HB 1307 introduced by Rep. Lawson requires school rules against bullying include a provision requiring a student’s parents to provide at least three hours of service each semester or quarter.
The discipline rules described in subsection (a) concerning parental involvement must include a requirement that a student’s parent provide at least three (3) hours of service each semester or each quarter, if applicable, at the student’s school.
This bill raises all kinds of questions. First, it’s not at all clear whether the bill requires service only of kids involved with bullying. As I read it, the rules would apply to all students as a kind of hedge against bullying in the first place. Second, which is it? Three hours per semester or per quarter? Parents are going to be required to serve 12 hours or 6 hours per school year based on how the school happens to break up its year? Third, does this mean each parent of a student or one parent per student? Step-parents? How is this going to be enforced? Would it be considered a taking without compensation under the 5th & 14th amendments? How about involuntary servitude under the 13th?
It also does nothing to address that in some cases, the parents are the ones encouraging and engaging in bullying right with the kids.
This is hilarious! I’d bet the schools would be a lot more unsettled over this possibility than the parents.
I just thought of something else…
How will the law handle parents that aren’t allowed to volunteer because of issues in their background checks?
Sadly more common than one would think.
Katie, that is about the most assinine of comments. Schools would LOVE more parents becoming involved. That is entirely the whole problem…LACK of parental involvement. Get a clue….
You think schools would “LOVE” compelled parental involvement? That’s a whole different kettle of fish from a management standpoint than volunteer parental involvement.
And, as a courtesy, please cut it out with the “assinine” (sic) and “get a clue” language. Disagreement is fine. No need for ad hominems.
Thinking back to my PTA days (long ago) when two schools merged, therefore their PTAs merged. Twice the help? Oh, no, it was twice the headache to get all those parents to accept each other and work together…and these were all volunteers, not people who were forced to participate. I think it will be a management morass for the school administrations. Just getting all those background checks performed and logged will be daunting, then placing each person in a role appropriate to their talents, preferences, and other appropriate considerations…then following up to see if the people show up and jobs got done…I’m getting a panic attack just thinking about it.
Doug, do you know who Linda Lawson is? You can’t spell “Dingbat” without “Lawson”.
She was last seen pulling a publicity stunt driving unwanted animals from our local shelter to Boston or some such place.
I am not surprised that this bill is a mess. So is Linda Lawson.
The only saving grace is that she is now a back bencher in the minority party, and this thing will never see the light of day.
Tell us how you really feel, Buzzcut?
Sorry Dougie for offending your easily-offended senses, and sorry for not spell checking. If you would have bothered to check the context, I was speaking of voluntary parental involvement. It appears you are too obsessed with spelling and “ad hominems” than you are with content. Such is life, and I stand by my post. I have observed first hand that VOLUNTARY parental involvement IS welcomed by schools.
Yes, I’m easily offended for asking you not to act like a douchebag when you visit. You’ve got me pegged.
Brian: you’re right. VOLUNTARY parent involvement is something the schools desire. Too bad this thread isn’t about that subject, and is about MANDATORY parent involvement. The difference between THose two topics are as different as employment (good) and slavery (bad).
I guess if you are the moderator and you say its not part of the thread….sorry to add that to the very limited conversation. You might want to check Mary’s post above “and these were all volunteers, not people who were forced to participate.” Therefore, it appears some of this thread DID indeed point that direction. Maybe some chastising should go Mary’s way, as well (sorry Mary didn’t mean to throw you under the bus). However, I would never associate this with the topic of slavery…I believe that is a bit over the top. Good luck with your blog.