I think the $500 fine is ridiculous, but there are other ways
to encourage parents to meet with teachers. Parents are
"inconvenienced" (Certainly not the word I would choose, I think
"obligated" is more accurate) in all kinds of ways while raising their
kids. I would look at the way schools (in my area anyway) handle
vaccinations as a guide. If a kid doesn't have proper vaccinations,
he or she cannot attend school. If enough time passes without
the child in school, the truancy laws kick in.

The $500 fine could certainly be construed as unreasonable, but IMHO
keeping a child out of school until a parent meets with his or her
teacher or a school official is certainly a reasonable action. And
most jurisdictions already have truancy laws on the books.



--
Better to be stuck up in a tree than tied to one.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf.lonestar.org