Education
Education

Proposed new policy: If parents don’t show, kids can’t play.

By Maureen Downey
Jan 28, 2016

Should students pay the price for their unengaged parents?

A proposed Cobb County Schools policy would bar Pebblebrook High School students from attending proms or dances, playing sports or participating in clubs if the parents/guardians failed to show up for parent-teacher or graduation meetings.

School board member David Morgan believes the draconian consequences will spur parents into being more engaged. The Cobb school board will take up the proposal Thursday.

“We as a district can’t idly sit by and look at the abysmal numbers and patterns, decade after decade, and say that we’re not going to have some level of accountability when it comes to making sure parents are engaged and involved in their child’s education,” Morgan said.

But is this a good idea? Are we punishing kids for the sins of the parents? Join the discussion at the AJC Get Schooled blog on MyAJC.com

About the Author

Maureen Downey has written editorials and opinion pieces about local, state and federal education policy since the 1990s.

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