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HMMMM. What do you Think?

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Do you know about Ethical Leadership?

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Freedom of Speech (School Speech)

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. See U.S. Const. amend. I. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief. The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes.

In the case of Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986), dealt with the freedom of expression for students. Mathew Fraser, a student at Bethel High School in Bethel, Washington, gave a speech in front of the school audience to nominate Jeff Kuhlman for an office in the student government association within the school. Many complained that the Fraser gave included sexual references in which deemed to be inappropriate for students of that age. The speech given is written below:

"I know a man who is firm -- he's firm in his pants, he's firm in his shirt, his character is firm -- but most . . . of all, his belief in you, the students of Bethel, is firm.

Jeff Kuhlman is a man who takes his point and pounds it in. If necessary, he'll take an issue and nail it to the wall. He doesn't attack things in spurts -- he drives hard, pushing and pushing until finally -- he succeeds.

Jeff is a man who will go to the very end -- even the climax, for each and every one of you.

So vote for Jeff for A. S. B. vice-president -- he'll never come between you and the best our high school can be." (Mathew Fraser)

             The following day, Fraser was called into the assistant principal’s office where he was questioned about the nature of his speech. He openly admitted that he was aware he used sexual references throughout his speech and that he did it deliberately. The AP notified Fraser and his parent that by giving the speech he was in violation of the school's "disruptive conduct rule," which prohibited conduct that substantially interfered with the educational process, including the use of obscene, profane language or gestures. Fraser was immediately disciplined; this included being suspended for three days as well as was removed from the list of students who were eligible to make graduation remarks. His parents appealed the disciplinary action insisting that the school had indeed violated Fraser’s First Amendment rights. The Washington Supreme Court agreed that his free speech rights had been violated. The school board then appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

           The U.S Supreme Court then used an earlier case to make its determination. The court used Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School Board, holding that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the school gate. In that case, the Court said that the First Amendment gave students the right to wear black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. However, in this case, the courts ruled that because of the sexual content in speech, and the fact that the speech was given by a child, the disciplinary action given did not violate any constitutional right given to the student.

           The impact of this case laid the foundation for censored speech at assemblies at school. Students are not allowed to use obscene language, gestures or identify a specific religion while giving a speech. The school administration has the right to censor the speech if he or she feels that it will cause a disturbance within the school. This was seen a couple years later in the case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, a school district that censored a student newspaper. The Bethel case shows the Court re-examining the issue of student expression in the schools and finding that certain limits on expression are permitted by the First Amendment.

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Have you attended a DCPS School Board Meeting?

The purpose of having school board meetings is not only essential for the board members, but also students, parents and the community. Duval County School Board is committed to serving its students and its community in many important ways. The meetings are designed to give information about upcoming legislation, student achievements, operations of facilities and much more trivial matters. The School Board’s biggest goal is to ensure an adequate education for all students under its wide umbrella. During the School Board meeting on Oct. 4th, they did just that. The agenda for this meeting was jammed packed with critical information in which the community needed to hear. Parents and students flooded the auditorium.

The school board discussed the hazardous walking conditions and newly enacted state legislation known as Gabby’s Law that prioritizes hazardous areas for infrastructure improvements including crosswalks, sidewalks and roadways. Charter school development standards were discussed as well. The City’s planning department is working on development and implementation of standards that will apply to new charter sites to assist with safety and traffic flow. Gabby’s Law is also known as House Bill 41.  The bill designated as the “Gabby’s Law for Student Safety Act,” requires a district school board, in cooperation with the applicable state or local governmental entity, to inspect and identify hazardous conditions along routes that students must take while walking to or from school. The bill also requires the applicable state or local governmental entity to correct any hazardous walking conditions within a reasonable period of time. This Bill took effect on July 1, 2015 and the district is making sure that they are in compliance while keeping the safety of students in mind.

The board went on to converse about the services provided for those students who are homeless or in transition. Currently, DCPS provides services according to the McKinney-Vento Act. The Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act states that children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless. The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, state educational agencies must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth. Although specific services for these students were not discussed at this meeting, it was stated that future discussions will include seeking better coordinate community services and incorporating schools in neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Lastly, the Duval County School Board has agreed to conduct a Public Hearing for the District Five-Year Work Program as required by Section 1013.35, F.S.S. This five year work program means that the district would have to look at the use of facilities to make sure that they are up to code and also look at the future student population. By doing this, it will determine if more schools need to be built or if additions to school buildings need to be added.

All in all, the School board meeting was very informative and welcoming. Students, parents, and representatives from the community were able to express any concerns that they wished to share. They also were able to inform others of upcoming events within the neighboring communities. The meeting was well organized and I look forward to attending future meetings.

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Duval County Library Visit

Personal Perceptions of the Law Library

While visiting the law library, I expected it to be a lot bigger in size, however it seemed quite small to be a library. My first impression was that the staff was very friendly and welcoming. They offered assistance to locate desired materials and a tour of the library. At the front of the library I immediately noticed the updated copies of the Florida Statutes. This was surprising as the statutes had recently been updated. Furthermore, there were areas to make copies of the legal documents, but you could not check out material. There was also a small table area to conduct one’s research. Even though, the size of the library was significantly small, I believe that it still offered a tremendous amount of information to lawyers, and citizens alike who seek more legal knowledge.

What were the pros and cons of having access to the library?

Pros:

·         Access to Florida Cases

·         Access to Florida Law

·         Access to Florida Law Newspaper collection

·         Legal Forms for filing lawsuits

·         Access to Florida Statutes

·         Accessibility of Material

·         Staff willing to assist in locating material

·         Area to conduct business

·         Copying

·         Available notary

·         Access to the internet

·         Library tours

Cons:

·         Size of the library

·         Not much other law information for cases in other states

·         Not being able to check out law books

Do you think you could use the Law Library as a resource to represent yourself in a civil matter?

The material available in the Law Library gives me more than enough resources to be able to represent myself in a civil matter. There are form books that I can copy from to help file the necessary paperwork to the courts. Also, the library has many self-help law books, as well as other books related to self-represented law books. I can also ask the librarian for guidance in what material I could use to represent myself.

How could the library be used as a resource to administrators?

The library could be used as a resource to administrators because they will have access to current Florida Statues that are related to education. This will allow them to stay up to date on the changes happening within the statutes and within Florida. Administrators can also use the library as a way to look at how the courts have ruled in past cases to help them with a current law suit. There are also law forms that can be copied for use.

Can any of the information be accessed online, if so where and how?

The information that is within the library can also be found online. If you follow the following link, one would be able to access information within the library. http://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php Also, the law library provides free access to extensive WestlawNext and Lexis Advance databases. Hein-on-line is available to access law review and legal journals. These databases can also be accessed via smartphone, laptop, or desktop computer.

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Do Students Have Privacy in School?

The right to privacy is not mentioned in the Constitution, but the Supreme Court has said that several of the amendments create this right. One of the amendments is the Fourth Amendment, which stops the police and other government agents from searching us or our property without "probable cause" to believe that we have committed a crime. Other amendments protect our freedom to make certain decisions about our bodies and our private lives without interference from the government, this also includes the public schools. Several amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been used in varying ways of success in determining an individual’s right to privacy.

In the case of Board of Education Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County et al. V. Earls et al., brought an issue of privacy within the school district regarding the drug testing of athletes. The Student Activities Drug Testing Policy adopted by the Tecumseh, Oklahoma School District required all middle and high school students to consent to urine testing for drugs in order to participate in any extracurricular activity. Two Tecumseh High School students and their parents filed a law suit, alleging that the policy violated the Fourth Amendment. The District Court granted the School District judgment. In reversing, the Court of Appeals held that the policy violated the Fourth Amendment. The appellate court concluded that before imposing a drug testing program without suspicion, a school must demonstrate some identifiable drug abuse problem among the athletic department. The school district could not prove that there was any drug problem within the school; therefore, the school district had no reasonable suspicion to test students for drugs.

The parents also alleged that by making the students submit to the drug testing was in violation of their privacy. However, the Court concluded that the students affected by the policy of the school have a limited expectation of privacy. In any event, students who participate in competitive extracurricular activities voluntarily subject themselves to many of the same intrusions on their privacy as do athletes. Some of these clubs and activities require occasional off-campus travel and public undress, and all of them have their own rules and requirements that do not apply to the student body as a whole. Such regulation further diminishes the schoolchildren’s expectation of privacy.

The Courts ruled that by requiring the drug analysis of the students, it did not violate any form of the constitution because it was not “significantly intrusive” and a part of the written school policy. This case signified that students in any school district could be drug tested if it is within school policy and if it is a method of detecting unwanted use of drugs among student athletes. Within a school setting, students have a limited expectation of privacy and thus the school policies must address the areas in which a student can be searched, questioned or drug tested. Examples of this case can easily be applied to what we see in the middle and high school settings.

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Locker Searches

School officials are allowed to search the student’s locker without a warrant and without the permission from the student. This is only when the school remains in complete ownership of the locker. In Duval County Public Schools, the locker is the sole property of the school and students are given written warning that their locker may be searched at any time upon reasonable suspicion. In the case of Isiah B v. State of Wisconsin, the courts upheld that the search of the lockers due to recent gun and drug use at the school, was within reason when conducting random locker searches. Therefore, if there were illegal substances found in a student’s locker, and he or she shares the locker with two other individuals, all three students would receive the maximum allowable discipline. If one of the students owned up to the contraband, then that one student would receive the disciplinary action. However, since there are three occupants of the locker, the students must show proof that the illegal drugs did not belong to them. This is granting the students right to the due process of the law.            

What are your thoughts? Should all students be punished?

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Search and Seizure in Education

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. It requires governmental searches and seizures to be conducted only upon issuance of a warrant, with probable cause, supported by undeniable evidence, as well as describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be searched or detained. In the case of Safford Unified School District v. Redding, On October 8, 2003, a student handed the assistant principal, Petitioner Kerry Wilson, a pill which the school nurse identified as prescription strength ibuprofen. The student said he had gotten the pill from his classmate Marissa, and that some students planned to take the pills at lunchtime. When Wilson and his administrative assistant, Helen Romero, discovered several more pills in Marissa's pockets and wallet, Marissa said she had gotten them from her classmate Savana Redding. Wilson also learned that Savana had recently lent Marissa a planner, in which Marissa hid some other items forbidden at school.

Based on Marissa's statement, Wilson brought Savana to his office, where she admitted lending Marissa the planner but not to the prohibited contents, and denied seeing or distributing the ibuprofen pills. After searching Savana's backpack and finding no pills, Wilson asked Romero and Schwallier to search Savana in the nurse's office. Savana complied when asked to remove her clothes and then pull aside her bra and underwear and shake them out, exposing her breasts and pelvic area. The search revealed no pills. When receiving notice of the search, Savana’s mother filed a lawsuit stating that her child’s Fourth Amendment rights had been violated.

Applying the New Jersey v. T.L.O., (1985) test for determining whether a search is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, the district court found that Marissa's comment justified the initiation of the search because Savana's planner showed a connection between the two girls, and that the touch-free search was reasonable in scope given the school's need to uphold its anti-drug policy. When re-evaluating the intrusive search using the two-prong test, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled that the search violated the student’s Fourth Amendment rights due to the fact that Marissa’s statement did not give enough evidence to go that extreme of a search. Fortunately, the two-prong test that was established in the TLO case, was upheld in this case to provide proper justice.

Duval County Public Schools – Search and Seizure

Federal and state laws grant individuals reasonable expectations of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure of property. Such guarantees are not unlimited and must be balanced by the school’s responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of all students. Students may be subject to search of person or property if any reasonable suspicion exists that the student may have violated the Student Code of Conduct or state or federal law. Upon reasonable suspicion, student lockers and other storage areas (including, but not limited to, motor vehicles, book bags, pocketbooks, notebooks, pockets, personal electronic devices, etc.) may be searched. Additionally, school personnel are permitted to conduct administrative searches for weapons and other contraband absent reasonable suspicion. Administrative searches shall be carried out with a neutral plan for execution and in the least intrusive manner. Schools are also permitted to use metal detectors to assist in this effort.

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Religion in Schools

The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unjustifiably preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion. In the Landmark Case of Engle v Vitale, parents were outraged about the implementation of school prayer being read aloud to the students over the intercom. In a nutshell, in 1951 the New York State Board of Regents approved a 22-word “nondenominational prayer” for recitation each morning in the public schools of New York.

The prayer read: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country.”

The Regents or school board, believed that the prayer could be a useful tool for the development of character and good citizenship among the students of the State of New York. The prayer was offered to the school boards in the State for their use, and participation in the “prayer-exercise” was voluntary. In New Hyde Park, New York, the Union Free School District No. 9 directed the local principal to have the prayer said aloud by each class in the presence of a teacher at the beginning of the school day. On the other hand, the parents of ten students in the New Hyde Park schools objected to the prayer. They filed a lawsuit in a New York State court looking for a ban on the prayer, claiming that the use of this official prayer in the public schools was conflicting to their beliefs, religion, or religious practices. The State Appeals court upheld the use of the prayer, as long as the students were not required to join in on the prayer. In the end, the courts found that by rendering the recitation of the prayer was indeed unconstitutional on the grounds that it encouraged students to recite the prayer. The essential goal of the parents was to separate the affiliation of church and school.

This particular case laid the foundation for statutes regarding the practice of any form of religion in schools. In regards to the practice of religion and prayer in Florida public schools, the statutes indicates that the study of the Bible and religion can only take place in an academic course in which it is written into the curriculum of use and parents must be notified of the topic of study. The statute also states that the school board can provide a brief period of meditation or prayer for students with certain religious beliefs. However, this brief period must not exceed two minutes on a daily or weekly basis.

           Within my workplace, prayers are not recited and there are not any religious elements imbedded into the curriculum. However, we as a school recite the “Wildcat Pledge”. This pledge signifies what the students are expected to do every day within the classroom and while in the halls. Any other pledge or prayer does not take place within the school. If a student were to ask for a brief moment to meditate or pray, he or she would be given the two minute allotted time. Although Duval County Schools have strict procedures in regards to prayer, religious practices are most commonly seen within parochial schools.

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Check out my video on race and national origin. Do you know the difference?

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Due Process of the 14th Amendment

The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment states that no state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. In the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri v. Horowitz (1978) Landmark Case, the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the issue of whether officials at a public university’s medical school provided one of its student’s procedural due process when they took steps to dismiss the student from an academic program. During the fall of 1971, Charlotte Horowitz entered the University of Missouri, Kansas City Medical School with advanced standing that would have required her to spend only two years in medical school. These two years were supposed to be dedicated to hands-on clinical experience. However, Horowitz academic abilities had significantly began to decline.

During Horowitz’s first of two years at the university, several faculty members evaluated her clinical performance, indicating that her work did not measure up to that of her peers. At the end of that first year, the academic review team, known as the Council on Evaluation, which was composed of both faculty and students, recommended Horowitz’s continuation in the program on a probationary basis. During the first half of Horowitz’s second year, faculty members expressed additional concerns about her capacity to perform the required clinical skills, rating her work as unsatisfactory. In the middle of that year, the Council again reviewed her academic progress. This time, the Council recommended that Horowitz not be considered for graduation at the end of the academic year. Further, the Council indicated that unless Horowitz displayed dramatic improvement in her poor clinical performance, she should be dismissed from the medical school.

Furthermore, Horowitz was given multiple opportunities to demonstrate her capabilities within her field of study. Failing to convince the Council during field visits, as well as examinations, she was dismissed from the medical school. Horowitz sued and claimed that the procedure leading to her dismissal violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The district court concluded that Horowitz had been afforded all the rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment on the basis of the university providing evidence of meetings with her and examinations to prove poor clinical performance.

The impact of this case is directly related to how school administrators handle suspending and expelling students. In Duval County Public Schools, the student must be notified of the violation and allowed the opportunity to plead their case. The parent must also be notified in a timely manner of the disciplinary action. Similarly, in the case of the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri v. Horowitz, they too followed the designated procedure as outlined in the universities guidelines for dismissals. This is the same for elementary and secondary schools. The disciplinary procedure must be stated within the Student Code of Conduct and followed according with the precise documentation of student offenses. By following this process, administrators limit the risks of being sued for not following the due process.

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Equal Protection - Plessy v. Ferguson

In 1890, Louisiana passed a law called the Separate Car Act. This law said that railroad companies must provide separate but equal train cars for whites and blacks. Blacks had to sit with blacks and whites had to sit with whites. However, it was said the each separate group received the same treatment and facilities. Anyone who decided to break this law would have to pay $25 or go to jail for 20 days. Plessy was an African American man who identified himself as white because of his fair skin tone. Due to his choice of identification, he sat in the white section of the train and was consequently asked to leave. When he refused, he was fined and jailed.

Plessy argued in court that the Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. The Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery and the Fourteenth Amendment requires that the government treat people equally. Justice Ferguson had stated in a previous court decision that the Separate Car Act was unconstitutional if applied to trains running outside of Louisiana. In this case, however, he declared that the law was constitutional for trains running within the state and Plessy was then found guilty. Plessy then filed an appeal to the Supreme Court and it was held that he in fact did violate the law set forth in Louisiana. The justices also stated that the case did not conflict with the Thirteenth Amendment because it had nothing to do with slavery or involuntary servitude. Therefore, it did not violate this Amendment. The courts also stated that they did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause because the law is put in place to enforce the equality of the two races according to the law. Consequently, when there are laws being established that require the separation of the two races, it does not imply that one race is inferior of the other. It was argued that it was not the laws that made separate races feel inferior, but the people of the races. According to the constitution there is no dominant race.

Although the races were separate, it was seen in the eyes of the judges that they were still treated equally. This lead to the Separate but Equal Doctrine, which was overturned in Brown v. Board of Education. One race cannot be treated equally if another race sees themselves as dominant over the other. Each race also cannot possibly be equal if we do not receive the same quality of facilities and fair treatment. The impact that we see today in our schools based on this landmark case is the foundation for the Brown v Board of Education landmark case. Schools back then were segregated and the African American schools did not receive the same accommodations as the neighboring white schools. Under the Separate but Equal Doctrine, this seemed fair. Thanks to Brown, children in today’s schools are able to learn with various races in one classroom and feel equal to their peers.

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Take a Stance on Religion in Schools

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, and assembly. The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unjustifiably favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion.

I selected this amendment because I believe that all people should have the right to express their religion in the ways that they see fit. If that means to pray during school or after school, then that is that individual’s right. In Duval County, prayer is not allowed at graduation or school activities. The law indicates that by allowing officials or students for that matter to recite a prayer, it imposes their religion onto the audience. I believe that the district has overcome that barrier of the law by allowing students to give inspirational speeches before or after the event. I also think that the expression of religion should be a little more relaxed in the school setting by allowing students to take more than two minutes to worship. In my current school setting, I do not see any form of prayer or moments of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance is not recited daily. I would like to see more prayer in public schools; my thinking is that it may decrease the amount of disciplinary issues that take place. Would you be opposed to the expression of religion in schools?

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Is Corporal Punishment Still Legal in Your District?

          The idea of corporal punishment stemmed from previous Puritan beliefs. During this era, the Puritans believed that individuals are naturally tainted by the sin of Adam and Eve. This led people of this time to think that children were contaminated with evil spirits. To cleanse the children, the Puritans punished them with beatings and humiliation. Many people thought that by rendering this amount of suffering to children, that it could correct the unwanted behaviors. Corporal punishment during the Puritan era and today can be classified as any physical contact with a child, such as striking, paddling, or spanking of a student. Some believed that this form of punishment and humiliation were beneficial educational tools.

           Additionally, when it comes to disciplining children in schools, corporal punishment has been widely practiced throughout the nation. It was practiced in Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Israel for both Judicial and educational discipline. The punishments ranged from general spanking on the buttocks with a paddle or sticks; to canning with a wooden cane on the bare buttocks. Some believed that administering the disciplinary action to these students were violating the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment. On the other hand, people argued that by punishing the child it would ultimately cease the behavior issues and prevent it from recurring. Several schools in the 1900s were solely ran based on the respectfulness of students and their ability to sit, take notes, and recall information. Any disruption of the three would result in some form of corporal punishment.

           Currently in the United States, corporal punishment is legal in 19 states (Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Arizona, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Carolina Tennessee, Wyoming, Indiana, and Texas). There are at least 150,000 cases of corporal punishment a year and it has been found that of these cases, the majority of students that are subjected to corporal punishment are males. Some schools would inflict the punishments to avoid suspending the student. They believed that spanking or paddling the child would stop the behavior but also keep them at school to get their education. In most schools, the parent must give authorization for their child to be disciplined. If the parent gave their written consent, they were then taken into a room or office with and administrator and another individual and would then receive their punishment. The purpose of the other individual in the room is to be a witness as to what actually took place during that time. Therefore, in these 19 states parents must give their consent for their child to be disciplined at the hands of another adult �_zT���#

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Are School Improvement Funds Being Used the Correct Way?

School Improvement Funds are grants that are authorized under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. These funds are dispersed to schools to provide an adequate amount of resources in order to increase the achievement level of the school. School Improvement funds were also put into place in order to help low performing schools raise their proficiency levels. From further research, I have found that the school improvement funds should support the school improvement plan that is created at the beginning of each year. Before money is dispersed, the School Advisory Council meets to decide how the money will be spent. The money must be on projects or programs that were outlined in the School improvement Plan, as well as approved by the SAC. In my opinion, School Improvement Plans are beneficial when used properly. The thought of receiving funds are great; but too often money is being spent on things that are not important necessities to the success of our students. I believe that when we being looking at how the money is being spent, we need to look at the long-term effects of what we are purchasing and most importantly, look at how it is helping to reach the goals outlined in the improvement plan. When thinking long-term, it is important to consider what is going to be of continued use and not discontinued hastily. As stated before, the School Improvement Funds are essential to the ongoing success of our students and schools; only when used properly.

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Attendance in Schools - Is it important?

        Compulsory attendance laws refer to legislative mandates that children are required to attend public, private, or homeschools until reaching a certain age. The primary components of compulsory attendance laws include school admission and exit ages, how long a student must remain in school, student enrollment procedures and requirements, and enforcement of student truancy provisions. Local school attendance officers and/or juvenile domestic relations courts generally enforce compulsory attendance laws. Additionally, all jurisdictions hold parents or legal guardians legally responsible for the school attendance of their children.

           The state of Florida enacted the Compulsory Attendance law in 1915. Within the public schools, children ages 6 to 16 are required to attend school.  At age five a child is eligible for admission to kindergarten if their birthday falls on or before September 1st. Each parent of a child within compulsory attendance age is responsible for the child’s school attendance as required by the law. Attendance is to be recorded daily; no more than two hours after school has begun. If the child has more than 15 absences it is the duty of the principal to contact the parent and try to remedy the problem. If absences persist, the officials can and will be called and the parent would be summoned to court for truancy. If in fact the child wishes to drop out of school he/she must put it in written form with a parent signature and submit it to the district for approval.

           Currently at my school, the attendance policy is aligned to what the Florida statute indicates. It states that all students of compulsory age must attend school. Students who are absent must obtain a written note or excuse as to why they were absent and it must be approved by the school officials before it is marked as an excused absence. When there has been more than five absences within a 45 day grading period, parents are supposed to be contacted, given a written warning, and if the absences persist, an intervention team will try to assist. If attempts fail, the school official must report the issue to the Department of Children and Families.

It is very common that parents get a slap on the risk for not following school procedures. There are constant repeat offenders and majority of the time administration will not call the authorities because they do not want to cause harm or uproot someone’s family. Verbal warnings are given to parents, but often times, administration is very understanding to the parents and try to keep an open line of communication with them in regards to when and if they are going to be late picking up their child or if their child will be absent from school. There have been many cases where a school official has had to take children home because a parent could not pick them up due to personal issues, or even if they simply had mechanical issues that hindered them from picking or dropping off their child.

I am noticing daily that my school’s attendance policy is not being enforced. This is what I would change. As an administrator, I cannot expect for my parents to follow and abide by the rules if I am unable to do so myself. It is my duty as a school administrator to do what is best for the student. Although parents might face some tough times, it is still important that their child attends school and arrives on time.

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