You can lead a parent to a conference, but you can't make them participate just like you can lead a horse to water, etc. "You can't legislate parental involvement," he said. "If the law forces parents to go, what will it do other than fill up a room with parents who don't want to be there?" Thank you sir, for making my point. Child abuse to have a failing child in school? What? Really? Oh, Council President Pugh thinks that people need to be held respponsible for the kids failing. Must be the parent's fault, Huh Mr. Pugh. Right, because all teachers are like magic apple trees dispensing golden apples of knowledge in an understandable way, and in the correct manner...always. Right? Jerk.
OK. You got a single parent who is working hard, trying to do it all, and life is falling apart. So she misses a conference (maybe because she can't get off work, maybe because she's so stressed she just forgets, whatever!). So we put her in jail for three days. And who, may I ask, is going to watch the kids while she's in jail? Is that oh-so-knowledgeable councilwoman going to do it? Or we can get ALL those "dead-beat" parents in jail at the same time, and have a BIG SLUMBER PARTY at school, with teachers required to go as chaperones!!!
Gotta love Detroit! It is ridiculous and has no support so it won't happen. But... I wish I could find the Detroit news about paying parents to go to conferences. This is the best I could do tonight... also ridiculous http://www.doublex.com/blog/xxfactor/should-we-pay-kids-or-parents-meet-school-goals
I'll admit that it is a problem that many parents won't become involved in their kids education, but to put them in jail. That is just crazy. I have several friends who are single moms working two jobs. They shouldn't be put in jail because they have to work and can't be everywhere at once. I also agree that forcing parents to be there won't really solve anything. They simply won't cooperate.
