Punish the Parents for Failing Students?

Some time ago I wrote a blog post in which I argued, contrary to the current political wisdom (is that an oxymoron?) and education policy that the problem with public education in America is not lousy teachers or failing schools. Rather, failing students are the problem, specifically, students we enter the public school system wholly lacking in the attitudes and skills necessary for academic success. In that post, I hold the parents responsible for this absence of educational preparedness. But I would never consider punishing the parents of unprepared students because there are far too many economic and cultural barriers that exist to place the "blame" so squarely on their shoulders. To reiterate, hold responsible, yes, punish, no.

Yet, a recent article in the New York Times indicates that punishment is exactly what some states are beginning to mete out to parents of struggling students. Recent state laws being proposed or that have already been enacted in states as diverse as Florida, Alaska, and California decided that "If a student is behaving badly, punish Mom and Dad." For example, in Alaska, if a student is missing a lot of school and his grades decline as a result, his parents can be fined $500 a day for every day the student misses school. In California, if a student misses school without a legitimate explanation more than ten times in a semester, the school district can ask the district attorney to press charges against the parents that could result in fines of up to $2500, a year in prison, and court-ordered parenting classes.

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