In my youth, I skipped a ton of school. Back in my day, it was fairly simple because there weren’t a whole lot of ways for checks and balances. Basically, I’d get someone to call the attendance office, pretty much from the payphone in the front of the school. Yeah, this was PRE cellphones. In fact, cell phone wasn’t even a vocabulary word. Not to mention texting, sexting, facebook, etc…
So, after that someone called me in, I’d ditch. Usually with another delinquent friend. We did this for a couple months, daily, before the school caught on and my mother was notified.
It was this whole to-do. The school assumed I was doing drugs and other bad things, which assuredly was NOT the case. Actually, not even close. I was doing a lot of hanging out at a place called Tally Hall or Rams Horn, filling up on guilt and coffee. There was a little conference with my mom and some of the teachers and administration that met to determine my fate for the remaining few months of my junior year.
I never skipped again. I couldn’t. I was being watched. Well, I thought I was.
And my grades? Holy crap, they were awful. Not only was I not in school for a couple months, when I was there, I wasn’t paying attention. I was busy daydreaming about Duran Duran or whatever guy I was mad crushing on at that moment. Back then, in the ancient times, I had hard copy progress reports…as in PAPER…to take from teacher to teacher to have reported and signed and then to take home to have signed by a guardian/parent. Those RARELY made it home, if ever. I always had one great excuse or another about why the school forgot to give one to me to take around. Believable excuses? I don’t know. But they seemed to work.
Nowadays, I would have been a sinking ship. There is no way that my shenanigans of yesteryear would be a doable thing with the way technology is.
First of all, the minute first hour starts, if your kid isn’t accounted for…a phone call comes home. I would have been in deep shit.
Second. Family Access. Oh, what a beautiful thing. Up to date grades, teacher comments, progress on each kid. They can’t lie to me about homework because if they didn’t turn it in, I know about it immediately. Sucks for them. Again…if this had been around in my day. I would have been so grounded…which even grounding was different back then. Phone privileges, curfews shortened, locked in my room, ghetto blaster taken away, not being able to go out for a week. Now we take away electronics. Which…we didn’t have back then. Crazy.
Lastly. Email. ‘Nuff said? Constant. Contact. With. Teachers.
There really is no such thing as a sort of honor system anymore.
It’s much easier to hold our children responsible for their school actions, thanks to technology.
The only thing I can say is, better them than me. Mwahahaha.
It so takes the fun out of being a kid though. No wonder so many kids would rather be inside playing video games than playing out in the neighborhood throwing rocks at cars and building forts out of discarded refrigerators. It’s way too easy to get caught.
Our school district has the auto call for missed classes, online grades, even an email if grades drop below an established level. These days kids have to be very techno-savvy to get away with anything.
.-= Tara R.´s last blog ..Rue the roux =-.
I can’t stand the auto call! If my kid misses class, I want direct communication.
But on the teacher end of things, I like email, too. Many parents email me things they might not call; “Johnny was really upset with me this morning; I hope he’s doing better now. How’s he feeling?” I respond and they feel better. then there’s the parent portal: with a passcode, parents can check the electronic gradebook I use. Missing an assignment? Hah! Gotcha.
.-= Daisy´s last blog ..Zesty Orange Cookies =-.
Don’t you just love it! My kid got in trouble last week at school and before she got home her teacher emailed me. As soon as she was off the bus, I was up in her face about it and she looked at me and said “Mom, how do you know everything that goes on at school?” I told her moms know EVERYTHING!!!!!
The problem is that when you screw up as a kid, it prevents you from getting into a decent college, which keeps you from getting into a decent graduate school, which keeps you from getting a decent job/profession/livelihood. In other words, you have long term ramifications that you can’t even envision when you are a junior.
Then, when you are a grown up and can’t get your act together, and start cursing the life that fate has thrust upon you, you suddenly realize that it is all your fault.
Life wasn’t meant to be fair!! Remember how many times that I told you that?
PS Take your aspirin so you don’t get a clot!!!!
Your dad
Ahh the paper report card. The Ds turned to Bs so easily (or so I was told)…. Me too on Duran Duran. I was the weirdo that liked Simon the best.
I will never forget finding my dad’s report cards in the attic. He got the worst grades ever, and when I suggested it might be just a little hypocritical for him to ride me about my grades, he said, “That is exactly why I do.” Having parents who really care about grades and attendance the way you do makes all the difference in the world, I think.
And now you can pretty much do it from your cell phone, which is cool.
.-= Joni Golden´s last blog ..Justice O’Connor preaches gospel of judicial independence (with a who dat? chaser) =-.
I sometimes wonder how I graduated at all. The great part of all of this is you can always go back to school and re-visit those early dreams after you realize you traveled the way-wrong path. It’s a pain in the ass, but it’s an option — and one you won’t regret.
Also, Becka_911 reminded me of that Punky Brewster episode where Cherry gets locked in the refrigerator and they have to do CPR, but no one paid attention in class. Good times!
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Valentine’s surprise =-.
I too would be doomed in today’s electronic world. Of course I also get in trouble for sexting!
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