On the trail of truant students

only when your being held accountable?? Seems like a persistent problem in the Erie school district, noone is holding the ESD accountable
'Every single day a kid misses is important to us when we're being held accountable," Erie schools Assistant Superintendent Bob Oliver said.

Wonder how much they would care if there wasn't any money involved? Maybe they should stop the bullying and the gangs in schools the kids would not have a problem going to school.

When we visit downtown Erie, which we are planning another visit, it seems that small gangs of teenagers are huddled in places that are near restaraunts and shopping areas and shout vulgar obsenities without fear of being incarcerated.

We need to show the students the long term effects of a lack of education, both in terms of opportunity and their financial future. Unfortunately, most high school students are unable to see very far into the future.

To say that it is the fault of the school district is to put the blame on the wrong party. It is the students who are at fault, and in some cases, the parents who don't care. No school district is locking the doors to these students.

We can't blame the parents in every case, because some parents really try to get their kids to school, but the kids just ditch once they get there. I had a friend who would drop his kid off at school, actually walking him in the door. The kid would walk through and out the back door. My friend was at a loss as to what he could do, short of dragging his kid to class and sitting there with him all day.

Kids think minimum wage is a lot of money, and as a result, feel that education won't make much of a difference. Full time at minimum wage is about $230 a week take-home, a huge sum of money for most kids. Since parents pay the expenses during this time (car, car insurance, medical, food, shelter, etc) the kids never see that in order to have a nice life you have to move up in the employment chain.

MCR wrote:

Wonder how much they would care if there wasn't any money involved? Maybe they should stop the bullying and the gangs in schools the kids would not have a problem going to school.

Mornin' MCR.

Think also, if they actually followed through fining the students and parents for all of the truancy,(almost 600 kids,) maybe the city could lower taxes.

Wait a minute, what was I thinking, Erie lower taxes. Think I gotta lay down......

Mornin' to ya!

LOL.. Gee Donny either you got up too early or you've been workin' too much. Have another cup of coffee it might help.

Donny Baker wrote:

<quoted text>
Mornin' MCR.
Think also, if they actually followed through fining the students and parents for all of the truancy,(almost 600 kids,) maybe the city could lower taxes.
Wait a minute, what was I thinking, Erie lower taxes. Think I gotta lay down......

I think they need to ditch the BS program they call no child left behind!

And my 7 year old was sent a letter home from school talking about her absences from school this year. She missed about 10 days in 2 long absences she practically had pneumonia twice....had a dr excuse both times, the letter said her grades would suffer and she could be held back for attendance reasons...shes a straight A student!!! they need to get it together!
and i think if they stopped the bullying in the schools more kids would go!

Truancy: The root of all school safety problems!

“No child falls through the cracks. They are dropped through or shoved through by lazy, emotionally immature adults and unethical professionals”

After the Columbine shootings I made this statement during an interview on national television. The reporter asked if I really believed that statement and I replied,“absolutely!”

But you may ask what this statement has to do with the issue of truancy? Simple, truant children – who are routinely late or absent – come from dysfunctional homes. Those homes in my experience are lead by caregivers who are more concerned about their own pleasures and convenience than the welfare of their children. Some may say that this is an unkind assessment. My response to them is simple, visit these homes and you will see that this is not an aberration.

While some caregivers have a difficult time because of poverty, work schedules or transitioning to a single parent household; the majority simply refuse to exercise self control or basic order in their homes.


And this assessment is supported by various national studies. Research from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education have found that child neglect and family disorganization are major factors in truancy. The OJJDP also found that “Truancy has been clearly identified as one of the early warning signs of students headed for potential delinquent activity, social isolation, or educational failure via suspension, expulsion, or dropping out.”
More disturbing is a document that I have used for many years in criminal profiling, the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol (J-SOAP-II). In this well respected assessment tool, caregiver issues and truancy become connected as impetuses for teen sex offender development:

• Inconstant and instable caregivers before the age of 10. Multiple changes in caregivers and living situations.
• Chronic truancy, fighting with peers or teachers.

Dr Gerald Patterson sums up the issue this way,“Parenting plays a critical role in the development process of children. Early discipline failures are a primary casual factor in the development of conduct problems. Harsh discipline, low supervision, lack of parental involvement all add to the development of aggressive children”
Bullying, sexual harassment, negative behavior cliques and aggression towards staff are all done by children who come from dysfunctional homes. But beyond the home environment, schools have a big stake in controlling truancy. Not only is it a major part of NCLB compliance but it affects all school safety issues. The US DOE has tracked the following school issues that directly contribute to truancy.
• Lack of effective and consistently applied attendance policies.
• Poor record-keeping, making truancy difficult to spot.
• Teacher characteristics, such as lack of respect for students and neglect of diverse student needs.
• Unsafe environment, for example a school with ineffective discipline policies where bullying is tolerated.[5 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 skipped school because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.]
Truancy happens in rural, suburban and urban schools and all classes of families. School must take control of their truancy problems or they are bound to be overtaken by it.

A well managed school is a safe school! www.SERAPH.net

truancy...the fault of PARENTS! just another example of the breakdown of society. I'm betting that the greatest percent missing school have "stay at home moms" on the government roles. Put the parents in jail and kids up for adoption...it will cost the taxpayers less in the long run...

anyone who is outraged by me saying to put kids up for adoption, better think first about the lifestyles that kids have, and what they stand to gain by being with parents who actually want them for something other than a government (us) funded paycheck...

matter of fact - if you get pregnant and can't support your kids it should be mandatory to have them adopted out by people who want them and can SUPPORT them (morally, ethically and financially!)-let's see what happens to the truancy numbers then....

Give me a break wrote:

matter of fact - if you get pregnant and can't support your kids it should be mandatory to have them adopted out by people who want them and can SUPPORT them (morally, ethically and financially!)-let's see what happens to the truancy numbers then....

Just what is it you're trying to say? Don't hold back.......

I personally know two women who had problems with their kids being truant. One, the daughter had a mental disorder and literally became ill when she had to go to school; the other has a son who would get off the bus at school, but never go into the building. Both were taken in front of the district justice. If you met either of these women, you'd see that neither fit into the stereotyping that exists on this thread. (Oh, and both had husbands at home, too....)

We do not need to show the students...all they have to do is look at their parents..it is generational

DonBee wrote:

When we visit downtown Erie, which we are planning another visit, it seems that small gangs of teenagers are huddled in places that are near restaraunts and shopping areas and shout vulgar obsenities without fear of being incarcerated.

Absolutely right on target....why is everyone afraid to address the issues, instead we dance arond them and scratch our heads...the police have to do what parents are unable to do. As early as possible recognize the delinquent parents, taje the children and put them in nurturing homes. That is the only way we are ever going to get people off welfare, get children educated and to have them contributing to society as citizens should be. Sign me up! lets start NOW!

Give me a break wrote:

matter of fact - if you get pregnant and can't support your kids it should be mandatory to have them adopted out by people who want them and can SUPPORT them (morally, ethically and financially!)-let's see what happens to the truancy numbers then....

K Mac wrote:

I personally know two women who had problems with their kids being truant. One, the daughter had a mental disorder and literally became ill when she had to go to school; the other has a son who would get off the bus at school, but never go into the building. Both were taken in front of the district justice. If you met either of these women, you'd see that neither fit into the stereotyping that exists on this thread.(Oh, and both had husbands at home, too....)

the mental disorder is more common than most know, and should be treated. there are also circumstances of kids rebelling in good families. I also stated that if investigated, the largest percent is likely from "stay at home" government dependent mothers', evident from the biggest problem in city schools. have you seen the graduation rate of large city schools (detroit, philly, chicago)- it is less than 50%...and the kids come from government dependent families.

There is always exceptions GMAB, however the majority of truant kids come from just what is being described.
Sometimes its not stereotyping, sometimes it just the way it is.

Sound like from the article its all about the money. The unfortunate thing is that people with ligit excuses are also caught up in the dragnet of the nanny state. I would suggest being practical but the concept has been lost.