Loudoun county Mom arrested for sending kids late to school. (crime, private school)

[jillabean]

A lot of people are inconvenienced when a parent brings their child to school late. It costs the school money (in the form of administration time) and it robs the other 20 or so students in a child's class of instruction since the teacher has to start over (not to mention the disruption of another child hanging up a coat, taking stuff out of a bookbag, etc while the other children are seated and working).

Why should other parents have to tolerate irresponsible parents? Why should irresponsible parents be exempt from some rules and be privileged? Why should the other children in the class have their instruction time disrupted 1 our of every 3 school days?

It's a misdemeanor charge... like disrupting the peace. Which seems to me to be exactly what they are doing. If you are running 2-3 minutes late every day, the answer is simple, wake up 15 minutes earlier (to give some cushion) in the morning.

...

[tgbwc]

At my school, the elementary students are allowed to start coming in to the building at 8:05. The first bell allowing them to go back to the rooms is at 8:20. School starts when the tardy bell rings at 8:35, a full half hour after they are allowed into the building. Between 8:20 and 8:35 students are arriving, getting chairs, unpacking backpacks, and completing planners. Think of it this way: If a student is 5 minutes late arriving to class, he is really 5 minutes past the last chance he had to get to class on time.

[novaslasher]

Over the course of the school year, this mom got her children to school late 5 times before a truant officer met with her. And then when she was late 2 more times, she was arrested one evening at her house, cuffed and brought before the magistrate where she was freed on $3000 bond, pending her court date.

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I think this is over reaching and abuse of power by the state. No one should be arrested and hauled before the magistrate for this.

I agree that the parent should have got her act together and been more respectful to the teacher and her class, but I think the punishment does not fit the crime.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by novaslasher

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I think this is over reaching and abuse of power by the state. No one should be arrested and hauled before the magistrate for this.

I agree that the parent should have got her act together and been more respectful to the teacher and her class, but I think the punishment does not fit the crime.

The problem, though, is that politely asking people like this to "Please, please arrive on time" is never enough. They'll continue to bring their kids in late and they'll continue to disrupt the learning of others - because they can.

It's ridiculous that these parents are being punished like this. But the whole situation is ridiculous to begin with.

[oneasterisk]

I do agree that it's a complete waist of time/money/resources to go after them. Though wouldn't it have just been easier to get your kids to school on time to begin with?

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

Though wouldn't it have just been easier to get your kids to school on time to begin with?

They would have to demonstrate some personal responsibility to be able to do that.

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

The problem, though, is that politely asking people like this to "Please, please arrive on time" is never enough. They'll continue to bring their kids in late and they'll continue to disrupt the learning of others - because they can.

It's ridiculous that these parents are being punished like this. But the whole situation is ridiculous to begin with.

What's the saying, desperate times calls for desperate measures. If you have been punishing someone for so long that they continually abuse the rules, you may have to take things a little extreme to make a point. If the punishment before was enough, that would have stopped them. Now they have their attention, I doubt they would want to go through this anymore. What choice does the school system have, continue to slap them on the wrist?

[Flamingo13]

Sorry I didn't read all the previous pages but aren't BOTH parents being charged? I saw a news report that they are less than 1/2 mi. from the school!

[persnicketygal]

Maybe Jo from the "Supernanny" TV show needs to step in.
Not to get on the kids, but the parents.

I wonder whether the parents (and I've only read about the couple that was the subject of Sunday's A1 piece in the Washington Post) really understand what kind of frazzled atmosphere not just in the classroom when their kids finally do arrive, but the atmospher they are creating in the house by not setting clear expectations and clear penalties and a clear timetable (as in, "We're leaving in 10 minutes," versus "We're late! Everybody in the car NOW!" -- and I have seen the difference in kids' attitudes between those two). Especially in the morning. Frequently running out of the house wondering if you have all the backpacks, all the school sheets signed, all the kids in the car! That doesn't get kids off with the right frame of mind -- excited about the school day ahead. Instead, they're thinking "Oh man, another tardy!" Or, worse: They're thinking that this is standard operating procedure for their lives ahead. Sad.

I think of the arrests as "Scared Straight" for parents. If that's what it takes to get them to get their **** together ...

(And here's a radical idea if parents flout schools' rules: Maybe the school system should strongly advise them to start checking out private schools.)

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by persnicketygal

(And here's a radical idea if parents flout schools' rules: Maybe the school system should strongly advise them to start checking out private schools.)

No! No!


Private schools like to begin on time as well.