Parents fined for students' behavior

Texas;" Barwise Junior High school parent Jerry Shifflett got a $300 ticket Friday. But it wasn't from a cop catching him speeding. The $300 ticket was written by an officer patrolling his child's school. The offense: His 15-year-old son cursed at another student. His son was also sent to Denver Alternative Center for 15 days. Until receiving a recent rash of tickets, Shifflett said he'd never heard of ticket-writing in schools. And he doesn't like bearing the punishment for his child's misbehavior. "To me, it's a lot of money. I'm going to end up paying for it," Shifflett said. "My 15-year-old son doesn't work. They're basically punishing the parent." Ticket-writing in schools is nothing new, said WFISD Director of Security Karen Olson. She coordinates nine to 12 city police officers and Department of Public Safety troopers each school day. They patrol schools throughout the district and assist teachers with disruptions. The fines they dispense range from about $250 to $500. In 2001, they issued 132 tickets to students for disrupting class and 182 tickets for disorderly conduct. Police wrote another seven tickets to students found walking around town when they should have been in school. "Parents seem to feel when they drop their kids off at school, they're safe," said Elaine Bourgoin, Municipal Court administrator who files court cases that result from ticketing. "But teachers need help. Especially today." Shifflett said his son has been in trouble before and perhaps should be sent to ISS (In School Suspension) or to Denver Alternative Center for poor behavior. He said he approves of having officers in the schools to patrol for drugs, firearms and gang activity. But fining parents for a child's dirty talk is going too far, he said. "Send them to the principal's office, do like they do in the old days, bust their asses," Shifflett said. "But I don't think they should make it where the parent should pay an expensive ticket." But times have changed, Olson said. "If they want to complain about it, I tell them to tell it to the judge. I don't have the authority to dismiss those tickets...I myself wonder if the schools are going a bit far with things, Like - all children under 18-years must be enrolled in school or Parents are FINED!! With this New Law..(No Child Left Behind!!) I am reading in my small town news-paper where the G.E.D. Programs are looking a lot better to our children because they want to finish school and if they go forth under the new program they won't...I know a lot of you say this is a good program!! But I don't agree with you!! It's just a cover up in the school all the way to the White House -(has to do with School-Grant -Money)...If our government want to really help our Children- then they need to spend more money training teachers(paying them) to help kids/ instead of allowing teachers to moving into office positions within the school levels that's where the good ones are going because they have giving up ...No money in teaching our children anymore!! That's what I was told by a very good Teacher who just gave up and went where the money was! "