Get to class: High schools tighten attendance policy

The hallways of Las Cruces High School fill with students the first day back to school in 2007.

[Freedom above all]

Wow. Excused absences are counted against the students.

Sounds like the schools are doing a good job getting the kids ready for the slavery of corporate Amerika.

I am glad I graduated years and years ago.

[EVL]

Come on be serious! How can you compare making sure students attend school to slavery? If you have a better idea submit it to LCPS.

This policy is a step in the right direction.

[Henry]

The LCPS attendance policy seems to be very short sighted. It seems that a student that is already at risk for dropping out of school is only more motivated to do so when they have lost an entire semester's credit for absences excused or not. Is it going to be the policy of the district to add another level of review to to allow the children of responsible parents to circumvent their absence policy if a student has parent notes, documentation of academic or sporting event participation?

[Made in NM]

In response to Henry from La Luz, I agree that it probably won't help the dropout-bound kid (unfortunately). However, I think many responsible parents out there would be surprised at the number of otherwise well-behaved kids that miss class without their parents' knowledge.

The key to this policy is the appeal process. EVERYONE, including the schools, students, and parents are going to be more mindful of missed classes. I seriously doubt a student who has been out for illness or legitimate reasons will be denied credit. The 90% rule is just a trigger for closer review, as I read it.

[Freedom above all]

They would already make you go before a review board if you had 10 UNEXCUSED absences. Now they require this for both unexcused and excused absences.

They are taking the wrong approach to try and fix attendance problems.

It makes me wonder if they have some other motive than reducing absences.

[Lone Stangers computer]

Freedom above all wrote:

Wow. Excused absences are counted against the students.
Sounds like the schools are doing a good job getting the kids ready for the slavery of corporate Amerika.
I am glad I graduated years and years ago.

Hmm. When I was in high school, the students wrote their own "excused absences" slips, and the school administrators bought them without questioning the handwriting. And, yes, I also "graduated years and years ago" and "far far away." I'll bet the school system personnel have finally figured out the scam that they must have pulled off themselves. It must be an intentionally faulty memory on their part.

My nephew, who attended Mayfield, commented that a common thing among high school students with cars attending open campuses was go out for a fast food lunch - and blow off their afternoon classes. The classes they skipped were never reported as "non attendance" due to poor record keeping. The school system Superintendent must have belatedly figured out this scam, too.

"The new attendance policy is directed at reducing the dropout rate, increasing the graduation rate and better preparing students for the work force and post-secondary education, according to Superintendent Stan Rounds."

He must be joking. The dropout and graduations rates were always "fudged," statewide. I'm sure those problems will continue even with the new attendance policies, and the data will continue to befaked to mask to issues. And the students that _ARE_ interested in the "work force and post-secondary education" most likely don't have an attendance problem anyway. As for the one with poor attendance, I'm sure the gangs will be more than happy to hire them for continuing education. IMHO, of course.

[Freedom above all]

I really don't think you get it.

If a student gets a chronic illness or an extended hospitalization, they will be in danger of losing credit for courses REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY HAVE COMPLETED MAKEUP WORK.

You will say that the school's committee will take their individual situations into consideration, but consider this: we already had a system of taking their situation into account...DOCTOR'S NOTES AND PARENT'S NOTES. Not to mention notes from other teachers for school-sanctioned or sponsored absences.

Now you will say that they shouldn't accept notes from parents, because, after all, parents don't know how to raise their children properly and the schools do. Don't give me that crap. It is the parent's responsibility (and their right) to raise their own children as they see fit.

And there are some students that _AREN'T_ interested in the "work force and post-secondary education" that will be quite successful running their own business and not participating in illegal gang activity.

We are not seeing an improvement in school policy. What we are seeing is a power-grab by officials. Sure, it seems innocent enough, but 10,000 little power grabs eventually add up and give us what we have today in Amerika. With a president that doesn't understand checks and balances, a congress that doesn't understand fiscal responsibility and courts that don't understand that it is their responsibility to strike down unconstitutional laws and not to legislate from the bench...I really don't want any more power in the hands of public officials at any level of government.

I was really hoping I could go through my whole life without taking another human life, but it's looking more and more every day like we are eventually going to have to live through a second American Revolution. I am sure you don't like that idea either. But study history and you will see that this possibility isn't as far-fetched as you think.

The only way to prevent violence is to reign in our corrupt government officials before that becomes necessary in the eyes of too many. It starts with small things like this news story.

If we don't stop them now, when will we? It would be nice if we could refresh the tree of liberty with vigilance instead of the blood of patriots and tyrants.

[Lone Stangers computer]

Freedom above all wrote:

I really don't think you get it.
If a student gets a chronic illness or an extended hospitalization, they will be in danger of losing credit for courses REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY HAVE COMPLETED MAKEUP WORK.

I get a lot of things. OTOH, I think you're glossing over your own issues.

I've never seen any school system, including Las Cruces', rejecting credit for makeup work done as a result of illness - UNLESS there was a question of cheating.

"You will say that the school's committee will take their individual situations into consideration,... we already had a system of taking their situation into account..."

This is exactly where these issues should be resolved.

"Now you will say that they shouldn't accept notes from parents, because, after all, parents don't know how to raise their children properly and the schools do. Don't give me that crap."

Don't say I gave you that crap, because I didn't in my previous post.

You made a blanket statement - "parents don't know how to raise their children properly"._SOME_ "parents don't know how to raise their children properly." What constitutes "properly" is a matter of opinion, and I might just disagree with yours... ;-b

As for the schools not knowing how to raise children - if you don't like what the school system is teaching your children, find a different school, or go to home schooling. Both things are being done by parents all the time.

Those issues should be covered on an individual basis, not in your general terms.

"It is the parent's responsibility (and their right) to raise their own children as they see fit."

I agree. As far as school and raising children, see my options above. Do you have any better ones?

"And there are some students that _AREN'T_ interested in the "work force and post-secondary education" that will be quite successful..."

I agree but repeat -"Those issues should be covered on an individual basis...."

"We are not seeing an improvement in school policy. What we are seeing is a power-grab by officials. Sure, it seems innocent enough, but 10,000 little power grabs eventually add up and give us what we have today in Amerika. <snip>."

The above sounds like some right-wing conspiracy literature I read years ago. Like your comments, the pamphlets were long on claims of government malfeasance, short on direct evidence, and even shorter on ways to solve any of the claimed issues - short of making picking up arms. My issue is that so much of that stuff would sound the same if it was written in Arabic by Al Qaeda. Read Al Qaeda's English language literature if you doubt me.

"One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist." "God is on MY side." It's the more moderate folks caught in the crossfire that suffer the most.

Come up evidence, and solutions - or I say you have nothing new to tell me.

"I was really hoping I could go through my whole life without taking another human life, but ... we are eventually going to have to live through a second American Revolution. I am sure you don't like that idea either. But study history ... this possibility isn't as far-fetched as you think."

I've studied a lot of history, including plenty not taught in the schools....:-/

In spite of my comments above, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS ISSUE. My methodology would probably be different than yours, though....

"The only way to prevent violence is to reign in our corrupt government officials before that becomes necessary in the eyes of too many. It starts with small things like this news story.
If we don't stop them now, when will we? It would be nice if we could refresh the tree of liberty with vigilance instead of the blood of patriots..."

I agree with the above 100%.

How about refreshing the tree of liberty by running for school office, as an independent, if you believe so strongly in the issue? I'd do my part of vigilance, and vote for you.

[Lone Stangers computer]

Freedom above all wrote:

I really don't think you get it.
If a student gets a chronic illness.. they will be in danger of losing credit .. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY HAVE COMPLETED MAKEUP WORK.

I get a lot of things. OTOH, I think you're glossing over your own issues.

I've never seen any school system, including Las Cruces', rejecting credit for makeup work done as a result of illness - UNLESS there was a question of cheating.

"You will say that the school's committee will take their individual situations into consideration..."

This is exactly where these issues should be resolved.

"Now you will say that they shouldn't accept notes from parents, because .. parents don't know how to raise their children properly and the schools do. Don't give me that crap."

Don't say I'll give you that crap, because I didn't in my previous post.

You made a blanket statement - "parents don't know how to raise their children properly"._SOME_ "parents don't know how to raise their children properly." What constitutes "properly" is a matter of opinion, and I might just disagree with yours... ;-b

As for the schools not knowing how to raise children - if you don't like what the school system is teaching your children, find a different school, or go to home schooling. Both things are being done by parents every day.

Those issues should be covered on an individual basis, not in your general terms.

"It is the parent's responsibility (and their right) to raise their own children as they see fit."

I agree. As far as school and raising children, see my options above. Do you have any better ones?

"And there are some students that _AREN'T_ interested in the "work force and post-secondary education" that will be quite successful..."

I agree but repeat-"Those issues should be covered on an individual basis...."

"We are not seeing an improvement in school policy. What we are seeing is a power-grab by officials.... 10,000 little power grabs eventually add up and give us what we have today in Amerika. <snip>."

The above sounds like some conspiracy literature I read years ago. Like your comments, the pamphlets were long on claims of government malfeasance, short on direct evidence, and even shorter on ways to solve any of the issues - short of making picking up arms. My problem with such is that so much of that stuff would sound the same if it was written in Arabic by Al Qaeda. Read Al Qaeda's English language literature if you doubt me.

"One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist." "God is on MY side." It's the more moderate folks caught in the crossfire that suffer the most.

Come up evidence, and solutions - or I say you have nothing new to tell me.

"I was really hoping I could go through my whole life without taking another human life, but ... we are eventually going to have .. a second American Revolution. I am sure you don't like that idea either. But study history ... this possibility isn't as far-fetched as you think."

I've studied a lot of history, including plenty not taught in the schools....:-/

In spite of my comments above, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS ISSUE. My methodology would probably be different than yours, though....

"The only way to prevent violence is to reign in our corrupt government officials before that becomes necessary ..."

I agree with the above 100%.

How about refreshing the tree of liberty by running for school office, as an independent, if you believe so strongly in the issue? I'd do my part of vigilance, and vote for you.