Republican Rep. Wayne Smith has introduced a bill that would make it a Class C Misdemeanor to skip a parent-teacher conference [text].
Certainly the idea of parents who aren't involved/interested in their kids' schooling is a troubling one, but give me a break. School administrators are overworked as it is. Now you want them to report each parent who misses a conference with a teacher?
There are bigger fish to fry this session. Get to it!
Photo from his campaign site
well, sabestian, when you put it like that it sounds almost reasonable.
This is probably going to be his "really big idea" that he can sell to the folks back home as to why he exists in public office.
It will be totally fascinating to watch him and Myra Crownover duke it out again this session for the most worthless member of the House title. My money as usual, will go on Myra.
They wouldn't have to report it, the bill would give them police authority. Basically it gives teachers the power to write tickets.
Can you imagine if your teacher could give you a referal to a judge instead of the principal?
Its not school administrators that we should be worried are over worked, its the courts.
A Class C misdemeanor, btw, carries a fine of up to $500. If you don't pay they issue a warrant and you can be arrested. So now we're going to fill up our overcrowded county jails with people who missed a parent teacher conference! Yikes!
Here in NM, if a student has a certain amount of unexecused absences, the parent is referred to Children's Services for abuse/neglect. Perhaps that would be a better way to go.
RSS
I'm all for it. It would create a new huge cash flow for public education since there are so many adults who have given up on parenting their own children. Wahoo!
Consider it an added tax on those we are probably already spending a ton of money on trying to educate and raise. The parents who do not show up are generally the ones who cannot stand their children any more than anyone else can because they are out of control. A Parent Tax?