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Strollerderby
Students Pay for Tardiness
Being late to class will cost some kids cash.
Things have changed a lot since I was a high school student back in the early 1980′s. But for all that’s changed, one thing clearly remains the same: Some kids just cannot get themselves to class on time.
Coming in late to class is disruptive and, some would argue, shows a lack of respect for the teachers and other students who managed to show up on time. But while tardiness is an age-old problem, a school in Salt Lake City has a brand new solution: Making students who are late pay a $5 fine.
East High Principal Paul Sagers says that teachers may use their own discretion when levying the $5 tardiness fine and students who can’t or won’t pay can attend 30 minutes of after school detention instead. While this may indeed end up a being system in which only poor kids get detention, Sagers says it’s working already.
What I have noticed as an administrator is students aren’t lingering anymore in the hallways. They aren’t stopping and talking, there’s not enough time. They just want to get to class.
The money raised from the fines will go toward paying the teacher who stays after school to oversee detention.
I think this is a great idea and much better than the way tardiness was handled in my own high school. It was a large school on a large campus and the time allotted to visit your locker, go to the bathroom and get to your next class was often not enough. Because of this, I was habitually late for P.E. and eventually paid a painful and humiliating price for my tardiness: Three whacks on the butt with a wooden paddle wielded by a very enthusiastic female gym teacher.
I would have preferred a fine.
Image: carolyntiry/Flickr
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[...] Students Pay for Tardiness [...]
Safest Cities for Kids | Strollerderby commented on Sep 29 10 at 12:21 pmJEssica commented on Sep 28 10 at 1:41 pmI was rarely ever tardy in highschool but something about this seems very elitist and offputting.
lisa commented on Sep 28 10 at 4:38 pmI think this is horrible and will come down hardest on low-income families/students. If you are responsible for helping your family out and have to be late, or are relying on a public transit system that is constantly being cut down, or you are racially profiled and held up by the police or school security officers, you get fined?!
Smartypantzed commented on Sep 28 10 at 5:04 pmA study was conducted in Israel where they fined parents who were late to pick up their children from school. They found it had the opposite affect of what they wanted/intended. More parents began to show up late because they felt justified in doing so since they were now paying for it.
A bit different from this proposal. However, the point is the same. Something of this may actually justify some actions. Additionally, it treats a symptom and not the root of the issue. Why are students late? If the school finds it’s because of two parent working households, they may need to make adjustments. If they find it’s because students aren’t engaged, they need to work on the curriculum and how it’s being taught to students. If they find that students don’t care, they need to find out why. Treating a symptom never actually cures the ailment.
Math Teacher commented on Oct 10 10 at 1:18 amSo this is how we’re going to balance the public school budget – making all the kids pay fines. Talking in class – $10, throwing spit balls – $20. This seems a little tacky. I hope the schools change so that kids can learn on their own without a classroom and without a teacher. As far as the punishment the author received for being tardy to gym, may I ask what state of union and what year? My guess would be early 70s in Texas.
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