I'm of two minds about this. I'm definitely of the opinion that absenteeism, like so many things, should be addressed as a social issue and not a criminal one. Arriving with open ears and an open...
I'm of two minds about this. I'm definitely of the opinion that absenteeism, like so many things, should be addressed as a social issue and not a criminal one. Arriving with open ears and an open heart, ready to listen and help, is so obviously a better and more effective choice than arriving with handcuffs and threats. Buying laundry equipment and beds is one of those things that improves quality of life while still addressing the targeted problem, and I'm so glad to see that happening.
On the other hand, I'm extremely distrustful of a private company being the ones to tackle the issue. The article didn't go too deep into how this company would continue to profit and grow. Obviously with school contracts and venture capital, but how will that affect school budgets? What are the incentives to perform well, and are there any perverse incentives that may lead to harm for students, parents, or schools? As we've seen with other private contracts in public institutions, like the provision of food to schools and prisons, quality is often sacrificed to provide greater profit. What are the guardrails against that here? Can this company keep buying washing machines for families that need them without incurring the wrath of shareholders?
I love seeing a program like this, but I'd prefer that it were a publicly administered program. I'd also prefer to see the funding come out of police budgets rather than schools. This is exactly the sort of program that defunding the police should be used to create.
The only potential benefits I see to this being privately operated: Salary and retention. One truant officer can cover multiple schools or districts, allowing it to be a full-time job and attract...
The only potential benefits I see to this being privately operated:
Salary and retention. One truant officer can cover multiple schools or districts, allowing it to be a full-time job and attract better-qualified candidates. Schools can utilize a fractional officer under a shared services agreement. It could be more efficient than each school/district trying to hire its own truant officers, many of whom would be part-time.
Consistency. This would require some level of administrative oversight, ideally at the state or federal level. Ultimately someone has to get this job done and produce some kind of report. Theoretically, by simplifying the organizational structure, it's easier to ensure all officers are trained and evaluated consistently and that the quality of the work is comparable across the board, especially at the managerial level.
Of course there's a lot of ifs here and a lot of ways it could go sideways. I believe truancy is more a symptom of other problems rather than a problem in its own right. Families with truant children should probably be targeted for additional social services. I'd guess that a lot of truancy could be solved by just giving people money.
The social services statement rings true. Baking truancy management into a much-better-funded child protective services program seems a much better path than merely having 'attendance cop' (though...
The social services statement rings true. Baking truancy management into a much-better-funded child protective services program seems a much better path than merely having 'attendance cop' (though I'm imagining the ones of my youth, not as discussed here).
Especially since that too can benefit from economies of scale by not being operated by schools at all.
This was a pleasant surprise to read. Normally when I see propublica it’s stories of systemic abuse, especially when it’s private companies taking the place of government.
This was a pleasant surprise to read. Normally when I see propublica it’s stories of systemic abuse, especially when it’s private companies taking the place of government.
I'm of two minds about this. I'm definitely of the opinion that absenteeism, like so many things, should be addressed as a social issue and not a criminal one. Arriving with open ears and an open heart, ready to listen and help, is so obviously a better and more effective choice than arriving with handcuffs and threats. Buying laundry equipment and beds is one of those things that improves quality of life while still addressing the targeted problem, and I'm so glad to see that happening.
On the other hand, I'm extremely distrustful of a private company being the ones to tackle the issue. The article didn't go too deep into how this company would continue to profit and grow. Obviously with school contracts and venture capital, but how will that affect school budgets? What are the incentives to perform well, and are there any perverse incentives that may lead to harm for students, parents, or schools? As we've seen with other private contracts in public institutions, like the provision of food to schools and prisons, quality is often sacrificed to provide greater profit. What are the guardrails against that here? Can this company keep buying washing machines for families that need them without incurring the wrath of shareholders?
I love seeing a program like this, but I'd prefer that it were a publicly administered program. I'd also prefer to see the funding come out of police budgets rather than schools. This is exactly the sort of program that defunding the police should be used to create.
The only potential benefits I see to this being privately operated:
Salary and retention. One truant officer can cover multiple schools or districts, allowing it to be a full-time job and attract better-qualified candidates. Schools can utilize a fractional officer under a shared services agreement. It could be more efficient than each school/district trying to hire its own truant officers, many of whom would be part-time.
Consistency. This would require some level of administrative oversight, ideally at the state or federal level. Ultimately someone has to get this job done and produce some kind of report. Theoretically, by simplifying the organizational structure, it's easier to ensure all officers are trained and evaluated consistently and that the quality of the work is comparable across the board, especially at the managerial level.
Of course there's a lot of ifs here and a lot of ways it could go sideways. I believe truancy is more a symptom of other problems rather than a problem in its own right. Families with truant children should probably be targeted for additional social services. I'd guess that a lot of truancy could be solved by just giving people money.
The social services statement rings true. Baking truancy management into a much-better-funded child protective services program seems a much better path than merely having 'attendance cop' (though I'm imagining the ones of my youth, not as discussed here).
Especially since that too can benefit from economies of scale by not being operated by schools at all.
This was a pleasant surprise to read. Normally when I see propublica it’s stories of systemic abuse, especially when it’s private companies taking the place of government.