[Mrs. P]

Last I heard, home schooling was legal in all 57 states. Might be something for this mom to consider when she gets out of jail.

[AppyPappy]

“Giles said her son is an A and B student, but often misses school because of illness. “

Illness? We call that “meth” around here.

[Old Sarge]

“Following the law”?

They considered the mom a flight risk?

Or as a substitute teacher, she didn’t pay union dues....

[Popman]

Not sure what her kid "illnesses" were, but my wife and I raised six children...

All of them at some point pleaded "illness" to miss school...

My standard response was "you're breathing and still warm, so you must not be dead"

The only excuse for missing school is you are dead...

Of course any fever above 101 would qualify...which was a few times a year...

My guess is junior has Mom wrapped around their finger...

My suggestion, kick your kids butt or homeschool

[headsonpikes]

“Giles said she was briefly placed in ankle shackles, with police saying it was normal procedure”

“Screven County Schools Superintendent, William Bland, says this is not unusual, that they are following the law, and that “several” parents have already been convicted in these situations this school year, after not being able to work out a solution with school officials.”

America.

Is that still a thing?

[fatnotlazy]

Shackled?

OK I understand we have some overzealous law enforcement, but I’m wondering if there is more to this story. People aren’t shackled because their kid missed too much school.

[cincinnati65]

The driver is that federal dollars for public schools are based on daily attendance. No attendance, no money. So the local school is using the local police to enforce compulsory attendance so they can keep their government check coming in. Nice.

[nathanbedford]

I think the important question to ask here, more important than the actual facts of the child's alleged illness or the mother's plight in restraints is what kind of procedural due process was in place here?

In other words, are parents arrested and shackled on the simple report of a school administrator? Do the police exercise no independent investigation? Why is it necessary to commence proceedings with an arrest? Why not a summons to a hearing? What purpose does commencing with an arrest instead of a summons to a hearing serve other than intimidation? Does the local prosecutor play no role at this point? Why not?

What recourse does the parent have if the school administrator acts maliciously, foolishly, or negligently? Suppose a parent is arrested on a Friday must they spend the weekend in jail on the word of the school administrator before she get a hearing?

We are careening toward a bureaucratic tyranny in this country and procedural due process becomes vitally import to protect our liberties from often insulated bureaucrats.

[wintertime]

Behind every government K-12 school teacher stands an armed policeman with real bullets in those guns on the hip.

For years now the government school defenders get very upset with me when I have posted the fact that government schooling is **police and court** enforced schooling.

[Repeal The 17th]

What do you think is the motivation behind the school system?
Do you think it is their concern for the child’s education?
No, it is because of the federal $$$ tied to school attendance.
The school system believes the mother is robbing them of funding.
It’s all about the money.

[WalterSkinner]

..yep, it is follow the money. In my wife’s school district the attendance people will call and harass parents about absences—but if there is suspected abuse of any sort, CPS and the schools will look for reasons not to do anything as long as the little kid is sitting in that chair—and the money comes in...

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

The only reason for shackling a suspect should be that they are an extreme flight risk or are highly likely to be violent.

This is just plain stupid!

[varyouga]

6 absences is a crime these days?

Jeez, in highschool I don’t think I even attended half my classes.

Of course, I was smart enough to come sign in for the day before bolting for the exit.

Today, the same school has metal detectors, cameras and alarms on all exits. G’dam prison!

[momtothree]

My point of view is coming from some experience vs a certain mind set. I received a letter from our principal a few years back that my youngest had spent a lot of time out of school. True. Of course, what isn’t known is that each child/each year is different with respect to health. This year... she’s been healthy as a horse. The only absences were half days and they were for dental and doctor appointments. The year she was sick a lot was due to pink eye, stomach bug, bronchitus, and the flu. It was a bad, bad year for it.

My pet peeve is this: many working parents don’t want to take off of work when their kid is sick. They give Tylenol in the morning and a shot of Advil just before getting them to school. The Tylenol drops the fever quickly; the Advil keeps the fever at bay for “hopefully” the rest of the day. Of course, neither do anything for infecting the other kids or the then infection of the parents/siblings. The school nurse has told me privately that she is appalled at how many parents will say, “oh, they threw up in class? Well, there is only four hours left” or “I can’t get out of work. Can they stay in the nurse’s office the rest of the day?”

This all has to do with funding IMHO. A good parent will write a sick note, and request any and all material that the child needs to complete. A good parent also knows that a child with a fever, vomiting, etc.. can’t do WELL at school because they are sick. If I have the flu, Bronchitus, or an infection... I don’t do much either. I give my body time to heal.

[ilovesarah2012]

She has a gofundme page. Hmmm...

[No_More_Harkin]

What a load of horse sh!t. Shackled, arrested and jail time because of 12 (or 3) unexcused absences for her child? WTF are these lawmakers thinking?
Lets not work with the family lets just THROW GOOD PEOPLE IN JAIL!

[Rodamala]

"Giles said she was briefly placed in ankle shackles, with police saying it was normal procedure."

Coming soon, brief cavity searches... you know, "normal procedure".

[MrB]

But the disruptive inner city yutes’ parents get a total pass, eh?
Is that some sort of “privilege”, or just a reduced expectation of behavior?

[Darren McCarty]

I understand compulsory schooling laws, but sending the cops to arrest mom after 11 absences is crap.

There's a reason I'll never send my kid to public schools. They are too much like prisons.

[PLOM...NOT!]

If he's an A/B student he's probably bored as hell at school. They teach to the lowest common denominator.

My bets are on the federal funds if the kid isn't in school.