..Parents?  Parents all around the country are being arrested, paying fines, and sometimes even spending time in jail as our nation cracks down on truancy: unexcused absences from school. Although a teenager at 14 years old may be tried as an adult for non-violent crimes, such as drugs or property offenses, his or her parents are the ones held responsible for their truancy.  Law enforcement in California cited 46 parents, and arrested six, for outstanding warrants during a truancy sweep on Tuesday. Last week in Texas, 45 parents were arrested for failure to comply with court orders to keep their teens in school. State officials feel it’s the parent’s responsibility to force their children to attend school. Therefore, fining, and jailing parents is suppose to encourage them to enforce school attendance of their kids. Laws such as these, undermine teens taking responsibility for their own actions. Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the association of Teachers and lecturers, believes “alienating the parent of persistent truants is not likely to help. These are the parents who need the most support with their children to get them to participate in education.”  Truancy is reportedly the highest among high school students between 14 and 18 years old. Ironically this is also the age group that acquires the most rights in the shortest period of time. At the age of 15, teens have the right to obtain a drivers permit, as well as a work permit from school. At 16, teens have the right to drive independently,( within restricted time periods), they have the right to have casual sex, and in at least two states, teens have the right to no longer be considered a juvenile. Along with all of the rights teens acquire between the ages of 14 and 18, they also acquired all of the responsibility that goes along with them.  Juveniles over the age of 14 have been being prosecuted as adults in almost every state since 1992. In fact, in 1996, 10,000 cases were waived to criminal court by juvenile court judges. More than half of these cases were non-violent drug or property offences. While this is incredibly disturbing, it is equally as disturbing to know that while a 15 year old can be tried as an adult in court for drugs, or property offenses, that same 15 year olds’ parents are the ones being held accountable for his or her truancy.  Sixty years ago, the Supreme Court decided that the state had the right to uphold the child labor laws, employing children to be in school with or without parental support, laying the foundation for truancy laws regarding non-attendance. Today the guidelines and number of days required to be “truant” varies from state to state. Those guidelines are then tightened more from county to county, and then again at each school district.  Many districts define truancy as, any unexcused absence, where “unexcused” means, the student has left the property without parent or school permission. However in many states they are redefining this to mean, any absence over a certain number, as well as any tardy over a certain number. For example, Kentucky legislature voted in 2005 that any student is considered habitually truant on the sixth unexcused absence. Tightening the truancy laws was designed to cut down on parents allowing their children to stay home from school without good reason, however, many teens skip school while their parents are at work. Regardless if a parent gets their teen to school and he or she leaves from there, or if a parent is allowing them to stay home for unnecessary reasons, the parents are the ones being held accountable.  As if that’s not enough, states like Georgia plan to take displacement of blame even one step further. Atlanta State representative Mary Margret plans to introduce a bill that not only puts parents in jail, but also threatens “school employees as well as parents with criminal charges if they don’t do enough to stop truancy.” The goal of any truancy law is to encourage the acceptance of a child’s right to a quality education, but placing the responsibility onto parents is telling teens, they are not responsible for their actions. Teens today are strong and very independent; our society demands them to be. They have more rights now than at any other time in our country’s past. They are also being held more accountable judicially for any laws they may break. So why are teens not being held responsible for breaking truancy laws? That a good question to ask your state representative.