Do you think students should be penalized for truancy/tardiness?
Here's what I think?
In my opinion, students should not be penalized for truancy/tardiness. Why? Here's my below explanation:
By expelling students for truancy, you are giving them permission for missing school. In my district, schools are NOT allowed to suspend/expel a student for being truant or tardy. They have a legitimate reason not to do this:
Expulsions because of truancy does NOT fix the issue and should not be used because it actually encourages students to miss school. Basically, you're telling students that if you want to be exempted from having to go to school for at least two semesters, you must NOT go to school. This type of expulsions also warrants attendance issues because of the results of the expulsion.
In Milwaukee, if a child is found on the streets, they are not arrested nor face criminal charges. Instead, they are taken to a truancy center found in a Boys & Girls Club and probably counseled on the importance of staying in school. Parents are not sent directly to jail for their child missing school, but is instead fined for not correcting the truancy problem.
Milwaukee Public Schools understands the results of having expulsions because of truancy and does not allow students to be expelled for habitual truancy, doesn't matter how serious it is. In your opinion, should students be penalized (through the use of expulsions/suspensions) for truancy