New Detroit law: Illegal to miss parent/teacher conferences

4Speedy · June 2010

A Detroit district prosecutor (Kym Worthy for the local ladies) is looking into a new city ordinance that will make it a law that parents must attend at least one parent/teacher conference per child per school year. Do you think this law has any chance of working?

AnnapolisLari · June 2010

Nope. As a former teacher, I can tell you that it's just going to emphasize that some parents suck.

Yodajo · June 2010

No and I see it becoming a huge PITA for the teachers if it did. You can't force people to care about their kids.

I guessed I've missed the news lately. I haven't heard about this.

4Speedy · June 2010

Yodajo:

No and I see it becoming a huge PITA for the teachers if it did. You can't force people to care about their kids.

I guessed I've missed the news lately. I haven't heard about this.

I've only seen it mentioned once--on the news this morning.

4Speedy · June 2010

My immediate reaction was the same as everyone else. But I've since had some second thoughts. I think Detroit Public Schools may be a different animal from many other school systems. There is generation after generation of failure by the schools, parents and students. I think there COULD be a significant segment of the parent population that just doesn't "get it." Since their parents did not attend conferences, today's parents may not get what the benefits are to attending the conference or even "get" that that's what parents are supposed to do. While a law may not work, maybe parents ought to be required to attend "orientations" before their children can pass to the next grade. It may not help the kids with parents who just don't care, but it could help some kids whose parents are truly ignorant. And I have a feeling that could be a significant number, in this case.

Sunflower777 · June 2010

4Speedy:
I think there COULD be a significant segment of the parent population that just doesn't "get it." Since their parents did not attend conferences, today's parents may not get what the benefits are to attending the conference or even "get" that that's what parents are supposed to do.

This. I may be naive, but I think it's a good thing. Of course it's not a magic cure all for all the shiity parents, but it could have a positive effect on a few. For that I definitely think it's worth trying.

Yodajo · June 2010

4Speedy:
While a law may not work, maybe parents ought to be required to attend "orientations" before their children can pass to the next grade.

I think this is a good idea. A requirement set forth by the school system that each child's parents are required at least one meeting with their child's teacher before they are allowed to be passed on to the next grade could work much better. What do you do when you have an A student though with loser parents? Hold them back? Its just really hard to enforce something like this w/o it negatively affecting the child.

DandelionMom · June 2010

It'll be interesting to see if it ever passes. I imagine there would be a ridiculous number of loopholes built in so it won't be very effective. And I wonder if it will encourage more people to send their kids out of DPS just so they won't have to deal with the law.

Bride2b2004 · June 2010

WTH? I think it is ridiculous. A crime to miss conferences? I think all parents should attend conferences, BUT the government has no business micro managing anyone's life like that. Use the budget (which everyone is crying is non-existent) to hunt down child molesters and real criminals!

Want a personalized experience?

New Detroit law: Illegal to miss parent/teacher conferences

Re: New Detroit law: Illegal to miss parent/teacher conferences

Choose Another Board

Search Boards