FCHS FAILS….160 students
May 8, 2010 by Brian
Filed under News, Posts About The Franklin County Attendance Policy
The Roanoke Times published the following letter to the editor in the May 8th edition.
Schools’ attendance policies really do hurt the students
May 8, 2010 http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/letters/wb/246118
Re: “Franklin County schools policy critic expunged from teaching list,” April 22 news story:
I have been called the attendance critic. A family advocate would be more appropriate. In addition to caring for my seven very academically successful children, including several foster children, I have spent more than 500 hours researching attendance policies to assist my employers (the school board) in developing a good policy.
As of now, 160-plus students have received Fs for their report cards due solely to missing more than five days of school, even if they were all excused absences. If just one of these students takes the unfair grading practice to court and proves that it resulted in a loss of scholarship or blocked entrance into a particular university, it could kill the school budget.
In addition, the policy has resulted in 600-plus Saturday school babysitting session attendees having to spend four hours of what should be family time and having to pay $20 per attendance.
In addition, consider the loss of self-esteem and harm caused by children going to school sick. If a child is attacked by a bully and fights to defend, the zero-tolerance policy results in suspension of both. All it takes is a perusal of www.schoolpoliciesthathurt.com to see the extreme detrimental effects the policy has had.
I think schools need to stop trying to be the parents and start being the teachers. I deal with pchs all the time and I let them know where they stand and how they are going to treat my daughter. I don’t back down and neither should you all. They can’t do all they say they can if you hold them to being fair.