January 20, 2005

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

Truancy crackdown has parents and kids perplexed about the motives

Police, district attorney, school officials meet with students and their parents to get the point across

By Diego Abeloos
Staff Writer

The San Jose Unified School District has started a crackdown on truancy in schools, a move that has many parents of truant students confused, frustrated and questioning the district’s motives.

Mike Wesley shows a copy of the letter he received from the San Jose Unified School District regarding his 6-year-old son’s truant status. Wesley said his son has missed eight days in total this school year. Photo by Diego Abeloos.

At the heart of the matter is state money tied directly to the district’s attendance records, which have shown signs of improvement since the implementation of monthly meetings with parents and students who are considered legally truant.

District says it’s not about the money
The district loses $39.68 for each day a student misses school, whether the absence is excused or not. But San Jose Unified School District officials insist the crackdown isn’t about money, it’s about the kids.

“We’re being bombarded right now with ‘it’s about the money,’” said Nancy Danziger-Brock, an attendance improvement programs administrator for elementary schools at the San Jose Unified School District. “Until about two or three years ago, nobody even brought that up. And for me, when I started this program, which has become my passion, it’s about kids getting to school, getting fed, getting health care, getting their vision checked, getting their hearing checked, having counseling, getting their two meals a day and getting their education. Because education is a spiral, if they miss part of the spiral, when they get to it the next year, they’re behind and they don’t know what they’ve missed … The idea is to get it as early as possible or to prevent it altogether.”

What is ‘legally truant’?
Students can be considered legally truant if they accrue three or more unexcused absences or miss 10 percent of the yearly school schedule, according to the San Jose Unified School District’s information handbook—and the consequences are no laughing matter. Parents were asked to attend Jan. 13 meetings, one for middle schools and high schools and another for elementary schools, after receiving a letter in the mail from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, stating that their child is considered legally truant.

During the first meeting, designated for Leland and Pioneer high schools, students were given citations for being considered legally truant, while a meeting later that same afternoon for elementary school students served as simply as an informational meeting for parents and young children about truancy.

“We want the child to be in school,” said Margarita Cuevas, an attendance improvement programs administrator for middle and high schools in the San Jose Unified School District. “If they’re not in school, then they’re missing out and we’re also losing money, literally.”

Some parents walked into the meetings angry but left satisfied after their questions were answered. According to the San Jose Unified School District information handbook, students are considered absent after missing one class, the entire day or if they are more than 30 minutes late, unless excused for illness by a doctor’s note or other extenuating circumstances.

“Personally, as a parent, it’s obviously embarrassing and totally scary because it’s such a serious offense now,” said Virginia Magana, whose son, a Pioneer student and member of the school’s football team, attended the meeting. “Before, when they were tardy to class, a couple of minutes here or there or tardy their first-period class, it didn’t feel as if it was that big of a deal. They didn’t miss the whole day, they weren’t absent, and they weren’t cutting. And so when you see it in this light, of course it’s a lot different. As a parent you feel like you’re not doing something right.”

Despite being called to a mandatory meeting, Magana said she felt better about things after the meeting.
“They gave us all this information but in addition to that, they explained very well and in great detail the consequences—first to the children for their actions, and secondly, if things aren’t improved, the consequences to the parents,” she said.

At the elementary school meeting, Santa Clara County deputy District Attorney Ray Mendoza spoke to a group of parents and young children about the downfalls of truancy. Mendoza was quick to dismiss some parents’ thoughts about the district’s intent, telling the audience that “it’s not about the money. It’s about educating your child.”

Police, school officials offer solutions
Throughout the meeting, various school district officials, including San Jose Police officer Jesse Toscano, who is assigned to the district, spoke to the group about the problem and offered some solutions as well.

Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Ray Mendoza speaks to a group of parents during a Jan. 13 meeting for truant elementary school children. Mendoza spoke to the parents about the legal ramifications for truancy, telling the parents “I can’t help but stress how important it is for your kids to go to school.” Photo by Diego Abeloos.

“Basically, parents need as much support as they can get and that’s why we have the panel up there with all the resources put in place so they can help get the parents on track with the kids,” Toscano said. “As you know, the elementary level is different from the high school level, where the parents have less control … Unfortunately, in the community now, with everyone having to work even two jobs just to get by, the supervision gets lowered and then that’s where we have the results of the truancy. So we try to tell parents that there are resources out there and educate them on what they can do to circumvent that problem.”

Elizabeth Bliss, an administrator for parent education and involvement, told the group that parenting classes are available through the YWCA. Others spoke about illnesses during the winter flu season, and what parents should do when considering whether or not to send their child to school, including telling parents that it’s OK to send your children to school if they only have a cold. In addition, the importance of giving children a good breakfast before school so they can concentrate on schoolwork better and making sure a child gets at least 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night was stressed to the audience.

A table was also set out with pamphlets and papers for parents, including ones with suggestions on how to get children to school on time and information on health and other issues related to truancy.

“Our ultimate response … is to ensure that kids go to school,” Mendoza said to conclude the elementary school meeting. “I hope you take advantage of what you learned here today.”

Parent of 6-year-old not convinced
While some parents left the meetings better informed, others still felt the district’s tone regarding truancy was unnecessary. Mike Wesley, a Willow Glen resident, received a letter from the district attorney’s office about the absences his 6-year-old son accumulated this year. Wesley said his son missed four days for a vacation in Lake Tahoe, while missing four more days for doctor appointments and illnesses.

“I felt the letter was a little heavy-handed and a little over the top,” said Wesley, whose son attends Schallenberger Elementary. “I would’ve preferred to see school counselors call the parents first instead of summoning a 6-year-old to see the DA and a policeman with a gun. It could’ve been handled better.”

Consequences of truancy
Still, the consequences to both parents and children can be severe. In the worst cases, the district attorney’s office may choose to pursue legal action against parents of truant children. Although, as Danziger-Brock put it, “about 80 percent of the parents turn it around,” there are some parents who still continue to have habitually truant children. In those cases, the Santa Clara County DA Office will charge the parents with violation of the education code and fine the parents $100. Should the problem still persist, the DA’s office may choose to charge a truant child’s parents with violation of penal code 272, contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Such a charge can carry a fine of up to $2,500 and may also include jail time.

For the student, the result could also be the suspension of their driver’s license for a year, possibly even longer if the problem persists.

District officials believe meetings are increasing school attendance
San Jose Unified School District officials are cautiously optimistic that the meetings are having a positive effect. Statistics comparing the first four months of this year’s school year versus last year’s show an increase in the percentage of students attending school.

In high schools, the percentage of students present in class has gone up from 95.17 percent in 2003-04 to 95.93 percent to date this year. Similarly, middle school attendance has nearly increased an entire percentage point, going up from 96.09 percent last year to 97.01 so far this year. In elementary schools, the increase is smaller, but still up, from 96.76 last school year to 97.11 so far in the 2004-05 school year. Altogether, attendance in the San Jose Unified School District is up just over half a percentage point.

“Every one percent that we raise our attendance is $1.2 million in a district our size,” Danziger-Brock said. “Every day that a child misses is $39.68 for that day that we lose. And so in this day of budget crunch, and budgets being cut and our enrollment dropping, the only way that we can raise more money is to have students who are enrolled at school (attend) more.”

While Danziger-Brock understands the trials and tribulations of parenting, she also warns that less money for schools could mean cuts elsewhere within schools or to programs.

“If the money goes down, the programs are going to get cut,” Danziger-Brock concluded. “Then we’re not going to have the music program, or the sports program or the whatever program that’s there. If the kids are healthy enough to be up watching TV and running around the house, they need to be in school.”

Excused or unexcused?
So what is an excused absence, as opposed to an unexcused absence? Here is rundown of the types of absences that are allowed, followed by a list of unexcused absences, as listed in the San Jose Unified School District Student and Parent Information Handbook.

Excused absences by state law
- Illness—doctor’s note required for extended illnesses.
- Quarantine—as directed by a doctor.
- Medical, optometric, dental or chiropractic treatments and appointments.
- Funeral service of an immediate family member—one day if within the state, three days if out of state.
- Jury duty—18 years of age or older.
- Exclusion from school for up to five days to obtain required immunizations.
- Approved participation in school activities (co-curricular) where the student represents the school or district in athletic events, fine art or vocational exhibits or performances, and academic competitions.

Warranted absences excused by board policy
- Court appearances as a subpoenaed witness or as a defendant.
- To observe a religious holiday or ceremony.
- An employment conference—when requested by parent and approved in advance by the principal.
- Absences as a result of the student being in Juvenile Hall, Children’s Shelter, or other shelter care or custodial facilities.
- Classroom or school suspensions that have been made up through assigned Saturday school.
- Additional days to attend funeral services of an immediate family member, in excess of state authorized absences, at the discretion of the principal.
- Attending the funeral services for a person other than immediate family—must be presented in writing by parents or guardian and approved by principal.
- Administrative summons or if detained by other classified or certified personnel.
- Conferences, appointments or interviews with attorneys, law enforcement officers and probation officers.
- Personal or family emergency—when approved at the discretion of the principal. Approval must be made in advance of the student’s absence and requires prior consultation with the student’s teachers.
- Certain religious retreats.

Unexcused absences
- Missing class or school, whether initiated by parent or student, without an excused or warranted reason.
- Any absence not verified as to reason by the close of the school attendance office on the fifth school day of attendance following the last day of the absence.
- Absences requiring prior approval in which approval was not obtained.
- Absences from classes or school while in temporary custody under the jurisdiction of the Truancy Abatement Burglary Suppression Program (TABS), unless otherwise indicated by TABS.
- The failure of a student to be in their assigned classroom/locker room when the tardy bell has rung constitutes an unexcused tardy, unless approved in advance.
- A tardy to the assigned classroom/ locker room over 30 minutes is considered an unexcused absence from class.
- Tardiness to Saturday school is considered an unexcused absence.
For students who are unable to attend school due to family emergencies, San Jose Unified can also provide a short-term independent studies program.

—By Diego Abeloos

Almaden teen is at it again

This time, Sam Manoucheri raises funds for UNICEF to assist with Southeast Asia tsunami disaster

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

Moved by the utter devastation of the Southeast Asia earthquake and tsunami, Almaden humanitarian Sam Manoucheri has decided to help victims and relief agencies with their massive recovery effort.

Almaden philanthropist Sam Manoucheri shows a newspaper article with an update on the Southeast Asia tsunami disaster. He’s raising money for the victims of the devastating tragedy. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

As soon as the 17-year-old Pioneer High School student returned home Jan. 3 from a holiday trip to Los Angeles, he began writing a handout describing the disaster and distributing it to several banks in Almaden Valley.

He also started speaking with family, friends and neighbors about donating money to aid with the relief effort and encouraged his parents, Fred and Goli Manoucheri, to speak to their business partners about opening their wallets to contribute generously to bring stability to the devastated countries affected by the staggering tragedy.

So far, he’s collected about $2,000 in checks made out to UNICEF. The banks conducted their own fund-raising efforts, so they will not be participating in Manoucheri’s campaign.

In the handout he created, Manoucheri described the Dec. 26 earthquake that caused the devastating tsunami waves that have left more than 170,000 people dead and millions homeless off the coast of Indonesia and coastal areas near the Bay of Bengal. Among the worst affected countries are Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and Thailand.

“As soon as I heard about the tsunami I knew that there would be a need for financial donations,” said the affable dark-eyed and dark-haired Manoucheri during an interview at his home. “I was thinking about how this would have a tragic impact on the people there. They need all the help that they can get.”

He continued: “I just thought, ‘Oh, my God, look at all the poor people there.’ I was so shocked. The people there are really needy.”

Collecting money for this cause was not new for Manoucheri, an expert philanthropist born into a highly educated and privileged Iranian family who began his charitable work at the tender age of 8 when he naturally leaned toward giving after being taught by his parents and grandparents to reach out to those in need.

His good deed acts are also an extension of his work for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s fund. He’s also a student volunteer for the United Nations of Silicon Valley working in the education department. He became a member of the U.N. in December of 2004 after its leaders learned about his community service. He’s among many student volunteers in the Bay Area.

Almaden philanthropist Sam Manoucheri is flanked by his parents, from left, Goli and Fred Manoucheri, who are helping him raise money for the Southeast Asia tsunami victims. He’s holding a copy of the handout he’s using to call attention to his cause. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

“I’m so proud of him for doing this project,” said his mother, Goli. “When he was younger he wondered how he could help children through charity work.”

In 1996 when Goli and Sam were driving on Union Avenue where the Children’s Shelter of Santa Clara is located, and she remembers her son asking, “Mom, can we help?” She recalls responding affirmatively, turning her car around and taking her son to the shelter to speak with its director who encouraged them to participate in the Operation Santa Program.

Manoucheri put up Christmas giving trees at Williams Elementary School and at Citibank and collected more than 500 gifts for shelter children with the assistance of friends and parents. He even spent $400 of his own money to buy the presents for the children.

For his generosity, Manoucheri has received certificates of appreciation from shelter representatives. Former District 10 Councilwoman Pat Dando also recognized his efforts in May of 1999.

Pioneer High School teacher Heidi Pimentel said Manoucheri’s work is phenomenal. “It’s quite an undertaking. I’m pleased that he’s doing this. He’s a very conscientious student and I’m glad to see that it goes beyond the realm of the classroom. I’m glad he’s interested in the community at large. He’s really a great kid.”

Soon after his charitable work with the children’s shelter, Manoucheri started raising money to help Albanian refugee children in Kosovo also working with the United States Committee for UNICEF based in New York. He got San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and other council members involved who donated their own money toward the cause.

Last year he was busy collecting toys for the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto, which gives the goodies away to low-income children who celebrate birthdays while living in the home or who receive medical procedures at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto.

Because of Manoucheri’s philanthropic work, Microsoft continues to donate toys for children at the shelter and he has touched thousands of children in the Bay Area and around the country. He raised money for the Red Cross after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and the earthquake victims in Iran in December of 2003, the fire victims and the Loma Linda Hospital in Southern California where he donated school supplies and other gifts.

“I was so proud of him. I thought he would think about this for a day or two and then forget, but he was serious,” Goli said.

His sister, Sanaz Manoucheri, 23, a freshman at UC-Irvine, is also a philanthropist helping the children’s shelter in Orange County with toys and other donations and the local Ronald McDonald House.

“My mother taught me to help those who don’t have. I’ve always taught my children to share. It’s something that’s been passed down from our parents,” Goli said, recalling how in Iran her parents would take her to the orphan house in Tehran.

About the tsunami, she said she was devastated by the loss of life. “Everyone has to give something,” she said. “We have to thank God that we have life. We have to share.”

For his part, Manoucheri, who’s earned the nickname of “good neighbor Sam,” said he wants to continue his humanitarian causes for “as long as I can.”

He’s not sure what he wants to study after he graduates from high school, but he knows that whatever field he pursues it will include helping people.

Those interested in making donations can call (408) 997-1030 or make checks payable to UNICEF and mail them to Sam Manoucheri at 1458 Montelegre Dr., San Jose, Calif., 95120.