Loudoun County Opinions: Editorial and Letters to the Editor

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Opinions

Editorial | Thursday, Feb. 9

2 comments

Running a little late?

What’s 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there over the course of several months? What’s the big deal?

Well, it’s apparently a big deal for two Loudoun families after being brought before a judge because of their children’s excessive tardiness problems.

It’s likely an entertaining event for those put off by a modern world where nothing seems to start on time and those who silently fume about their wasted time waiting on friends, family and coworkers. Is it that hard to be on time? We’d all be amused by the idea of a punctuality police, fining and imprisoning the people in our lives who run about 20 minutes behind.

But the idea loses its charm when someone is actually forced to pay a bond to be released from jail simply because their children were late. We start to wonder what the next step is.
Should parents who don’t study with their kids receive a fine? If a mother or father doesn’t send the child off with a hot breakfast, how many years of probation should they receive?
It seems like a silly idea, but after these recent arrests they suddenly seem more realistic.

It brings out the Libertarian streak in us all, making us question the actions of a government we pay for with our taxes. The underlying message here is that if you’re late, then you’re not a good parent – and the schools have no place in making this determination. It’s overreaching.

The entire debate smacks of a particularly officious school or court employee. That there are only two recent published instances of this occurring and both happened in western Loudoun County gives one pause. So no one in eastern Loudoun was late this many times? In itself, this would appear to be an uneven application of existing school policy.

But remember, the schools are often prohibited from sharing information regarding student discipline and the relationship between parents and the schools because of privacy concerns. And while the known details appear out-of-sync with good sense, there’s always a possibility that more information is coming in the future.

However, it does seem the statutory authority allowing for the arrests of adults for a child’s late arrival at school is extremely vague. While some may encourage legal intervention to ensure fairness to other students, this type of action creates a dangerous precedent and one we don’t believe the public at large has signed up for.

The real solution is much simpler. Every instance of being tardy counts as a third of an absence from school. Should a child be absent too many times, he then receives a suspension and eventually becomes ineligible to pass that grade level.

The legal intervention initiated by the schools and court system seems out of joint because they are saying the children are at risk, when apparently it’s the parents who are the only ones feeling the consequences. Most adults can return this sort of pressure with righteous indignation, but they’ll likely draw the line when their actions have a more obvious consequence on their kids.

Editorial | Friday, Feb. 3

26 comments

LTM Editorial: A candle for Bethany

Editorial | Wednesday, Jan. 25

18 comments

LTM Editorial: Mister VDOT, tear down this sign.

Editorial | Wednesday, Jan. 18

1 comment

LTM Editorial: How have you helped small business today?

Editorial | Friday, Jan. 13

LTM Editorial: The die is cast

Editorial | Thursday, Jan. 12