What is Truancy?
In public schools, students that don¿t have excused absences from school are labeled truant. This means simply that the child is absent from school without good reason. However, many occasions arise in which well intending parents believe their child to be sick and prevent them from attending school. In addition, schools and parents get into disagreements about who is responsible for children leaving school. What Steps Should I Take if My Child Is Sick?
Parents that believe their child is sick but are in disagreement with schools about excessive absences should take the following steps. These steps include: - Check the school¿s record ¿ There are many instances where children with asthma or other illnesses will go to a health room to report an illness. These nurses will document these illnesses and make a report. These reports provide good documentation for parents to show all occasions a child left school.
- Develop a plan ¿ Schools are required to develop a health plan to accommodate children with illnesses. These are usually called 504 plans. Working to develop a plan will prevent further discrepancies regarding attendance.
What Happens if My Child Gets Caught?
Much research indicates that high levels of truancy result in students dropping out of school, which of course leads to numerous other problems. In addition, research has shown that truancy can lead to crimes such as: Parents should immediately take steps to learn the school¿s attendance policy and comply with the regulations. In addition, parents should attempt to think of ways to give incentives to children to stay in school and offer rewards to those that do well. Should I Consult an Attorney?
An experienced education attorney can help parents deal with truancy. Many parents whose children have an illness that requires frequent absences, such as asthma, may have problems dealing with school officials regarding excessive absences. An experienced education attorney can help parents work with schools to prevent their child from becoming truant or to develop a plan to accommodate the child. |
