LAUSD TRUANCY PROGRAM MISFIRES.Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer A highly touted anti-truancy program run by the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. and City Attorney's CERTIFICATE, ATTORNEY'S, Practice, English law. By statute 37 Geo. III., c. 90, s. 26, 28, attorneys are required to deliver to the commissioners of stamp duties, a paper or note in writing, containing the name and usual place of residence of such person, and thereupon, on paying certain Office has targeted chronically ill students and others who have legitimate absences, critics charged Thursday. Operation Bright Future, launched in September, identifies sixth-graders in 22 middle schools, including five in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , with absenteeism ab·sen·tee·ism n. 1. Habitual failure to appear, especially for work or other regular duty. 2. The rate of occurrence of habitual absence from work or duty. problems in an effort to keep them in class and out of gangs. But the program is having unintended consequences For the "Law of unintended consequences", see Unintended consequence Unintended Consequences is a novel by author John Ross, first published in 1996 by Accurate Press. , say parents and school officials, because of poor tracking of excused and unexcused absences. ``It's the first year (of the program). There are glitches that need to be worked out to make sure the kids who are getting the tough love are the ones who deserve it,'' said John White, principal of Mulholland Middle School in Van Nuys, who is investigating at least two parent complaints about the program. An estimated 100 students from Mulholland were handed a warning letter from the City Attorney's Office in March to take home to their parents. The letter invited parents to an assembly to discuss their children's truancy problems. ``Your failure to attend this assembly may cause prosecution to proceed,'' the letter warned. Under the program, students who rack up three unexcused absences are considered truant. After 10 unexcused absences, the City Attorney's Office begins a series of meetings with parents. If the parents remain uncooperative after eight more absences, the case will be turned over for prosecution. The letter from the City Attorney's Office threatening to prosecute To follow through; to commence and continue an action or judicial proceeding to its ultimate conclusion. To proceed against a defendant by charging that person with a crime and bringing him or her to trial. her for her son's excessive absences from school came as a shock to Lisa Tabor, mother of a Mulholland sixth-grader who suffers from a rare blood disease. Tabor's son had missed many days of school at the beginning of the semester se·mes·ter n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s because he was ill. Kathie Ward, another parent of a Mulholland sixth-grader, received the same letter from the City Attorney's Office in March, although she said her daughter's absences were excused. ``This is not a kid out there who is getting into trouble,'' said Ward, noting that her daughter is a student in the school's magnet police academy program. Delgadillo faults the district's record-keeping that resulted in his office targeting the wrong parents. |
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