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Repeal the statutes of the Texas education code that allow school districts to send kids to jail for missing school

To: Texas Judicial Council

Under Texas law, students can only have 10 unexcused absences in a six-month period before the school files a complaint in court. Tens of thousands of other Texan students are also becoming victims of the criminal justice system for violating school attendance policies. Worst of all, those most...

Under Texas law, students can only have 10 unexcused absences in a six-month period before the school files a complaint in court. Tens of thousands of other Texan students are also becoming victims of the criminal justice system for violating school attendance policies. Worst of all, those most affected are low-income families whose financial struggles can contribute to their children’s attendance problems. This Draconian method is clearly not the right approach to keeping kids in school. Instead the current truancy laws are leading to the unjust convictions of underprivileged students like Diane.

As the Texas Judicial Council, we're asking that you repeal the part of the Texas education code that gives states the right to incarcerate its students.

This petition closed on December 31, 2012.

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5,000

1,897 people signed the petition

In May, a Texas judge sent Diane Tran, 11th-grade honor student, to jail overnight and fined her $100 for missing too much school. However, Diane wasn't ditching class to run around and engage in bad behavior – the 17-year-old works two jobs to support her siblings and often must stay up until 7:00 am to finish her homework.

Diane is just one of the victims of the unjust system. Willis High School (Diane's school) posts the Texan state truancy law on its website.

Texas courts have the opportunity to set a national precedent against these extreme approaches to encourage attendance at public schools. Read more about school administrators, elected officials, and prosecutors across the country who are taking on the issue of kids missing school through the criminal justice system.

Recent Signatures

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Discuss the petition

90 comments have been posted
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Maybe they think jail is a better educational system than the current one. If that's the case, then we most definitely need to improve the current system.

See previous replies
Yvonne Jones

@Scott--it is isn't it? And the judge had to re-think and did reverse his decision after such a public cry of outrage.

John Fleming

If they're going to send kids to jail then they must revamp the jails to accommodate kids education, I'm just saying if their going to do that for one they love giving kid psychotropics medications I'm against that all together...

What is happening in this world things have changed so much. I understand we all need to be educated to have a good job, but at this point this student was just trying to keep food on their table and a roof over their head she wasn't out there hurting any one, and I'm sure that when things would get a little better she would go back to school, it don't matter the age, because it's never too late to make a change. So instead of incarcerating her and fining her , they need to go and find the...

What is happening in this world things have changed so much. I understand we all need to be educated to have a good job, but at this point this student was just trying to keep food on their table and a roof over their head she wasn't out there hurting any one, and I'm sure that when things would get a little better she would go back to school, it don't matter the age, because it's never too late to make a change. So instead of incarcerating her and fining her , they need to go and find the ones that are out there stealing and killing and doing other bad things instead of that poor girl that was just trying to make a living for her and her family....

See previous replies
Douglas Brough

I think many comments here have missed the point - that there should not be a law that sends a mature young lady to prison for working and feeding her family, despite the fact that she should have been in school

Barbara Louise

Carlos: You are a moron. Wake up. Laws will not protect you in your stupidity.

I think their FULL OF SHIT! THEY TRY TO GET THESE KIDS ANY WAY THEY CAN... THAT's WHY ALOT OF THEM DROP OUT... THINKING THEY CAN RUN OTHER PEOPLE LIVES... ITS REALLY RIDICULOUS HAVING THEM CALLING TO INFORM YOU THAT YO CHILD WAS MARKED TARDY OR ABSENT FOR WHATEVER PERIODS... THAT GETS ON MY NERVES... I DOn't ANSWER THE PHONE HALF THE TIME FOR THEIR BS... IM READY FOR MY SON TO GRADUATE AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE...

Donna King

tell it like it is!

The system is broken. No child should ever be sent to jail for missing school. Sending a kid to jail is at best treating a symptom of a problem and poorly. The problem that needs solving is why a child is missing school. There are many potential causes to the problem from bullying to economic.

Charles W Shankle

Perhaps my state can start a meaningful change for once.

Yeah I'm glad Diane Tran was cleared of all charges and her arrest was a gross overreaction! I hope she is getting help but she should have gotten help in the first place and it was the Judge's place to have shown mercy to those who needed it and Diane was one of them!

I WILL LIKE TO HELP, BUT IS SO FAR WAY FROM ME...

Teresa Malheiro Dias

este foi mesmo sem querer, estava a ler outra coisa ...desculpe .

you are welcome am very hoppy

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