We too received a letter this week regarding our 5-year-old's absences from school this year. Two of them from related illness with doctor visits, three from a death in the family and protocol that transpired. The letter cost the city the postage, the time it took for whomever to write it, and last I checked court costs were $44.
This seems like an incredible waste, and lack of foresight on behalf of the legislative and governing bodies. To run parents through some meat grinder of a system where come time for court they simply dismiss the cases when they finally use some discretion and make the right call. (as was in Ms Beth Meyers' case)
How many cases have to be dismissed at the taxpayer's expense before they will realize that this needs to be either recalled or improved immensely?
What are we to do when we get to the point that we are AFRAID to keep our child home during illness, etc., due to fear from possible court proceedings driven from the county attorney's office?
Do we send our kids to school with the flu, fever, etc., because for me, that doesn't seem to be in the best interest of the children.
I don't even want to get started on some county attorney's assertions relating to the parent's discretion on what may be an excusable absence...
Ben and Michaela McEntarffer
Lincoln, NE
Thank you so much Ben and Michaela for sharing your story of how this law has over-reached in ways that some legislators (such as Brad Ashford and Burke Harr) refuse to acknowledge, but that the public would be horrified to learn about.
ReplyDeleteIt is our job to inform the public about what is actually happening here, so we can unite to stop this from harming more children and families for whatever contrived political gain these politicians think they will get from it.
Our children's lives and futures are at stake. It is WE parents who care for our kids, and that includes defending them from the harms of uncaring government officials who are using our families as fodder for their own political careers.
And just to clarify about Beth Meyers' case: Her sick child was drug through NINE MONTHS of court hearings, even after it was determined that she suffered from documented illness, which only enhances your comments about these officials willfully wasting the money of Nebraska taxpayers while causing trauma to innocent children.
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