Michigan links welfare payments to school attendance

[Exterous]

The policy goes into effect on Monday, and affects new applicants others as they work through an annual review. The state has about 60,000 cases, and the average family in the program receives about $468 a month, he said.

Parents must provide a form completed by their schools indicating children are complying with the attendance policy. The state also has a plan for parents who are homeschooling their children.

Akerly said there are provisions for special circumstances, such as an extended sickness.

The move is being cheered by school districts, though some advocates say truancy affects families of all incomes and the policy unfairly focuses those who are struggling.

If the people want teachers to be held accountable for grades then parents need to be held accountable for attendance. While I would like to see more done in terms of attendance compliance I am not sure if 'unfair' is the correct term as it is merely an attempt to get them to comply with the existing laws. Overall truancy is a large issue for Michigan:

According to Michigan policies a student is truant when they have 10 or more unexcused absences per school year. During the 2011-2012 school year over 90,000 cases of truancy were reported, almost a 10% increase from the previous year

Judy Putnam, spokeswoman for the Michigan League of Human Services, said there is no doubt that children need to be in school. But she said it’s hard to tell what percentage of chronically absent students come from homes receiving cash assistance.

Well - this could help shine some light onto that

There were also provisions to increase the presence of Social Workers in schools which I think is a good one as Truancy staff are often significantly overworked.

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2012/09/new_michigan_policy_linking_we.html

 

[xBiffx]

Children are just following the example set forth by their parents. Coast through life from safety net to safety net.

One can hope this would help divert the children from the same pitiful existence.

 

[SheHateMe]

Sounds good to me. There were kids in some of my classes that only showed up on Official Count Day...which was 2 days out of the year.

 

[Exterous]

Sounds good to me. There were kids in some of my classes that only showed up on Official Count Day...which was 2 days out of the year.

I believe DPS sends out fliers so parents know when those dates are and asks them to make sure their kids go to school those days. My wife has had a couple of school days the last two years that ended up not counting as official school days as the district's attendance levels were too low

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I like it in theory, but I can see a potential issue. Parents are required to look out for their children's safety/well-being, right? You can't NOT feed your child. So you tell the kid, "get to school or you don't eat." Well what happens when they don't go to school? No welfare, no food. Now the parent is in trouble because they can't feed their kid, even though the kid is the one who is skipping school. Does the parent resort to beating the child? No, that's illegal. What do you do if you're the parent of a complete fuck-up?

Still, I like the idea of reforming the system to tie it to actual, achievable performance metrics. I mean, seriously, just SHOWING UP at school? If you can't manage to do that, maybe you should starve.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It's a good start.

 

[Moonbeam]

Children are just following the example set forth by their parents. Coast through life from safety net to safety net.

One can hope this would help divert the children from the same pitiful existence.

Is this what your parents told you? Is this an example of the brain dead ignorance they set for you to follow, coasting through life without any effort at analytical thinking? Ah, but I forgive you because you know how hard it is to break out of pathetic and inferior redneck ghetto thinking.

 

[Moonbeam]

It's a good start.

It might even be worth looking into the possibility, in the case of the unemployed and in reasonable health, to have to study and pass the same tests as their kids. Why shouldn't tax payer funded education for poor children include the whole family? Why not even give them something to do at the schools like making desks, prefab school rooms, paper, pencils, printing text books, teacher assisting if qualified, etc.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It might even be worth looking into the possibility, in the case of the unemployed and in reasonable health, to have to study and pass the same tests as their kids. Why shouldn't tax payer funded education for poor children include the whole family? Why not even give them something to do at the schools like making desks, prefab school rooms, paper, pencils, printing text books, teacher assisting if qualified, etc.

I've been in support of something like this for a long time. Establish a carrot and if need be a stick to require adult education and something along the lines of the WPA. Repair infrastructure, maintain parks, those things which aren't being done or being done poorly. Teach people how to work and learn there is no shame in honest labor. Equip them with the tools of education for other jobs and work damn hard to attract business back home so they can have a real opportunity, not just "here ya go, you are on your own." but have no real chance.

 

[sunzt]

I've been in support of something like this for a long time. Establish a carrot and if need be a stick to require adult education and something along the lines of the WPA. Repair infrastructure, maintain parks, those things which aren't being done or being done poorly. Teach people how to work and learn there is no shame in honest labor. Equip them with the tools of education for other jobs and work damn hard to attract business back home so they can have a real opportunity, not just "here ya go, you are on your own." but have no real chance.

Would support if the parents are on welfare and have no job.

Any gov entitlement should require some sort of performance metrics/requirements associated with it.

For medicare/aid it could be to maintain blood pressure, cholesterol, or BMI levels.

 

[Incorruptible]

It's a good start but it's not enough. The welfare system must be abolished since it costs the taxpayers billions of hard earned dollars. End welfare and allow private charity to fill the gap.

 

[Exterous]

I mean, seriously, just SHOWING UP at school? If you can't manage to do that, maybe you should starve.

It is a pretty low bar

 

[Moonbeam]

I mean, seriously, just SHOWING UP at school? If you can't manage to do that, maybe you should starve.

Except that if you are starving it's kind of hard to make it to school, I would think.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Good start, need to take additional actions against those that chose not to attend school, more than 5 unexcused absences lands the child in juvenile hall. Failure to maintain good attendance equals supervised schooling.

 

[marincounty]

Ted Kennedy once proposed a guaranteed job for every American in exchange for eliminating welfare payments. Great idea, too bad Republicans were opposed to it.

 

[Agent11]

We should have mandatory boarding schools for children with bad attendance records.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Except that if you are starving it's kind of hard to make it to school, I would think.

Are you kidding? They give you a free lunch for showing up. If you're actually starving, school is literally saving your life. The kids who drop out aren't doing so because they can't muster the energy to drag their desiccated, malnourished, skeletal husks of bodies to the building with the free food in it. Incentivizing the parents to make sure their kids get to school is a great idea, and that starts with their wallet.

 

[nehalem256]

Are you kidding? They give you a free lunch for showing up. If you're actually starving, school is literally saving your life. The kids who drop out aren't doing so because they can't muster the energy to drag their desiccated, malnourished, skeletal husks of bodies to the building with the free food in it. Incentivizing the parents to make sure their kids get to school is a great idea, and that starts with their wallet.

I don't think America has a problem with poor kids literally starving. If anything it has a problem with poor kids being obese.

 

[boomerang]

Are you kidding? They give you a free lunch for showing up. If you're actually starving, school is literally saving your life. The kids who drop out aren't doing so because they can't muster the energy to drag their desiccated, malnourished, skeletal husks of bodies to the building with the free food in it. Incentivizing the parents to make sure their kids get to school is a great idea, and that starts with their wallet.

Hey, don't burst his bubble. I'm damned certain he actually believes carts are pulled through the streets of Detroit to collect the kids who've died of starvation.

Bring out your dead - bring out your dead.

 

[Lanyap]

They need to make the parents attend school too in order to receive welfare benefits.

 

[boomerang]

Ted Kennedy once proposed a guaranteed job for every American in exchange for eliminating welfare payments. Great idea, too bad Republicans were opposed to it.

It was dead out of the gate because like most progressive wet dreams, it was an impossibility. I do understand though how it would be very appealing to people that are incapable of thinking past the next five minutes.

 

[boomerang]

They need to make the parents attend school too in order to receive welfare benefits.

They got rights!

 

[CycloWizard]

Indiana did this 15 years ago. The result was a lot of students showing up to avoid getting beaten by their parents. They would bide their time until their 16th birthday at which time they would promptly drop out at which point the rules would no longer apply.

 

[piasabird]

Then link school attendance to welfare payments!

If they dont show up they dont get paid.

If they drop out, their welfare is over forever. Not a problem.

Miss too many days and the welfare is suspended.

They have the right to starve to death.

 

[1prophet]

Still, I like the idea of reforming the system to tie it to actual, achievable performance metrics. I mean, seriously, just SHOWING UP at school? If you can't manage to do that, maybe you should starve.

Americans should be ashamed how they piss away the greatest resources and education put in their hands, but shame is frowned upon today because someones feelings might be hurt.
http://www.thebutterflytree.org.uk/pages/about/where-we-work/african-children/

African children walk long distances to school through bush, crossing elephant paths and rivers. I actually drove to one area where children set off at 4am to get to Mukuni High School for 7pm, often having no breakfast until they reach school. For this reason many younger children are unable to be educated until they are old enough to walk several miles a day. Zambian education is essential for these children who are eager to learn and have very little else in their lives, it gives them hope and a chance to better their situation.