I hope the charter school works out for her.  My son was in a private high school, and they didn't put up with anything.  You either did the work and behaved properly, or they kicked you out.  One summer I tutored kids and had the same problem.  Parents would call at the last minute and give excuses for why their child wasn't coming to the tutorial.  I wasn't smart and didn't ask for the money up front.  I will do it differently if I decide to tutor again.

I know exactly where both of you are coming from. There is one easy fix, and that is for schools to stop tollerating an endless barage of excuses.

I've had students leave my classroom for what they assume is "greener grass" at the Charter schools. However, the parents usually end up very disappointed because their child fails their too.

Hopefully one day people will understand that the schools are not causing problems with their kids, their kids are causing their own problems. Sometimes the parent can even be part of the problem.

I know exactly where both of you are coming from. There is one easy fix, and that is for schools to stop tollerating an endless barage of excuses.

I've had students leave my classroom for what they assume is "greener grass" at the Charter schools. However, the parents usually end up very disappointed because their child fails their too.

Hopefully one day people will understand that the schools are not causing problems with their kids, their kids are causing their own problems. Sometimes the parent can even be part of the problem.

I should have mentioned, bringing an end to "excuse tolerance" can be accomplished, if we could only get administrative support.  

You are right. A lot of administrators are parent pleasers and expect their teachers to accept all sorts of excuses.

OK teachers...  so I am a charter school principal!  Maybe this child will be checking in at my school next.  Mom will be in for a surprise.  In California, you can't place a child in a charter school without the parent's permission... and at my school you have to have our permission too.  We are a charter.  We make up our own rules.  And one of our rules is that if a child has bad attendance...  we disenroll them.  We don't put up with it.  (BTW... we know we probably aren't compliant with the ed code on this .  But we don't care.  My teachers are extraordinary but not one of them can teach an empty desk.  As long as we are held to a higher standard of accountability, which is fine with us,  we are going to expect everyone around us to do their part too!

I like that Charter Guy, "not one of them can teach an empty desk."

I'm not very familiar with charter schools, I just know that here in Texas they are trying to pass a bill to give parents vouchers to send their kids to charter schools.

I also see many kids leave public school for charter schools, then six months later they are back. I assume it is probably because you guys don't put up with the crap. I like that. I wish public school was that way. Because we do put up with so much crap, we end up cheating many good students out of an enlightning educational experience. I sometimes loose whole periods to correcting discipline problems. But what are we to do? I'm still looking for answers.  

Sorry, Misspelled "Enlightening" and "lose"

Students are allowed to get by with so much more in public schools than they are in charter or private schools.  Politicians need to consider this when they are criticizing public education.

Hey Mystery Teacher...its the Charter Guy again.  You should see the x-ray!  Phew!!!  Was I ever relieved.  After I read your last entry I thought maybe-- just because I am a principal -- someone might have taken my backbone out or something.  But nope.  It's there.  But I guess I didn't  need an x-ray anyway.  I could tell because I lead a school that excels in a high poverty neighborhood.  After 13 years as a charter school we must be doing something right.  And you would love this:  we have no union.  My teachers don't want one because they manage their own budget.  They not only are among the highest paid teachers in Soutnern California, they are free to create any path they choose to help their kids achieve academically.  90% Latino, 75% poor, 60% ELL...100% awesome results.  Why?  Because we all have backbones.  We are all innovators.  We're all in it together.  Wanno know what we call our school?

Hey, Charter Guy, I wanno know what you call your school.  It sounds awesome.  Maybe you and some of your teachers would like to blog about it.  I know some of us would like to hear how things work when backbones are allowed.  I had a student skip school and get to go on a reward field trip the next day because he had already earned it.  Even the kids complained.  The principal also allowed students to turn in late work when it was over two weeks late.  If the teacher didn't accept it, he made sure she "changed" her mind.

Some people don't understand that charter schools are really public schools.  We are funded the same way everyone else is...  based on attendance.  We have special ed.  We have a "moderate to severe" class and RSP.  The charter is based on one mission:  get 90% of our kids to grade level by the end of the year.  By any means necessary.  Remember our demographics?  So many low income and second language learners that we have been told it is impossible to do.  We would have to literally overcome the effects of poverty on learning.  So that's what we are doing.  7 years ago less than 20% were at grade level.  Today it's a little more than 50%.  So we are still on the mission.  After 30 years in education I now know that I know next to nothing about teaching and learning.  I have 40 teachers whose average years of experience is less than 5 years...  they know a lot less than me.  So we are on a journey together.  All we know with 100% certaintly is that what we have always done before does not work.  I LOVE my teachers.  I love their courage and humility and passion.  I love their audacity--  to think that one day soon we will have achieved the mission for our kids.  It is not the "perfect" school for teachers and kids.  But pretty freakin' close.  So we refer to the school as "El Milagro"...  the miracle!

I love it!  El Milagro sounds like a wonderful place to work.  Working together as a team seems to be working for you guys.  Are charter schools allowed to have stricter rules about completing work, etc., than regular public schools?

Regarding excuses, I was in our attendance office yesterday to have my own paperwork cleared and noticed a wall of file boxes stacked five high, and seven wide. I asked the attendance person, “what in the world have you got stacked up here?”

“Excuses.” She replied. I looked at the writing on the boxes and they all read, Student absentee excuses.

“Surely theses are not all excuses.”

“I’m afraid they are.”

I was amazed at the number of excuses that a student body of 2000 could come with for missing school. I peered into the open box on top and noticed that one folder as thick as a portfolio. That student couldn’t have been in attendance more than half the year.