Texas bill proposes fine for missing teacher meetings

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Texas bill proposes fine for missing teacher meetings - CNN.com

Texas bill proposes fine for missing teacher meetings
POSTED: 11:23 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Parents beware: Miss a meeting with your child's teacher and it could cost you a $500 fine and a criminal record.

A Republican state lawmaker from Baytown has filed a bill that would charge parents of public school students with a misdemeanor and fine them for playing hooky from a scheduled parent-teacher conference.

Rep. Wayne Smith said Wednesday he wants to get parents involved in their child's education.

"I think it helps the kids for the parents and teachers to communicate. That's all the intent was," Smith said.

Kathy Carlson, a fifth-grade teacher at Furneaux Elementary School in Carrollton, said she's had a handful of parents who skip meetings with teachers, but she winced at the idea of charging them.

"I don't know if we need to call it criminal. I would rather see accountability brought a different way, rather than fines or punishments," Carlson said.

"On the whole, parents want what's best for their kids," she said. "Sometimes I think they think we're out to get them. When you're talking about fining and pressing criminal charges, it kind of reflects that attitude."

Carlson said she used to teach at a school in Irving with many children of illegal immigrants.

"They were afraid to come to parent-teacher conferences because they were almost afraid of the authority" of the school district, she said.

Under Smith's bill, schools would send parents a notice for a meeting with three proposed dates by certified mail. Parents who don't respond or who schedule a meeting and don't show up without notice could be punished.

Parents could avoid prosecution if they have a "reasonable excuse" for not showing up. State education officials or local school districts would probably be responsible for defining reasonable.

Fines collected would go to the district for teacher pay raises or to buy supplies.

Smith's bill on the missed meetings would seem to face long odds to becoming law. Rep. Rob Eissler, a Republican from The Woodlands who chairs the House Public Education Committee, has said he's concerned about how it would be enforced.

Austin parent Mary Christine Reed has children in third and seventh grades and is involved in her parent-teacher association. She said she knows of some problems teachers have had, but as a parent, wonders if a steep fine or criminal charge would make them worse.

"If the idea is to create communication, to send them into the criminal justice system ... is going to do nothing but have a negative impact," Reed said. "It would make parents more scared of the school."
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Another teacher and I were talking about that yesterday at work. He wants that to be passed. I am not sure if that will help parental involvment. If the parents are not interested in their child's education, nothing will get them interested. Only they can do it if they want to.
 
shel90 said:
Another teacher and I were talking about that yesterday at work. He wants that to be passed. I am not sure if that will help parental involvment. If the parents are not interested in their child's education, nothing will get them interested. Only they can do it if they want to.
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I, too, as you are unsure how effective this bill will be. I have to wonder, Would fining the parents help at all when they don't want to go to the teacher's meeting? It might "force" them to get involved but will it help down in the long run? That's what I wonder as well. It's sad that it came down to this by getting the government to tell us what to do with our children when they do not even know our children at all.

I do realize that there are some parents that doesn't give a damn about their child's education and that is why the bill is trying to be passed but however, would that solve the problem at all? I don't think it will solve everything at once.
 
Wow Unbelievable!!...Is there another reason why some parents are not involved or not interested in their child's education? but having this sort of law to help the school to make parents get involved may not help the situation itself, I honestly don't know what to say on this, since I'm not one of these parents, so I don't know :dunno:
 
Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine for every single thing in this whole world.

Has the world gone mad?
 
:roll:

Do you think it would be work? I don´t think so.

Nobody force the parents if they can´t make up for attend parents-teacher meeting/conference sometimes for some reasons.

If the parents NEVER being attend meetings is understandable then check with them why they didn´t attend? What´s reason... If it doesn´t work then contact counsellor to find out... I informed teacher that I can´t make up then she wrote everything what the meeting discussion about for me to read... and any questions then I can contact her.
 
Missing for teacher meeting is crime? That's moron ever. :roll:

Fuck to Republican...
 
Just another way for the states to make money. That's all it is really:roll:
 
Huh!? Not attending a parents-teacher meeting is a crime? It doesn't make me sense at all. Stupid republicans! :roll:
 
That's sucking and really stricting without understanding the reasonable! Texas is STINKING!!!! VERY BAD LAWS! Oklahoma is still no. 1 and flexiable!:giggle: I am happy I do not live in Texas! Whoa!
 
In Oklahoma laws, if any kids are absent in school more than few weeks then the schools must report to state about kids' absent; therefore they will fine the parents of kids or put them in jail!
 
Banjo said:
Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine for every single thing in this whole world.

Has the world gone mad?
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Yep!

In a way, it does sound a bit of a good idea because parents need to learn to accept responsibility for themselves. Lately, parents have been blaming others and not themselves. :roll:
 
Oh Geez,

I noticed that Texas start add more lame laws. Good thing, I don't live there, anymore.

By the way, parenets meet teachers in the meeting is not working anyway. my mother met my teacher several times during my school years. Guess what, my mother didn't help me with my education at all.
 
VamPyroX said:
Yep!

In a way, it does sound a bit of a good idea because parents need to learn to accept responsibility for themselves. Lately, parents have been blaming others and not themselves. :roll:
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Yea, tell me about it! I have experienced parents blaming me or the other teachers at my work for so many things.
 
Lasza said:
Oh Geez,

I noticed that Texas start add more lame laws. Good thing, I don't live there, anymore.

By the way, parenets meet teachers in the meeting is not working anyway. my mother met my teacher several times during my school years. Guess what, my mother didn't help me with my education at all.
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I am second to Lasza!!!!!
 
I think its stupid to set up a law for that!! Some parents don't have a transportation to travel to school for parents/teachers meeting.

My mother never went to parents/teachers meeting in my whole life. She didnt have a car or didnt know how to drive. The school sent the letters of my education, my grades, etc. That was it.
 
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