Should Truant Kids Wear a GPS?

Over the last several weeks, we've been bringing you a new Friday feature called Moms Talk.

This week we asked moms to sound off on a new program in Anaheim.  Teens who miss school a lot were wearing a GPS to keep administrators updated about their whereabouts. 

The Orange County office of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern has said the GPS criminalizes kids who can't get to class every day, treating them like parolees or people under house arrest.

But local mom Windy O'Malley supports the idea:

"Time was that your neighbors knew who you were and would make sure you were behaving. The community kept an eye on the child and reported truant behavior. If a child drew graffiti on a building, a neighbor would grab him by the ear, give him soap and water to scrub it off and then paint to repaint the wall. All the community participated in accountability.

"We have become so obsessed with ourselves and the fear of our neighbors, we are not holding our children accountable either. A child caught for graffiti today is now the court's problem, and all the pressure goes on the parents to force a change and pay large fees. This tracking devise gives the child some sense of responsibility and, in essence, creates a big brother figure to watch over the child and assist the parent who can't possibly be every where all the time.  A child can not get an education unless he/she attends school. Bravo on this idea.

Lisa Baca-Sigala had this to add:

"First I would ask why is a student chronically truant. Is it a lack of motivation? Is the student home taking care of siblings while parents work? Is the student themselves working to help support and maintain the family? Students who are always missing from school maynever totally understand the connection that education has as a direct link to future opportunities. Bottom line is you cannot educate a student who does not show up at school. 

"Imagine having a 'life coach' to check into your daily life five times a day and ask “how are you doing” and really care about your answer! Kids who have never been accountable and now being accountable for their choices. They are also learning and being inspired by being in the classroom instead of on the streets.

Research indicates that a new behavior can be learned within 28 days  With luck, formerly truant students will gain self confidence in academics, which in turn creates self esteem. If the parents are also being connected with school via parenting classes, principal-parent-teacher conferences and overall communication support,  and they can keep the motivation going after the GPS is gone, it is a win-win for everyone.  If the GPS idea works, maybe less dropouts and more graduates would be the end game results of public high school in California.

If you'd like to participate in our Moms' Council and comment for Moms Talk, please let us know. The more the merrier.