what middle school you teach at? I skipped about 5-8 days of school in middle school, and there were tons of kids who would just leave, quite honestly it was the ones who did nothing but fight, wander the halls, disrupt class and some who were selling drugs. Middle school is very much a turning point where you can’t force a round peg into a square hole.
And I’m sorry, but the kids missing that much school are the kids who don’t take school seriously. I’d much rather have them leave than be directed to sit in class disrupting it. I want to Oakland public schools and this shyt happened all the time, forcing kids to come to class when you know they’re not about to do anything constructive in the classroom and become a nuisance to those trying to learn. Middle school and older, you can’t force them to sit in class if they don’t want to be.
I teach in CMS, Charlotte's public schools.
What I'm saying is 5-8 days wouldn't put you on the radar at my school. I have students who have 30 suspension days by the end of the year plus whatever other days they missed.
We're talking about different students here. You're talking about the student choosing to skip
I'm talking about students who say "my mom let me stay home"
Middle school kids can still be very honest, especially If they trust you.
And yes there are those that are gonna disrupt the class and you wish weren't there.
We personally don't have an issue with kids skipping (skipping around the school, yes) When they skip outside of school they get high and just come to school late.
I'm not for separating families, but if you willingly let your child miss SO much school that it they are unable keep up whenever they are in school, then yea some pressure needs to be applied to you.
Again I'm riding for the children not parents.
But it is incredibly rare for a parent to get locked for truancy, at least in my experience. I'm 6 years in and I've never heard of it, and I had a student who maybe was here 10-20 days last year