Worthy Proposes Punishment for Skipping Parent-Teacher Conferences

DETROIT - Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is taking a tough stand with parents and introducing a proposal that would prosecute them for not attending any parent-teacher conferences.

The proposal is still in development, but sure to be debated. In short, if you don't show up to any of your kid's parent-teacher conference, you could end up behind bars.

"I don't think that you should be prosecuted for that. That, to me, is just like over and beyond," said one woman.

"Just to put a parent in jail because you can't attend a parent-teacher conference, no I don't think that's fair," another woman said.

Now amidst the lowest test scores in the country for fourth and eighth graders in the Detroit public school system, this is not just for DPS parents but for the entire county of Wayne. While some parents disagree with the penalty, they do agree that parents need to be more active in their child's education.

"I think it's a little strong, but I do like the approach that they're trying to get more parents involved with their children," said a third woman.

As an incentive for parents of Detroit public schools, DPS plans to give out $25,000 worth of Target gift cards just to get up-to-date information at the time of enrollment.

Worthy did not respond to our request for an on camera interview, but she did issue the following statement:

"At this time we are in the exploratory phase of a creating a countywide ordinance that would make it a violation for any parent or guardian who fails to go to at least one parent-teacher conference during the school year. Some parents or guardians never set foot in a school. I would like to look at this as an incentive to encourage those responsible to take and active interest in their children's education. The thrust of my proposal is not to lock parents or guardian up; that would be done only as a last resort.

I have seen that younger and younger children are committing more violent acts and we need to look at different approaches. I know we need to try something different. We should not have to legislate this, but what we have been doing is not working. I plan to present this before the Wayne County Commission Committee on Public Safety in August of this year."