Detroit Parents Who Miss Teacher Conferences Looking at Jail?

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

(CBS)

DETROIT (CBS/AP) The next time you ignore a call from your kid's teacher who is trying to schedule some time to "talk"... consider this.

A Detroit-area prosecutor wants lawmakers to pass an ordinance that could jail parents for up to three days for repeatedly missing scheduled parent-teacher conferences.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says such an ordinance is aimed at making parents responsible for their children's education, which may keep more young people out of trouble.

She's still working on the details of her plan, but says it could go before county commissioners next month.

Worthy also is considering whether to approach state lawmakers with the idea as well.

Civil libertarians say her plan may be outside the law. Challenges are expected.

Republican Kentucky state Rep. Adam Koenig submitted a similar bill last year that gained little acceptance and failed to make it out of committee.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Should parents face jail for missing meetings with teachers?

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by toschamp November 12, 2010 8:59 AM EST: I don't think this is a good idea. You already have the school system trying to put all the children that have behavior problems on Ritalin. Now you are trying to make parents go to jail for not attending a conference.Teachers can email their thoughts about the childs behavior to the parents. Everything doesn't have to be done through a conference. The school system is becoming too controlling.; Reply to this comment


by lola-belle77 July 7, 2010 5:09 PM EDT: I commend those of you who were involved in your child's education. You all are part of the solution. I actually lived and taught in Detroit. As a teacher, I never felt FORCED but pleased to meet parents. Even when a student rcvd an A there were things to discuss with the parent/guardian. I still live in the metro area and support Ms Worthy 100%. I'm not sure where you all live, but here in Detroit there are too many apathetic parents who do not get involved with their child's education. Worthy is asking that parents attend one conference the entire year. Even if your child is an honor student, shouldn't you attend at least the first conference to meet and speak to your child's teacher(s)? What kind of parent doesn't want to know the person/people who spend time with their child? In the case of k-8, you're talking about someone who spends around 8 hours with your kid.; Reply to this comment

by alicelillie July 7, 2010 5:08 PM EDT

Outrageous.

This is sufficient reason to pull a kid out of public school and to put him or her into a private school or to homeschool.

(I realize that this is unaffordable in too many cases but the reason it is is because we are all overtaxed and over-regulated, and therefore have to work all the harder to make ends meet.)

If a kid is doing poorly in school it might be because of the school or the teacher and not because of the kid. All people are different, but public school is a one-size-fits-all arrangement, and all these stultifying "zero-tolerance" policies would give just about *anyone* a problem.

The real purpose of education is to teach people how to learn and how to *think.* Public schools only seem to teach conformity, obedience and patience with bureaucracy.

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by democracy5 July 8, 2010 2:43 AM EDT: Or it might be that the parents are too lazy to take responsibility for their child's education because little Johnny or Janie can do no wrong in their eyes. And the rest of society suffers as a result.


by Segen777 July 7, 2010 1:01 PM EDT: This is Shocking... in this day and age of communication. Where we have so many devices that the teacher and parent could use to communicate... email, texting to name a few. So you now want to put the parent in jail, for not communicating. This could stop the income to the family with todays economic condition...This could put them in the shelter. You want to take the child's parent away and put them in jail.. Mind you they are having trouble in school to begin with and now you want to humiliate them. So make the child feel like not wanting to attend school and later could becomes a drop out. The parents have no more faith in the system. Further, you could send so many mixed messages to the child, to the parent, to the teacher, to the community and our society.
Although I feel strongly that the teacher and parent should communicate regularly. I feel just as strongly this is not the way to do it. It hard enough for people to find a job without now having to write on their application oh by the way I was sent to jail.
FIND another way to make it work. sending parents to jail is not going to make one responsible, it breeds for resentment and anger. Lets review what worked and didn't' work in past. One thing I know if LOVE is the bases of anything you will get more accomplished.; Reply to this comment


by gjc1n1 July 7, 2010 9:39 AM EDT: I was always fully aware of my kids progress in school by looking at assignments and report cards. Going to teacher conferences was a total waste of my time and the teacher's time. Why would I want to climb 4 flights of stairs, wait in the hallway for a half-hour or more and sit on midget-like chairs just to hear about how wonderful or miserable my kid was. There was never anything new. Chuck the whole parent-teacher conference fiasco.; Reply to this comment

by parent2010 July 7, 2010 8:57 AM EDT

Common sense dictates that a parent teacher conference is a worthless invention of the educational system to FORCE teachers to hold a face to face meeting with parents. While I do believe in parent participation if there is an educational or disciplinary issue then I also believe that it should be taken care of way before a parent teacher conference. This will never survive the onslaught of civil liberties disputes and will be stricken down before it becomes an issue.

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by joeymb16 July 7, 2010 9:47 AM EDT: So you acknowledged that the system is broken, but you do not give a resolution to fix it. It is obvious that if we have people like you that are willing to complain and do nothing, it will continue to be broken. All parties should be held accountable to create a better education system for the kids and their futures. The right steps are being taken to fix this current problem unless a better idea is presented. So what idea do you have other than complaining? Have you attended a school board meeting to fix the problem? I suggest stop making comments that does not offer a way to fix a problem. I support the steps being taken until something better is offered.


by voicing July 7, 2010 6:06 PM EDT: So you believe that throwing a parent in jail is the solution to involving them in their child's education? This will result in a backlash of problems more severe then what we are fighting against now. I would not allow a child back into school until the parent brings them in for the conference. To inconvience a parents routine often does wonders. BUT, the continued, at home involvement after that point is where the fight truly lies. So all of your blowhard, strong arm tactics mean nothing without that solid base. I do go to board meetings and am very vocal, however I am not the parent who doesn't show interest or expect the school to be souly responsible for my child's education. Just the logistics alone of locking up parents is absurd.

by voicing July 7, 2010 8:53 AM EDT

I work for the public school system and although it is frustrating and infuriating at times the total lack of interest some parents have in their children's schooling, throwing them in jail seems a bit outrageous. I really don't have an answer. Educating parents about the importance of being involved in the betterment of their children's life and realizing that school is a just a fraction of what will make them succeed would get the ball rolling. Again, however, that would take time, energy and interest on behalf of the parents. Until parents are willing to put down their cellphones, shut off the game systems and educate themselves along with their children we will continue to have a cycle of misfortune and stagnation. Having children is a job you don't get to walk away from. The goal is not to perpetuate poverty, anger and violence. Without a parents (whomever plays that role) support, love and nagging, a child will not blossom to their potential. Educators are not family, as much as we love our students, we can not do this alone.

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by democracy5 July 7, 2010 9:04 AM EDT: I think the threat of going to jail would push some parents to start taking their responsibilities toward their children's education a lot more seriously, don't you?


by theywerestrongandgood July 7, 2010 8:18 AM EDT: What could possibly be accomplished at a meeting parents are attending under threat of arrest? Getting the teacher beaten up or shot, perhaps? How about a law limiting payments for having babies? Give future families a set amount of aide, no matter if they have one child or ten. Then you take away the monetary inducement to have several children you do not want to parent.; Reply to this comment