Q: I'm looking for help with my daughter's virtual high school attendance...
She was given a school-issued Chromebook in September, when she started high school. Due to the pandemic, I kept all 3 of my kids virtual. Her particular Chromebook would not stay connected to my home wifi and she would use her personal laptop to log into school. On the days she used her laptop, her teachers insisted she switch to the Chromebook. When she used the Chromebook, it would not stay connected to the internet and she was marked absent. We're looking at over 60 days marked absent. Everyday she was marked absent, I called the school. Carteret High School refused to replace/reprogram the Chromebook. I've sent emails to the Superintendent of Schools for Carteret and I've gotten no answer. I have all emails, screen shots, videos and everything saved. They were forwarded as a OneDrive link the the attendance officer from the BOE, but I do not believe she even looked at them. As of now, I have a court date this Friday and it's the second time an extension was given. Thanks
A: You didn’t specify, but if you’ve got a court date, I assume you (and your daughter) are facing a truancy charge. That can be treated as a disorderly persons offense (NJ’s term for misdemeanor), and while the fine is low, it’s still not something you’d want to have on your background, particularly since there’s a reason explaining her “absences.” I would recommend hiring counsel in hopes of having the matter dismissed outright.
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