Has anyone read this article? I'd love to hear your comments on it.... http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-hono...missing-school/story?id=16437893#.T8OyfFK8sm0
I've heard these sorts of awful stories from the US before... All I can say is that it makes me glad to be Canadian. We have a lot more personal freedom when it comes to our schools, both public and homeschooling. I know several children who attend high school part time, doing a "victory lap" (taking an extra year or two to finish), or who attend summer school to get the required credits. There are no cops in our school. According to a lawyer friend of mine, the only time she's heard of anyone being charged with "truancy" is when there are other serious issues of neglect and abuse in the home. And even then, it's the parents who are charged, not the youth. I can decide to take my kids out of school for a week in the middle of the year, and I don't have to ask for anyone's permission. They're my kids. The teachers wish us well, and e-mail the children their work. If I forget to inform the school, I'll get some phone calls, and they really do prefer to have it in writing, but that's all. And homeschooling was incredibly easy. All I had to do was inform the school that I was withdrawing my child. No one checked up on me. No one tested my kids. I never had to submit anything to anyone. If our schools or judicial system were anything like the US ones I read about in the news, I don't think my children would ever have gone anywhere near the public system. Heck, my kids can bring to school a butter knife, painkillers, anything! (Except peanuts - but there's no real consequence for forgetting, just a stern reminder that you might accidentally kill someone who's allergic.)
This happened not far from where I live. I personally think the judge overstepped with such a harsh punishment considering the situation. People are not happy with the judge and the way he handled it. There has been a pouring out of love and financial help from around the world since the story first aired.
I guess I'm missing the reasoning behind the decision of the judge other than to make an example of her. Seriously?? Then again she IS an example to live by: She's an honor student which would imply she does her work and does it well. She misses time so that she can work to support her family, would he rather see her be dependent on the social system and then judge her based on that? She wants to be on the list of the top 10 graduates, what's wrong with that? WOW!! This judge is.... ummmm..... power hungry? Hormonal? Hateful? Or maybe all of the above and then some?
I'm SO glad to hear it. I was praying as I read it (a week-ish ago) that the community would rush to her side. I also prayed that family services didn't step in an take the younger sibling (since the girl is 17, I think).
Interestingly, I did a lot of substitute teaching at Willis High School when I was in Texas (the school the young lady attends). I'm a little torn on this one. Apparently she has already been in trouble previously for the truancy issues. It seems she has gotten a warning in court once before. While I am very sympathetic to her plight -- I mean I don't even think *I* could maintain the hours and work ethic she apparently has! -- she is violating the truancy law. Now, should the school, truancy committee, and the court be working with her to figure out how she can juggle everything, is a different story. I'm not opposed to the judge making an example, however, it seems he picked the wrong "example" to make. I can assure you she is not the only Willis High School junior with repeated truancy issues and I hardly imagine that any of those offenders are truant because they hold down a full and part time job coupled with straight As.
This is also how I feel. It was just one night in jail, and she has been warned on multiple occasions. They were trying to send a message to her family. Perhaps they should've jailed the family? But it seems from all I can tell that she's living on her own, so she's ultimately the one responsible for her actions. Perhaps she should've had some counseling about getting a GED and testing out of her first two years of college by now if she's as smart as it seems she is. I want to sympathize, but then again, I don't.
I had to drive dh to school today because of car troubles. So I mentioned this to him on the ride there. Keep in mind that he's taught for over 20 years in what can only be considered "inner city" schools, and is a bit cynical about public education. But I found his reaction interesting. The FIRST thing out of his mouth was, "Was she white?" I had no idea!!! He says that, chances are she was, and that they WERE making an example of her. If she had been Black or Hispanic, they wouldn't have. Anyway, that's his perspective....
I sympathize with her, terribly. She's trying to take care of her family, and herself. It seems that any other kid would have dropped out and started work, and definately would not have gotten honors. The girl can only do so much. It's sad that she has to choose between an education and money to support them. I feel aweful for her. Jackie, I agree with your husband. If this girl were black it wouldn't have been too much of an issue (or a public issue anyway) b/c IMO authority figuresare "afraid" or hesitant to punish black people and hispanics because they are afraid of public reprocussions like, "You just tryin' ta bring down tha black man!" or "You all just hate the Mexican's and us Latinos!" Example? The Arizona CongressWoman who said, "Republican's Hate Latino's." and who follows and applaudes Hugo CHavez. Oh yea! And this Congress woman also won the Pesident's Medal Of Freedom earlier this week. What a picture of freedom, huh? Well at least this way the district can say that a white girl got in trouble wy before anyone else got in trouble. COnsider it a warning. (Disclaimer: I realize not all Black people and hispanic people are this way, so don't jump down my throat about it.) It's one night in jail, she will get through it, and hopefully be stronger for it.
Oh, yeah, Meg! I can just hear about how this fine, upstanding Black woman is doing all she can to better herself and break the bonds of poverty, and she's punished for it! I don't care if she were purple with hot pink polka-dots, she is doing her best to survive. Instead of condeming her, they ought be asking what they can do to help her. (HEY!!! I KNOW!!! Let's put her in foster care! :roll
Actually, for once, the school district would have little to with this decision. It would be the local DA. The district's attendance software set up will automatically run letters that go to the child's home at certain increments based on number of absences and the DA would be notified automatically as well. The girl and her family would have gotten quite a bit of warning from the DA's office prior to the girl even stepping foot into court for the FIRST time, much less for this second time when she was before the judge that gave her the 24 hours in jail. It's likely it was mostly out of the district's hands. But, like I said earlier, it's a shame someone from WHS didn't step in and be an advocate for her as those letters were being passed around between the DA, district, and home.
Kelly, I think that's a district-by-district thing, or perhaps state-by-state. It sure doesn't happen in my dh's school district!
I just saw this on Yahoo News: http://news.yahoo.com/video/houston...truant-honor-student-diane-tran-29511846.html
And here http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/3...ges-against-honor-student-jailed-for-truancy/ as well.
Well, this is going to sound crazy, but I think this might be the best thing that ever happened to this girl. Yes, I'm outraged at the judge. But... And that's just ONE group! I'm telling you, if there was ever kid who could use a few grand, it's this one. I'm betting she's smart enough to put it to good use, too.
It doesn't have anything to do with race. I just saw a black lady be made an example of because she wanted to have her child go to the safe school in the better neighborhood. It's a little messed up considering they once bussed kids across town in the name of "equality". My main problem is that people keep saying the judge should have been lenient. I'm sorry but judges should only judge if someone broke the law and enforce it. They are not to make up the rules or to decide if the rule is right unless they are specifically addressing if a law is Constitutional or something like that. The fact that there is a law that says a person has to be in a certain room at a certain time is sick. There should be no such law in a "free" country. She should be allowed to get ahead however she can and not have to jump through hoops to give someone else their funding.. I'm sorry but compulsory school laws have no place in a free country. Who besides prisoners should be told where they can be and at what times they are allowed to be there, unless you are infringing on someone's property obviously.
Two problems with that... 1. He specifically said he only punished her that way to make an example of her (meaning there were other potential punishments under the law). 2. He reversed his decision (meaning he had the power within the law to not punish her in the first place).
