The Education Wonks
The problem with this as I see it (coming from a single mom who recently changed careers to become a teacher), is that it is not POSSIBLE for all parents to take off work to attend parent/teacher conferences. I've been surprised to find that teachers and administrators in my district have been misinformed to believe that ALL employers must legally give parents time off to attend conferences. This is not true in the state of CA. Smaller employers (I believe it's employers of 35 or less in one location) are exempt.
I had a raise withheld and was almost fired for taking off to attend my son's conference. The working poor can't afford to take that chance.
In a free society, we may be able to compel children to attend school, but we would really be crossing the line if we started to compel parents to do the same.
I'm an adult. If I choose not to attend a conference with my child's teacher, THAT's MY CHOICE. Maybe I'd skip out because I'm a loser of a parent. Or maybe I'd skip out because the teacher is a loser, and I don't want to waste my time. Or maybe, as the commenter above says, my boss is the loser and I simply can't get free. It doesn't matter what the reason is. It's my time and I'll decide how to spend it.
Please, let's not hand the government another opportunity to intrude into our private lives.
I must agree that this idea does not address the issue of why the parents are missing the conference in the first place. Can't get off work? In jail already? Can't read the notice? Can't find childcare for younger sibling? Too stoned? Too drunk? Too mentally ill? Too physically ill?
This idea adds a problem for the parent rather than solving a problem for the child.
Wow, nice characterization of parents, there.
Look, the point is this: schools can enforce attendance requirements children, not adults. It doesn't matter what the reason is or whether or not anyone thinks it's a good/valid reason. What matters is that it is yet another overstepping of a government entity on a citizen's private life. I am the parent; the school is not. I will decide where I need to be and when.
I guess schools don't like it when parents "ignore" them. It challenges their supposed authority. So the solution is naturally some sort of punishment against those who don't recognize the school's authority. Carrots and sticks -- is that all schools understand?
What will mandatory attendance achieve besides some bizarre show of force? Do you think that parents who can afford to won't pay the fee? Do you think those who can't afford to will show up and suddenly express warm fuzzy feelings at having been compelled to do something they didn't want to do?
A piece of paper can say someone has to be there, but -- just as with children -- a warm body in a seat does not guarantee you a willing, active participant.
But if you just want to flex your muscles and "show who's boss," I guess mandatory conference attendance is a good idea.
That last part about withholding portions of welfare checks from parents who don't attend conferences is just wrong. I think Eduwonks should retract it. Education is not a place to pick out the poor and vulnurable and advocate exerting control over them that cannot as easily be exerted over the rest of society ... as if that were a legitimate compromise to this issue.
First, I believe that LAWMAKERS came up with this idea, not any particular schools. We may fantasize about such a system when we're particularly frustrated, but it's one of those lovely halcyon daydreams that wouldn't work.
But we enjoy thinking about it-- like I dream about a thought-activiated hood-mounted bazooka on my car to get bad drivers out of my way as I'm driving down the street.
But the frustration that many parents need to be more positively involved in their kids' education-- that's more than real.
Fine, don't attend conferences, or meetings that YOU schedule.
And if your child fails, do me a favor, don't show up for that meeting either.
And don't call to complain that I'm not responsive to your needs.
Or send me nasty e-mails.
Or call the principal and whine that the teacher is being unfair.
Or send smoke signals.
Or morse code.
Because I'll remind you that YOU'RE the parent, I'll state that part of being a parent is knowning what is going on in the kids life, and then I'll go back to reading essays about researching stocks.
I think the hidden message in this post is simple.......PARENTS, DO YOUR JOB.
Every teacher I talked to about this thinks it's a bad idea. I'm going to guess that the Texas Legislature, bad as they get sometimes, is going to reject this too. This is pure nanny state legislative poison. It won't pass.
--Bucky
Ms. Cornelius, I understand the frustration. But I doubt the proposed law sprung up out of nowhere -- are missed parent-teacher conferences really such a vital state issue? I'd bet my bottom dollar that someone from the public school system put this (non)issue on his or her representative's radar.
Coach Brown, cry me a river, dude! Let's give parents more say in how their children are educated in public schools before we start criminalizing their scheduling priorities. When parents send our kids to public school, we lose the right to have input into what they learn, when they learn it, how they learn it, and who their teachers are. You want to tell us how to be parents, but god forbid a parent suggest to the school how to best educate his or her child! We have to fight (a battle we usually lose) to get our children removed from a bad teacher's class. (Hey, let's make it a crime to be a bad teacher! Nah, I'd just settle for superintendents to be able to fire bad teachers, even those with tenure.) We have to fight to get the proper services for our children. We have to fight for everything we think is right for our kids. And we often lose those battles. "That's public school," as one lower elementary principal told me. You get what you get and you'll like it. That's just fine if your kids have good teachers (as my son does now) -- but what's our recourse if they don't?
So you'll excuse me if I'm not too sympathetic to the alleged problem of parents skipping appointments.
I do think this is a bad idea, but the government absolutely does have the authority to compel attendence, if they deem it critical to the child's welfare. There are all sorts of reasons that we can arrest a parent/guardian due to inaction on their part.
I think this law is a bad idea, largely because I don't think it will accomplish the goal of making parents get more involved in their kids education. But at the same time, I do feel that parents do have some obligation to their children's education - an obligation that many parents currently shirk. This law just misses the mark.
You know, I've always wondered: Just what IS a bottom dollar, and would anyone want to even touch it, much less bet it?
No, lori, I seriously imagine that this law is yet another attempt by the Texas Lege (as Molly Ivins used to call them) to look like they are getting tough on the impoverished people who of course, live their ENTIRE lives on welfare because they have it so good and have no intention of getting a job when there's loads of them out there waiting to be had. Because, of course, all "those people" are also negligent and disengaged parents who won't do what they should.
And, off the subject, there is no such thing as "tenure" where I teach. There is such a thing as administrators and human resources departments being too lazy to follow the steps needed to remove ineffective teachers.
Let's be honest here -- this is one legislator going out on a limb with a crazy idea. I've not encountered anyone who supports this.
I've written strongly against it over at my place. As I've said -- I don't want or need subpoena power.
http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/arc...ives/
214238.php
As a Texas teacher who follows the state legislature this is nothing but a headlining grabbing ploy but a representative who is quite anti-public school.
The Republicans in charge are planning on giving Texas schools ZERO new operating funds for the next two years, which means per student spending will drop again as inflation and more non instructional demands take their toll. Notice the lack of any money allocated for schools to enforce this new law.
Lori, what's your recourse if your son doesn't have good teachers? Well, you act within the system to seek a transfer from a bad to a good teacher. If that doesn't work--trust me, more often than not, it will--take it to the superintendent, then the school board. Ultimately, organize and throw the bums out at the next election. That's the American way.
But regarding this issue, think ahead a bit. Do we really want teachers calling the police to report a missed conference? Do we really want teachers testifying against parents in court, and subject to unfair, brutal cross-examination from defense attorneys?
This is, indeed, nanny state insanity.
I like Coach Brown's comment. In NY, parents who refuse to come to school are guilty of neglect.
I would get my butt to school if my kid had a problem. I think it's the least any parent can do. There are unforeseen circumstances, and bad timing, and things like that can be worked out.
A few months ago I called a parent who said the only time he could meet with me was an hour before I was supposed to be in. I got up an hour early, waited an hour for the guy, and he never showed or called.
A fine might have made him reconsider.
I teach in a district where over sixty percent of our students are considered to be at poverty level. As a preschool teacher, I often have higher parent teacher conference participation then my peers who teach older grades. Many of my families work at minimum wage jobs and do not have the opportunity to leave their jobs to attend conferences during school hours or even the one late evening we offer like their affluent peers. Research shows that parent’s active participation in their students schooling experience marks gains in their student’s academic achievement therefore, I would think it more constructive to find strategies to communicate with the parents who are not able or too afraid to attend then to fine them $500.00.
Fine parents for not attending conferences?? In NY you are guilty of neglect?? In my part of the world, we do not have enough DFC workers to investigate children who come to school with cigarette burns!!
Fine parents?? It is very cold this time of year here, but I have not heard that Hell was freezing over!!
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