Mom’s Soap Box

I have to say that yesterday was a learning experience.

After a number of calls my cell phone had smoke coming from it. Finally someone could answer my question “why can’t my son write his own absence excuse.”

Some of the people I spoke with made it seem I was just a lazy mother who did not want to be bothered writing excuses any longer. That is not the case. I know what can happen if you don’t write an excuse, after three you get a fine.

I welcome dialogue with my son, it shows me he is maturing and questioning his Civil Rights.

This is exactly what should be happening with an eighteen year old. He is voicing his concerns and his rights as a new adult. We are having dialogue about his Civil Rights how fantastic is that? And he should be able to discuss this with school officials and the representatives who make these laws.

A representative from Pennsylvania Department of Education explained to me some interesting information; however, it still did not answer my question. Under Chapter 11 of Title 22 of the State Board Regulations: Student Attendance General Provisions there are different ages for students.

This is very confusing: 11.13. Compulsory school age.

Compulsory school age refers to the period of a child’s life from the time the child enters school as a beginner which may be no later than at the age of 8 years, until the age of 17 or graduation from a high school, whichever occurs first. A beginner is a child who enters a school district’s lowest elementary school grade that is above kindergarten.

§ 11.12. School age.
School age is the period of a child’s life from the earliest admission age to a school district’s kindergarten program until graduation from high school or the end of the school term in which a student reaches the age of 21 years, whichever occurs first.

Marian Clark, of the PA Department of Education, explained to me under the Public School Code of 1949 in article 13 he was not considered an adult according to school law. If the child is an emancipated minor, the resident school district is the one in which the child is then living. For purposes of this section, an emancipated minor is a person under 21 years of age who has chosen to establish a domicile apart from the continued control and support of parents or guardians. A minor living with a spouse is deemed emancipated also.

So, under school law the parent must write the excuse, since my son lives with me he is not not concidered an adult ; however, it never states that in plain English. Clark added, it depends also on what is stated in the local school board rules and regulation handbook.

While writing this, Mr. Sullivan Assistant Principal, called me and explained that it is the school board policy that states that the parent must sign an excuse because if the student lives with their parent, he is not emancipated minor. He also discussed in the event that a student writes his own early dismissal and goes to the mall and gets killed who is liable the school would be.

He did agree that he would speak with the principal and have the handbook be changed to clearly write “regardless of age a parent must write the excuse.” There you have it!

Quick note: Concerning Swastika in the halls. We have the right according to the First Amendment to express our freedom of speech; however, when that right infringes on someone else’s rights– it should be stopped! File a complaint with the Civil Rights Commission if you feel your civil rights are being violated.

With the events that happened in Columbine with Nazi-Anti Semitism and what the Swastika represents which is– HATE. This girl’s life needs to be examined and carefully regarded as a child in crisis.

I wanted to post this before I forget. Some good news and bad.According to Jennie Lowman from the Educational Law Center, a parent may excuse a child under 21 from school with a written request from a parent. That’s the bad news, the good news, according to FERDA: The Family Educational Rights Act, once a students turns eighteen years of age a parent can no longer acess his/her records!