Michigan prosecutor proposes jail time for parents who miss "Meet the Teacher night"

From the Globe & Mail today:
Source

Nearly every mom and dad approaches parent-teacher meetings with a certain amount of dread. (After all, few of us get the “dessert bar” suggested as an incentive by one teacher on the National Education Association website in the United States.)

But a Michigan prosecutor has proposed that parents who skip the sessions face serious detention. Under Kym Worthy’s proposal, parents would be required to attend at least one teacher meeting a year – or face three days in jail.

Can you legislate parental involvement? I think this is a ridiculous idea...what do other ATSers think?

reply to post by avocadoshag


I have been to one "meet the teacher" night. It was a complete and total waste of my time. The teachers were there off the clock and they wanted to go home more than the parents did.

If they want parental involvement, they should try fixing the education system first, starting by changing the way they teach the kids.

Rogerstigers, I agree with you. Other than when my kids were having difficulty in school, I've almost never made it to the meet the teacher nights...mostly because I was busy doing stuff with my kids.

And I know there are lots of people who don't do things with their kids, but throwing them in jail?? I can't see how that'll make them care more about their kids.

All of these people calling for bans and restrictions and government impositions on the lives of individuals should be imprisoned and or fined.

We all know there are limits to Freedom of Speech...

....One cannot legally slander, libel or incite violence. Why not make it illegal to use one's speech to attempt to limit the freedoms of others?

Ultimately, this can only be done through violence and the threat of violence, so it should not be tolerated. I propose fines followed by psychiatric evaluations for these poor people who actually believe that using their speech to limit the freedom of others is a good thing.

One need only look at the Anglosphere to see the damage that these types can cause when allowed to run amok in a nation. Look at this prosecutor - how many lives does he seek to ruin? How many innocent people does he seek to criminalize? ....He should be the one thrown in the clink.

Yeah, fix the education system first. Jailing people for not attending, is a little extreme. That seems to be what our society has come to. People offended at the slightest little thing. Treating children like adults, when it comes to criminal offenses. It seems in many cases people have just plain lost their common sense. Or maybe they never had any to begin with. I'm willing to believe there are level headed people in our society, I just wish they'd come to the fore.

Originally posted by rogerstigers
reply to post by avocadoshag

 

I have been to one "meet the teacher" night. It was a complete and total waste of my time. The teachers were there off the clock and they wanted to go home more than the parents did.

If they want parental involvement, they should try fixing the education system first, starting by changing the way they teach the kids.

I think one of the advantages (or perhaps disadvantages) with the teaching system (atleast in Australia) is that it's so damn easy to become a teacher. Primary or secondary. Seriously, almost all of my friends at school did a Diploma of Education (a one year course) after completing their degrees (in unrelated fields) and became primary school teachers. They do a few months of work experience and then they are let loose on a room full of 5-12 year olds. We have fairly small class sizes, but I think the quality of teachers can be a bit hit or miss - those who love kids and want to educate and those who want a paycheck. I hear it's a fairly thankless job and the stress of the classroom extends past school hours. So I'm not surprised teachers get burned out easily. I'm not surprised they aren't enthusiastic about parent-teacher night... how do you get through to kids when their own parents don't care about their schooling? And the parents? They probably just want their kid to finish school that year and get a better teacher the next.

reply to post by avocadoshag


Just sounds like more propaganda to me. This person is taking an idea and making it into a real matter that in unnecessary. Yes people should be involved with their children to some extent; but the legalize it and make in mandatory is going too far. This is an easy issue resolved with common sense... which seems to be lacking since everyone witha problems is either need treatment or confined to legal guidance. This could be one of few future steps to make people not want to populate hehe. If it becomes this rediculous to have children; can't punish them, can't say certain things, can't follow up with a simple "meet the teacher night" which in itself sounds more like an obligation to know who is teaching your child rather than a legal ramification.
Hhhh.. I feel like some nights I should as well be programmed with inhibitating drugs to make me feel one way only' that what those in position are always right. Somedays I can say, in all honesty; I hope that the 2012 thing isn't a full sham. One day all is well with society in general, next day a new law/tax/govt. is issued (issuing) a new regulation on how things are supposed to be but in all reality one cannot ignore problems so upfront and easily resolved.
We should punish those quick to outlaw normality/common sense. This way they will think twice about regulating everyone elses' life outside of their own. Most legal issues are considered with a paycut. Who gets what money's.. who cares about the lives destroyed or postponed. Money money money.. life has no other meaning to some people.

We, as a world/society or whatever... we need to stop.. calm down, relax a little as a whole and just enjoy living. Enough with deadlines and checkpoints just to inevitably reach the end. Sometimes we just need to take a bit of time...? I don't think i'm in error here, but i'm sure there may be some legal ramification to what I've said.. ya know.. since free speech is never free.

Soon there won't be anybody not in prison. America already has the highest per capita prison population in the world. When will this insanity of imprisoning people for stupid things end??

reply to post by pirhanna


It's mind-blowing how many Americans are in jail at the moment. I wonder how many of them are behind bars for missing out on Meet the Teacher night?

Check out this from Wikipedia:

i propose he mind his own godamn business

Just another attempt to destroy parents.
What happens when a parent has to work and their boss threatens to fire them if they miss for this so called parent teacher meeting? Happened to me once, fortunately my sons teacher was more than understanding, bu tthen again she was the type who seemed to get annoyed when ever I would call about something or show up before or after class.

You have to keep the prisons populated. It's a thriving slave industry. Would be a good time to invest to it.

reply to post by avocadoshag


The State of Michigan needs fire Kym Worthy for such stupidity.

What an idiot...

I would say the prosecutor apparently has no concept of the role of the prosecutor in court cases. I guess he doesn't mind receiving a scorching case Prosecutorial misconduct.

I am all for parents being involved in their child's lives, especially school. This though is a bit over the top.