Posted on: Tuesday, February 11, 2003

EDITORIAL
Parents should know if they measure up

Just as Hawai'i debates the merits of a bill that would fine parents of chronically truant schoolchildren, we're looking for less punitive alternatives that'll hit home.

In the 4,200-student school district in Lebanon, Pa., for example, parents are about to receive report cards, grading them on their involvement with their children's education.

Teachers would evaluate parents in such areas as attendance at parent-teacher conferences, the health and grooming of their children and their punctuality filling out school paperwork.

It seems a fair enough compromise. And unlike truancy penalties, it wouldn't result in financial hardship. Parents ought to know specifically how they're contributing or impeding their children's educational goals. And report cards might be just the ticket.