Teach42

I got an email alerting me to a segment on CBS News about one school using a GPS tracking device to help stop truancy.

While it may have worked for the student in the video, I have to admit some skepticism regarding the ability for this to be a large scale solution. They mention that the student really does want to be in school, and this provides him an excuse to provide his friends, without losing any reputation points.

However, there had to be reasons beyond just peer pressure that caused him to miss so many days int he first place. And if the school doesn’t address those issues, then why should this make any difference. Yes, we do want the student to be in his/her seat. But we also need to find new ways to motivate those students, to keep them involved in their education, to ensure that it’s relevant and valuable to their future success. While I’m not trying to imply that the school in the video is failing to do that, I do want to point out that getting them there is only one part of a larger solution to the problem.

And is anybody else wondering what’s to stop him from just putting the darn device into someone else’s backpack for the day?

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