I think detentions should only be given for misbehaving or not doing homeworks, but I don't think the schools should give detentions to kids for running late, it is not their fault, sometimes it is parents fault, so I don't find it fare for our kids to pay for that.

Yes i know what to do. You have to create a petition and find other parents at that school that feel the same way you do about this problem. Then you have to take the petition (with at least 50 parents signatures) and present it to the school board and demand that the change the policy. I personally think that detention for children that arent in highschool is appauling. We should do everything we can as parents to protect our children at all times even form the schools that are kids go to.

I was appalled yesterday evening when my 1st grade daughter showed me a note from her principle notifying me that she would have detention due to 7 tardies in a 5 month period. I never even received a warning that this would happen. Yes, I understand the need for students to be on time for class. What I don't understand is the fact that detention has always been used as discipline for students misbehavior. While my daughters tardies are not entirely my fault, I should be the one to suffer for this conduct. How can a 1st grader differentiate between misconduct(not following directions, harming another child, or unsatisfactory school work) when the punishment is the same for something they are still trying to grasp such as time? I really would love to do something about this school code, but I'm not sure what to do. Has any other parent had any luck overturning this practice?

I've taught at every level from preschool through college and when I taught middle school, I saw my school go from a 'detention-free' school to a school that began to use detention as ...what?
And that's the biggest issue with detention- what its real purpose? Ask that simple question of schools, teachers and administrators and you will most often get a murky answer. There is NO research in any field that demonstrates detention is an effective method by which to change student behavior. I could write volumes about that....
In short, I agree with you. Detention does not work whether it is intended as a modification for behavior or as pure punishment. But - change comes very slow to schools and schools are as slow to keep up with change. Tardiness is an increasing problem in these modern times - traffic is thick and unpredictable and every morning is its own challenge just to get up and out of the house at any time much less on time.
School and teachers are frustrated by the rising incidence of being late for school by they have yet to develop a helpful, supportive response to the problem. Instead, they make children sit detention.
My best advice here is to try to ferret out what are the things that make you run late in the morning? Occasional lateness happens but if your daughter is fairly consistently late to school perhaps there is some consistent obstacle that could be differently approached. Laying out her clothes the night before can help a lot. Setting the alarm just 15 minutes earlier - getting out the door 15 minutes sooner may find you driving in less traffic.
I faced this challenge myself - I found my own son was being sent to detention because I was making him late each day. My school started 15 minutes later than his and Hard as it was, I determined to get him there on time because his teacher mother hated the policy of detention as much as he hated serving it.
We all live too stressful lives - good luck with this and I hope you'll let us know how it goes.

I don't know about most schools, but here, detentions are no longer served as after-school(usually), but rather are served during lunch time. Parents are unaware of misbehaving children unless it happens 3 times in a quarter, then parents are notified. The teacher is not present during detention unless assigned to at that time-so the teacher does not give detentions to bring anything to the parents "attention".

Detetnions for misbehavior is one thing, it is another to give detentions for tardiness of the first bell as the students of elementary age have no control over what time their parents get them to school.

My opinion..If your school has detention for 1st graders is it for mis-behaviour? Tardness if the teacher wants the child to stay after school to make up for work missed, then they should have the late bus, that children take for such purposes and also to stay after for extra help. Tsk, Tsk? If you have a child who is mis-behaving then yes having you pick up your child later means the teacher would like this brought to your attention and is willing to stay after while the child has detention.

my daughters go to public school and where we live bus rides are free,you dont have to pay for your child to ride the bus.

OKAY, i am sorry, i do not understand??? YOU have to pay "for your child to ride the bus???", Am i understanding this right??? This is a "PUBLIC SCHOOL??"

concederedparent, I used to live in Cypress, TX and believed me, they have everything so well done, the schools have free buses for all the students and what was great about it, is that older kids from high school, come home before the little ones, and this is such a great help, you don't have to sent your little ones to daycare, so that saves you money in part. I had to move out of Houston because my husbands job is on another state and it was hard on my kids to be separated, but, believe me, I will love to go back there again, I will not think it twice. Regarding kids on detention, recently,my 2 younger daughters, got detention for been late, it was my fault, but it is hard for some parents when we have to get ready for work and get the kids out early, I can't pay someone for just that time specially with this tight economy, it wouldn't work out for me.

I don't think serving detention for tardiness is appropriate unless they are late for class after the second class. It is not the child's fault they were not to school on time, but the parents fault. What sense does this make to punish the child due to the parents negligence?

We have detentions in elementary grades for such things as homework not being done. Mostly though, here detentions are dumping grounds for ED students that no one wants to have the responsibitly of watching.

I understand that when my child is late it disrupts the class. Why should they have to pay the price for not getting to school on time. Quoting the old saying "You commit the crime you do the time" they haven't done any crime. its the school that is committing the crime by punishing our kids for us getting them there late. My wife has a daycare and i work full time. Our daughter carpools with the neighbor and other kids from the neighborhood. In this economy we barely afford to make our bills plus food and clothing for the kids. How can we afford the $300 a month for the school to send the bus for my daughter. That should be free. All the school is really worried about is the money. The school really doesn't care about the kids only the teachers do.

i dont think schools should punish kids for being late.i could understand punishing for fighting and curseing are having drugs are weapens in school but for being late.i agree this policy does need to be changed i hope you can get other parents to help you change this rule.keep me posted on what happens.

Personally, I don't find anything wrong with elementary school children serving detention. My son (1st grade) knows that the choices he makes have consequences. If J makes a poor choice and has to serve lunch detention than so be it. I don't see how it reinforces the negative behavior, in detention one does not get, attention, for the behavior-attention is taken away.

If my son fails to get to school on time regardless of who's "fault" it is, I'm still the parent-ergo I'm responsible for it. Coming into class late is a disruption, role has already been taken, the teacher has started the lesson plan, not to mention that coming in late on a regular basis is just plain rude. If a parent is encouraged by inconvenience, to bring their child to school on time, than I say so be it.

I am very glad you have joined greatschools---but it looks like the school, is punishing, your child, for being late---which, i "guess", they are trying to send you a message---instead of telling "you"???? Hope you stay here, and i hope you look through our "groups", and find some to join. please stay we love concered parents....who love their children.....laura