I read the 'threats' made against parents and did not take them as such. I think a few factors are going on. First, we want parents to be accountable for their students, yet the government gets in the way of a parent's discipline. FYI, discipline is not beating/abuse. So, parents wrongfully check out or feel as though their hands are tied in managing their unruly students, which is a product of a poor education system with the government's improper intervention.
Another issue I have is if the educational system were effective, more students would value the time there as they would be engaged, challenged, and learning. Why go to school to be just $ in some administrator's coffers? Why not reduce the amount a district receives for those students who do not attend at a high enough percentage and make them part of the solution? If they want 100% of the money a student brings with them, then they need some skin in the game too!
Ultimately, attendance does not equate to a quality education, but it can increase the ability for one to learn when there is good teaching and educational processes.
What's at issue in this post is the way a state official and county sheriff automatically assess blame, fines, and possible criminal charges to parents who may or may not know their kids are missing school. If State Board of Education members are asking WHY students are absent and want more information before going into a viral reaction - it makes sense that the State Superintendent would seriously consider that and request additional data before holding a "crackdown" press conference.
By nature and definition, something that is chronic is not typically a "catastrophe" or an "emergency." This kind of language, especially when used by government officials, is usually intended to give them an excuse to exercise powers they would not otherwise have outside of the legislative process (we see the opening stages of this above and we saw it during the COVID-19 pandemic).
While agree kids need to attend school to learn, AZ has a serious problem with failing to educate students who are in class. Our districts churn out maybe a handful of kids who can pass an SAT above satisfactory levels, yet we're blowing m/billions each year. Truancy is just as likely to be a symptom of corruption (and unsafe environments) as it can be a symptom of bad parenting. Obviously, I'm more inclined to believe the former over the latter until I see data that proves otherwise.
Much of the rhetoric coming from the AZ DOE may sound benign to some people. However, to those of us who are/have been following the trends of state-sponsored education (like yourself), we know these kinds of surface-level studies have been used to fuel legislation and policies that strip Americans/parents of their rights.
If someone reads this blog as a warning and starts paying attention to their kids more, that's a good thing. I think one of the key ways of doing that is by unenrolling them from government schools altogether. Then, the responsibility falls where it belongs every time and there will be no data to track.
I read the 'threats' made against parents and did not take them as such. I think a few factors are going on. First, we want parents to be accountable for their students, yet the government gets in the way of a parent's discipline. FYI, discipline is not beating/abuse. So, parents wrongfully check out or feel as though their hands are tied in managing their unruly students, which is a product of a poor education system with the government's improper intervention.
Another issue I have is if the educational system were effective, more students would value the time there as they would be engaged, challenged, and learning. Why go to school to be just $ in some administrator's coffers? Why not reduce the amount a district receives for those students who do not attend at a high enough percentage and make them part of the solution? If they want 100% of the money a student brings with them, then they need some skin in the game too!
Ultimately, attendance does not equate to a quality education, but it can increase the ability for one to learn when there is good teaching and educational processes.
Thanks for the comment!
What's at issue in this post is the way a state official and county sheriff automatically assess blame, fines, and possible criminal charges to parents who may or may not know their kids are missing school. If State Board of Education members are asking WHY students are absent and want more information before going into a viral reaction - it makes sense that the State Superintendent would seriously consider that and request additional data before holding a "crackdown" press conference.
By nature and definition, something that is chronic is not typically a "catastrophe" or an "emergency." This kind of language, especially when used by government officials, is usually intended to give them an excuse to exercise powers they would not otherwise have outside of the legislative process (we see the opening stages of this above and we saw it during the COVID-19 pandemic).
While agree kids need to attend school to learn, AZ has a serious problem with failing to educate students who are in class. Our districts churn out maybe a handful of kids who can pass an SAT above satisfactory levels, yet we're blowing m/billions each year. Truancy is just as likely to be a symptom of corruption (and unsafe environments) as it can be a symptom of bad parenting. Obviously, I'm more inclined to believe the former over the latter until I see data that proves otherwise.
Much of the rhetoric coming from the AZ DOE may sound benign to some people. However, to those of us who are/have been following the trends of state-sponsored education (like yourself), we know these kinds of surface-level studies have been used to fuel legislation and policies that strip Americans/parents of their rights.
If someone reads this blog as a warning and starts paying attention to their kids more, that's a good thing. I think one of the key ways of doing that is by unenrolling them from government schools altogether. Then, the responsibility falls where it belongs every time and there will be no data to track.
-Tiffany B.
Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education