Commentary: Carl Paladino’s Proposal to Punish, Charge & Hold Parents CRIMINALLY Responsible for Student Absenteeism is IRRESPONSIBLE! [VIDEO]

[Commentary: by Todd Anderson]

Carl Paladino...You've got to be kidding me!!!!  You believe that Parents should face JAIL-TIME or FINES regarding their children s' excessive truancy???????  WHAT??????

I read about this foolish (in my opinion) proposal by long time Local instigator of controversy, Buffalo City School School Board Member Carl Paladino, and couldn't believe that an adult would come up with this "SOLUTION" with respect to "Chronic Absenteeism" in out Public Schools.

As I continued to read the article in the Buffalo News this morning, there was at least some return to reality offered by the President of the District Parent Coordinating Council, Samuel L. Radford III.  Radford emphatically disagrees with Paladino, suggesting that the problem demands more insight as to what may truly be happening within families that results in a child missing school.  Radford revealed that some families depend on Public Transportation to get their kids to school due to them not having a car.  Additionally, it's a fact that some Parents must leave home for work earlier than the time the child catches the bus ...so if the child misses the bus, the Parent has no way of knowing or preventing this from happening and certainly should not be charged for something they cannot feasibly prevent.

I'm in agreement with Sam Radford's statement, in the Buffalo News, that Paladino's "proposal" to "Charge" Parents for a child's Chronic Absenteeism is an "INSULT"... and I will further that opinion by offering my own assessment of the proposal as being UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!!!!  Paladino suggests that Child Protective Service and the Police be called on parents of children who exhibit "chronic absenteeism".

Now granted, I have not offered any SOLUTION to the truancy problem, but I am adamant regarding my opinion that Parents should not be CHARGED CRIMINALLY for their children missing school...the responsibility should be on the student ... and I'm not talking about young children ... I'm referring to High School Students... which is where the brunt of the problem exists.

Here's video regarding how other Cities have dealt with "Chronic Absenteeism" and Truancy:

WATCH THE VIDEOS & THEN TAKE THE POLL: [POLL BELOW]