The Colvin Report: Student Playing Hooky Lands Mom Behind Bars

An interesting legal matter has developed out of Kentucky, where a mother was convicted of truancy and sentenced to one week in jail for allowing her middle school aged child to miss excessive school days, 16 unexcused to be exact. Perhaps unsurprising here, this was her second conviction for truancy.

Maybe it is a harsh stance to take, maybe it is the state pushing a little too far on parental responsibilities, but it does send quiet the message.

Here in America, at least in the past few decades, accountability has become a real issue. I mean, what 12 year old kid actually enjoys going to school? Not very many, but thanks to the scorn and persistence of a good parent, most of us make it to school and end up doing better in life as a result.

As children we can't take care of ourselves. The state may not be able to provide everyone with an equal home environment, but they can at least provide a formal education so that children can grow up with a fighting chance to succeed.

Here the mother stole that chance and she isn't alone. Thanks to the ACLU many things are off limits, but I think the Kentucky court made the right decision here.

Perhaps with a little more accountability and a little tough love the education system could improve.

While I doubt it would ever happen, I propose taking this a step farther and punishing parents when children consistently act up and disrupt class for everyone else.

Maybe its radical, but my guess is that you would have a lot less violence in every school, from inner cities to the farm lands, if parents could be sent to jail for the repeated acts of their children.

Can you imagine the kind of beating that Little Jimmy would get after his dad just spent a week in jail for his sons bad decision?

Maybe that is the answer to improving our school systems. What do you think?