Worthy: Attend PT conferences or face jail

[Crumbled_pavement]

I didn't say anything about legislating love. I said it's unfortunate that these kids will never be loved as they should be [[meaning by the parents). What would you suggest the solution be for "unwanted kids"? Abstinence or condoms don't seem to apply in these cases, do they?

I've lived in Detroit my whole life so I don't say this lightly, but I say it truthfully. Some people need to just be written off. We should focus on the next generation. However, legislating bad parents to be good parents won't accomplish that. Screw abstinence, some of these kids are too poor to have activities that would make that a feasible option. Birth control should be pushed HEAVILY. Again, I make none of these comments lightly.

I still say Detroit is hopeless.

Then why do anything at all? You make this too easy.

[Buy American]

I've lived in Detroit my whole life so I don't say this lightly, but I say it truthfully. Some people need to just be written off. We should focus on the next generation. However, legislating bad parents to be good parents won't accomplish that. Screw abstinence, some of these kids are too poor to have activities that would make that a feasible option. Birth control should be pushed HEAVILY. Again, I make none of these comments lightly.

Then why do anything at all? You make this too easy.

I agree that some people should be just written off and that the focus should be on the next generation....isn't that what Worthy is trying to do...focus on the kids in school today...they are the future we're talking about. Are you saying that because these kids don't have other things to do that's why they are screwing around and getting pregnant? Who will push birth control...the schools?

[DetroitTeacher]

I never see the parents that I really need to see. I always see the parents of the kids who are on track and give me no issues. I never have a working phone number of the parents that I really need to talk to...guess the parental involvement issue is pretty clear. Those kids who are doing what they are supposed to have engaged parents [[most of them)...those that are a pain in the butt and do nothing have parents who do nothing.

[Crumbled_pavement]

I never see the parents that I really need to see. I always see the parents of the kids who are on track and give me no issues. I never have a working phone number of the parents that I really need to talk to...guess the parental involvement issue is pretty clear. Those kids who are doing what they are supposed to have engaged parents [[most of them)...those that are a pain in the butt and do nothing have parents who do nothing.

Since you're on the front lines, your opinion is one of the most valuable in thread. Do you think Worthy's proposed law would help, either A) getting those parents to PT or B) getting those parents more involved in their child's education?

Thanks, you've been a great contributor to this site in regards to DPS.

[Magnatomicflux]

Sorry if it's already been said. What about while enroling the child in school, the parent signs a contract stating that they must attend X amount of PT meetings in a year/semester [[barring unavoidable circumstance)or the kid gets the boot?

Doesn't seem like it would matter much if they have to bribe people just to show on count day.

[Magnatomicflux]

. Birth control should be pushed HEAVILY..

I don't know.......I mean, it sounds like a good idea. Problem is birth control can make some woman completly unstable emotionally [[ source: wife, and then me trembling in a corner is the end result) Now her time in class is spend crying or being extremely angry at the most irrelevent things, and not on doing her work. Some are allergic to it, and you can't just substitue for rubbers because alot of woman and men are allergic to those too.
And I don't know how many phamacy drugs we should be pumping into people for no reason. And throwing natural menstral [[sp?) cycles out of whack at such young ages. Can probably be damaging to some young ladies in the long run.

Might as well start handing out chastity belts I suppose.......hmmmm

That could also bring a whole new industry to Detroit!

[Crumbled_pavement]

I don't know.......I mean, it sounds like a good idea. Problem is birth control can make some woman completly unstable emotionally [[ source: wife, and then me trembling in a corner is the end result) Now her time in class is spend crying or being extremely angry at the most irrelevent things, and not on doing her work. Some are allergic to it, and you can't just substitue for rubbers because alot of woman and men are allergic to those too.
And I don't know how many phamacy drugs we should be pumping into people for no reason. And throwing natural menstral [[sp?) cycles out of whack at such young ages. Can probably be damaging to some young ladies in the long run.

Might as well start handing out chastity belts I suppose.......hmmmm

That could also bring a whole new industry to Detroit!

Granted, you make some very good points. However, I should have used the word 'promote', as I'm not talking about mandating birth control. Still, if we could just curb the unwanted teen/tween pregnancy rate by 1/3 we'd do an invaluable service to everyone all the way around. Think of all the money and resources [[tax dollars) that would be saved if even just 1 in three teen/tween pregnancies never occurred. Think of how many women would have a better chance to get a good education, find a good job, find the right man and then have children. Think of how many men would have the chance to grow up, find their own way in life, then be prepared for the responsibility of being a father instead of running away and dumping the responsibility on the woman. Legislating good parenting practices after an unwanted child is born is negligible at best. I'd rather spend time trying to curb the unwanted pregnancy rate however we can do it best.

And I was specifically talking about condoms [[although not 100%, and there are those who prefer not to use them), not birth control pills [[although that is a good option for some). I think we both agree most people would make better parents, especially those from impoverished backgrounds, when they hit their mid twenties and later on than they would be in their teens to early 20s.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Sorry if it's already been said. What about while enroling the child in school, the parent signs a contract stating that they must attend X amount of PT meetings in a year/semester [[barring unavoidable circumstance)or the kid gets the boot?

I like this idea better. It reminds me of something that DetroitTeacher has talked about in the past. DPS has to deal with any kid that's dropped off at their school whereas charter schools only have to deal with the students that perform [[and those are normally the kids with involved parents).

To make your idea work though, we'd need reverse magnet schools. Magnet schools being the schools that attract the best and brightest, we'd have to have schools specifically designed to deal with the underachievers and the ones the parents are not as involved with. This would help DPS' numbers tremendously, because most teachers in most schools would be left with the children that want to learn and not the disruptive kids. Let the special schools deal with the disruptive kids where more resources can be dedicated to dealing with them.

[DetroitTeacher]

I don't think Worthy's idea would fly. There are already schools where parents sign a contract to attend PTCs and be involved. CMA is one of those schools. They have a relatively small number of kids, parents are involved and their grad rate is one of the highest in the city. They also have all of the latest gadgets [[and they did before the make-over). If a kid screws up at CMA and their GPA falls, they get the boot. Mandatory parent meetings are held at the beginning of the year and if the parents don't attend, neither do their kids. It's nice to have schools such as this but that leaves other schools to deal with ALL of the bottom feeders [[hence the fights, the truancy, low grad rates, etc.).

I'd like to see Worthy's lil law passed but I don't think it's realistic.

[Crumbled_pavement]

I don't think Worthy's idea would fly. There are already schools where parents sign a contract to attend PTCs and be involved. CMA is one of those schools. They have a relatively small number of kids, parents are involved and their grad rate is one of the highest in the city. They also have all of the latest gadgets [[and they did before the make-over). If a kid screws up at CMA and their GPA falls, they get the boot. Mandatory parent meetings are held at the beginning of the year and if the parents don't attend, neither do their kids. It's nice to have schools such as this but that leaves other schools to deal with ALL of the bottom feeders [[hence the fights, the truancy, low grad rates, etc.).

I'd like to see Worthy's lil law passed but I don't think it's realistic.

Thanks, I appreciate your response. Sounds to me though that CMA has enacted basically the same policy as Worthy without making it a law. Would it work better if DPS had different levels of schools? The top tier schools would be schools like Cass and Renaissance, then we could have middle level schools for the average students [[who have the involvement of parents), and then schools to deal with the troubled students [[ones who have very little parental involvement). Would that work better than Worthy's proposed law?

Thanks again for your response.

Edit: Ooops, I misread your opening sentence. I thought it said you thought Worthy's law would fly, instead you said it wouldn't fly.

[Danny]

It's not part of the state, local constitution laws for anyone to attend PTA meetings or face imprisonment. Mama and Papa have other things to do besides sitting at a meeting hall listing to the crabbiness of other Mamas and Papas along with tenure and union operated teachers.

[DetroitTeacher]

Tiered schools might work but I fear a huge teacher turnover from burnout in the lower tier schools. I think schools need a good mix of kids [[I'm not talking about the kids who never show up or who cause SO many issues that it's impossible for anyone to learn). It would be great if all of the kids came in ready to learn and eager to do what they need to do. I'm not so sure I'd want to teach in a school where none of the kids want to be there and there is absoltuely NO parent support.