Prosecuting parents doesn’t accomplish anything, Danny Carr said. “In most cases, it makes matters worse.'
Danny Carr, district attorney for Jefferson County’s Birmingham Division. Photos by Roy S. Johnson / [email protected] Birmingham TimesWhen Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin threatened to report parents of students that habitually skip school without an excuse to the Jefferson County District Attorney for prosecution for truancy, few were as surprised as D.A. Danny Carr, the D.A. said.
“I’ll call the D.A. of Jefferson County. Truancy is illegal. We hold parents responsible for their 8- and 9-year-old child just not going to school,”Woodfin also threatened to report parents to the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, which could endanger their subsidized public housing. HABD declined to comment.
“Where I’m from, second chances are not often given. Also, where I’m from, education is not prioritized by some families,” said Carr, who is from Birmingham’s Ensley neighborhood. “If you think about and look at how many kids who are potentially absent from school or who are potentially not attending classes, we understand that the pipeline to prison is real if you come from neighborhoods like Ensley, Pratt City, the West End.
He addressed his remarks specifically to parents and noted that, with 10 weeks into the school year at the time, “There have been too many unexcused absences for our students. Parents, teachers cannot teach your child if they are not in class,” said the mayor.“Oftentimes, a child is out of school not because they don’t want to go to school but because there’s an underlying issue that has not been addressed,” she said. “It may be a lack of clean clothes.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Magic City Classic: Alabama State to face Alabama A&M in BirminghamMontgomery, Alabama
Read more »
Birmingham looks to defend City Open Division title with No. 1 seedCoach Jim Rose not only hopes to repeat as City Section Open Division champions, but he's the girls' flag football coach in inaugural season.
Read more »
Here are the 10 highest paying jobs in Birmingham that don’t require a degreeWorkers without a college degree can still earn the same salary or in some cases twice as much as others in the city, according to a recent Stacker study. Stacker used BLS data to find the highest-paying jobs in Birmingham that don’t require higher education.
Read more »
Vote for the Hollis Wright Week 10 Birmingham area football Player of the WeekFans can vote until 11 p.m. on Wednesday for the Player of the Week.
Read more »
State treasurer compares Birmingham-Southern College to ‘junk bond’Young Boozer III says his denial of state loan was in accordance with law.
Read more »