Persuasive Reading and Writing Module

Roger Sipher, “So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don’t Want To”
Unit derived from Patterns of Thought

Creators: Amy Evans & Amanda Garza

Module Overview:
 Pre reading
 Reading
 Post reading
 Pre writing
 Writing
 Revising and Editing

Standards:
Writing Strategies 1.1, 1.2, 1.4
Reading 1.0
Reading Comprehension 2.0, 2.5, 2.8
Literary Response and Analysis 3.0, 3.8, 3.11

Pre reading:
Anticipatory Set- What role does education play in our society? How important is
education to you? How important is education to your family? Explain your answer.

Objective-
The essay you are about to read focuses on education as the key to living a good life.

Journal-
Imagine how different your life would be if you did not attend school and receive an
education. What would you do with your time? Where would you live? How would you
educate yourself or would you educate yourself? Now imagine your future in the world
without an education. How will you support yourself? How will you fit into the world
without an education?

Introducing Key Vocabulary- Students will discuss with teacher the following vocabulary
words. We will identify the sentence with each vocabulary word within the essay and
write them down. Students will use each word at least once in their writing activity at the
end of the unit.
1. Antagonistic – opposing, against
2. compulsory- required
3. mandatory – required
4. assertion – statement
5. repeal – to cancel
6. homage – respect
7. homily – words on moral behavior
8. recalcitrant – difficult to handle

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Reading:
First Reading, Reading for content - Students will read the essay silently, following the
reading schedule below. Students will stop after each section and write down a question
thought of during or after each reading.

Paragraphs 1-3
Paragraphs 4-5
Paragraphs 6-7
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 15
Paragraphs 16-17

The class will discuss their questions.

Post Reading:

Second Reading, Analyzing the Author’s Argument – The class will read the essay
together and discuss the author’s arguments in support of his thesis. Students will use a
graphic organizer to list the key arguments of the author in support of his purpose.

Thinking Critically – The following questions move students through the traditional
rhetorical appeals.

Logos
 Locate major claims and assertions and ask, “Do you agree with the
author’s claim that…?”
 Look at the support for the major claims and ask “Is there any claim that
appears to be weak or unsupported? Which one and why?”
 Can you think of counter-arguments that the author doesn’t consider?
 Do you think the author has left something out on purpose?

Ethos
 Does this author have the appropriate background to speak with authority
on this subject?
 Is this author knowledgeable?
 What does the author’s style and language tell your students about him?
 Does this author seem trustworthy? Why or why not?
 Does this author seem deceptive? Why or why not?
 Does this author appear to be serious?

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 Pathos
 Does this piece affect your students emotionally? What parts?
 Do your students think the author is trying to manipulate their emotions?
In what ways? At what point?
 Do their emotions conflict with their logical interpretation of the
arguments?
 Does the author use humor or irony? How does this affect your students’
acceptance of his ideas?

Third Reading – The students will be divided into groups and read through the essay a
third time. Students will use the graphic organizer to write their own thoughts about the
author’s arguments. Using the questions they posed during the first reading, the students
will work together to come up with agreements or oppositions for each of the author’s
key points.

Pre writing:

Topic –Students will discuss their agreement or opposition to the importance of education
in our society, ways to improve education for those students who choose to benefit from
it, and what society should do for those who choose to not attend school (either agreeing
with the author’s suggestion or coming up with an alternative suggestion).

Activity - Students will write a persuasive essay in opposition or support of the author’s
essay. Using the graphic organizer, the students will compose an outline of their essay.

Writing:

The structure of the essay may follow this format.

Paragraph 1 – Opening
The opening paragraph should contain the thesis statement and create
interest for the reader. You may create interest through a scenario, a hook,
or posing three questions.
Paragraph 2 – Body
Discuss your agreement or opposition of the importance of education in
our society.
Paragraph 3 – Body
Discuss ways to improve education for those students who choose to
benefit from it.
Paragraph 4 – Body
Discuss what society should do for those who choose not to attend school.
Paragraph 5 – Conclusion
Restate your key arguments in the essay. Final sentence is main point of
essay. The last words are the title of your essay.

Remember to use each vocabulary words at least one time in your essay.

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Revising and Editing:

Students will read three other students’ essay and then answer the following questions:

1. What is the writer’s main argument or thesis statement?

2. What is the writer’s opinion on the importance of education?
3. What is the writer’s suggestion about improving education?
4. What is the writer’s suggestion about recalcitrant students?
5. What is the writer’s closing statement?

Closure – Students will discuss some of the essays read and the thoughts and opinions of
their classmates.

Extension:

Students will review the California State Education Code Truancy section and discuss the
procedure for truant students. Students will then, based on their suggestions in their
essay, come up with a new education code/procedure or changes to the existing education
code/procedure. The new education code/procedure may not require all students to attend
school and may be different from the Truancy section. This new education
code/procedure will strive to improve education and best deal with recalcitrant students.

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“So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don’t Want To”
Graphic Organizer

Author’s Key Argument Support Opposition

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“So That Nobody Wants to Go to School If They Don’t Want To”
Revising & Editing

Name of Editor ___________________________________________________________

Name of Writer __________________________________________________________

Read through the student’s essay and answer the following questions. Then discuss your
answers with the writer.

1. What is the writer’s main argument or thesis statement?

2. What is the writer’s opinion on the importance of education?

3. What is the writer’s suggestion about improving education?

4. What is the writer’s suggestion about recalcitrant students?

5. What is the writer’s closing statement?

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 Taken from: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/tr/index.asp
Last modified: Thursday, February 01, 2007
Display version

Truancy
Information and resources that define truancy and truancy penalties and other related
information.

Definition of a Truant

The California Legislature defined a truant in very precise language. In summary, it

states that a student missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse
three times during the school year must be classified as a truant and reported to the
proper school authority. This classification and referral helps emphasize the
importance of school attendance and is intended to help minimize interference with
instruction. The Education Code (EC) Section that defines a truant reads as follows:

EC Section 48260 (a): Any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or

compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse
three full days or tardy or absent more than any 30-minute period during the school
day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination
thereof, is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or the
superintendent of the school district

First Notification Mandate

In addition to the reporting requirement, the law states that the school district must
notify the parent or guardian of the truant by first-class mail or other reasonable
means, and that the notification must include specific information related to the
student's unexcused absences. The EC Section regarding notification reads as
follows:

EC Section 48260.5: Upon a pupil's initial classification as a truant,

the school district shall notify the pupil's parent or guardian, by first-
class mail or other reasonable means, of the following:

(a) That the pupil is a truant.

(b) That the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the attendance
of the pupil at school.
(c) That parents or guardians who fail to meet this obligation may be
guilty of an infraction and subject to prosecution pursuant to Article 6
(commencing with Section 48290) of Chapter 2 of Part 27.
(d) That alternative educational programs are available in the district.
(e) That the parent or guardian has the right to meet with appropriate
school personnel to discuss solutions to the pupil's truancy.
(f) That the pupil may be subject to prosecution under Section 48264.
(g) That the pupil may be subject to suspension, restriction, or delay
of the pupil's driving privilege pursuant to Section 13202.7 of the
Vehicle Code.
(h) That it is recommended the parent or guardian accompany the
pupil to school and attend classes with the pupil for one day.

Habitual Truant Mandate

The law further requires that after a student has been reported as a truant three or

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more times in one school year and after an appropriate school employee has made a
conscientious effort to hold at least one meeting with the parent and the student, the
student is deemed a habitual truant. The intent is to provide solutions for students
who failed to respond to the normal avenues of school intervention. The EC Section
outlining habitual truancy reads as follows:

EC Section 48262: Any pupil is deemed an habitual truant who has

been reported as a truant three or more times per school year,
provided that no pupil shall be deemed an habitual truant unless an
appropriate district officer or employee has made a conscientious
effort to hold at least one conference with a parent or guardian of the
pupil and the pupil himself, after the filing of either of the reports
required by Section 48260 or Section 48261.

Interventions

When a student is a habitual truant, or is irregular in attendance at school, or is

habitually insubordinate or disorderly during school, the student may be referred to a
school attendance review board (SARB) or to the county probation department
pursuant to EC Section 48263. The student may also be referred to a probation
officer or district attorney mediation program pursuant to EC Section 48263.5. The
intent of these laws is to provide intensive guidance to meet the special needs of
students with school attendance problems or school behavior problems pursuant to
EC Section 48320. These interventions are designed to divert students with serious
attendance and behavioral problems from the juvenile justice system and to reduce
the number of students who drop out of school.

Penalties (Student)

The law provides schools and school districts with discretion regarding student
penalties for truancy as long as they are consistent with state law. The penalties for
truancy for students defined in EC Section 48264.5 become progressively severe
from the first the time a truancy report is required through the fourth time a truancy
report is required. The EC Section regarding penalties for students who are truant
reads as follows:

EC Section 48264.5: Any minor who is required to be reported as a

truant pursuant to Section 48260 or 48261 may be required to attend
makeup classes conducted on one day of a weekend pursuant to
subdivision (c) of Section 37223 and is subject to the following:

(a) The first time a truancy report is required, the pupil may be
personally given a written warning by any peace officer specified in
Section 830.1 of the Penal Code. A record of written warning may be
kept at the school for a period of not less than two years, or until the
pupil graduates or transfers, from that school. If the pupil transfers,
the record may be forwarded to any school receiving the pupil's
school records. A record of the written warning may be maintained by
the law enforcement agency in accordance with that law enforcement
agency's policies and procedures.
(b) The second time a truancy report is required within the same
school year, the pupil may be assigned by the school to an after
school or weekend study program located within the same county as
the pupil's school. If the pupil fails to successfully complete the
assigned study program, the pupil shall be subject to subdivision (c).
(c) The third time a truancy report is required within the same school
year, the pupil shall be classified a habitual truant, as defined in

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 Section 48262, and may be referred to and required to attend, an
attendance review board or a truancy mediation program pursuant to
Section 48263 or pursuant to Section 601.3 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code. If the district does not have a truancy mediation
program, the pupil may be required to attend a comparable program
deemed acceptable by the school district's attendance supervisor. If
the pupil does not successfully complete the truancy mediation
program or other similar program, the pupil shall be subject to
subdivision (d).
(d) The fourth time a truancy is required to be reported within the
same school year, the pupil shall be within the jurisdiction of the
juvenile court which may adjudge the pupil to be a ward of the court
pursuant to Section 601 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. If the
pupil is adjudged a ward of the juvenile court, the pupil shall be
required to do one or more of the following:
(1) Performance at court-approved community services sponsored by
either a public or private nonprofit agency for not less than 20 hours
but not more than 40 hours over a period not to exceed 90 days,
during a time other than the pupil's hours of school attendance or
employment. The probation officer shall report to the court the failure
to comply with this paragraph.
(2) Payment of a fine by the pupil of not more than one hundred
dollars ($100) for which a parent or guardian of the pupil may be
jointly liable.
(3) Attendance of a court-approved truancy prevention program.
(4) Suspension or revocation of driving privileges pursuant to Section
13202.7 of the Vehicle Code. This subdivision shall apply only to a
pupil who has attended a school attendance review board program,
or a truancy mediation program pursuant to subdivision (c).

Penalties (Parent)

Penalties against parents apply when any parent, guardian, or other person having
control or charge of any student fails to compel the student to attend school. The
penalties against parents in EC Section 48293 (a) become progressively severe with
a second and third conviction. The EC Section regarding penalties for parents of a
truant reads as follows:

EC Section 48293 (a): Any parent, guardian, or other person having

control or charge of any pupil who fails to comply with this chapter,
unless excused or exempted therefrom, is guilty of an infraction and
shall be punished as follows:

(1) Upon a first conviction, by a fine of not more than one hundred
dollars ($100).
(2) Upon a second conviction, by a fine of not more than two hundred
fifty dollars ($250).
(3) Upon a third or subsequent conviction, if the person has willfully
refused to comply with this section, by a fine of not more than five
hundred dollars ($500). In lieu of the fines prescribed in paragraphs
(1), (2), and (3), the court may order the person to be placed in a
parent education and counseling program.

EC Section 48293 (b): A judgment that a person convicted of an infraction be

punished as prescribed in subdivision (a) may also provide for the payment of the
fine within a specified time or in specified installments, or for participation in the
program. A judgment granting a defendant time to pay the fine or prescribing the
days of attendance in a program shall order that if the defendant fails to pay the fine,

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 or any installment thereof, on the date it is due, he or she shall appear in court on
that date for further proceedings. Willful violation of this order is punishable as
contempt.

EC Section 48293 (c): The court may also order that the person
convicted of the violation of subdivision (a) immediately enroll or
reenroll the pupil in the appropriate school or educational program
and provide proof of enrollment to the court. Willful violation of an
order under this subdivision is punishable as civil contempt with a fine
of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000). An order of contempt under
this subdivision shall not include imprisonment.

Truancy Rate

The truancy rate of a school is determined by the number of students in a school who
are classified as truants pursuant to EC Section 48260 during the school year
compared to the enrollment of the school as reported to the California Basic
Educational Data System (CBEDS) in October of that school year. For example, if the
school has an enrollment of 600 students, it will have a 50 percent truancy rate if it
has 300 students classified as truants during the year.

Questions: Counseling, Student Support, and Service-Learning Office | CWA@cde.ca.gov | 916-

323-2183

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“So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don’t Want To”
Roger Sipher
from Patterns of Thought

A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that
American education is in trouble.
One reason for the crisis is that present mandatory-attendance laws force many to
attend schools who have no wish to be there. Such children have little desire to learn and
are so antagonistic to school that neither they nor more highly motivated students receive
the quality education that is the birthright of every American.
The solution to this problem is simple: Abolish compulsory-attendance laws and
allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend.
This will not end public education. Contrary to conventional belief, legislators
enacted compulsory-attendance laws to legalize what already existed. William Landes
and Lewis Solomon, economists, found little evidence that mandatory-attendance laws
increased the number of children in school. They found, too, that school systems have
never effectively enforced such laws, usually because of the expense involved.
There is no contradiction between the assertion that compulsory attendance has
had little effect on the number of children attending school and the argument that repeal
would be a positive step toward improving education. Most parents want a high school
education for their children. Unfortunately, compulsory attendance hampers the ability of
public school officials to enforce legitimate educational and disciplinary policies and
thereby make the education a good one.
Private schools have no such problem. They can fail or dismiss students,
knowing such students can attend public school. Without compulsory attendance, public
schools would be freer to oust students whose academic or personal behavior undermines
the educational mission of the institution.
Has not the noble experiment of a formal education for everyone failed? While
we pay homage to the homily, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him
drink,” we have pretended it is not true in education.
Ask high school teachers if recalcitrant students learn anything of value. Ask
teachers if these students do any homework. Ask if the threat of low grades motivates
them. Quite the contrary, these students know they will be passed from grade to grade
until they are old enough to quit or until, as is more likely, they receive a high school
diploma. At the point when students could legally quit, most choose to remain since they
know they are likely to be allowed to graduate whether they do acceptable work or not.
Abolition of archaic attendance laws would produce enormous dividends.
First, it would alert everyone that school is a serious place where one goes to
learn. Schools are neither day-care centers nor indoor street corners. Young people who
resist learning should stay away; indeed, an end to compulsory schooling would require
them to stay away.

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 Second, students opposed to learning would not be able to pollute the educational
atmosphere for those who want to learn. Teachers could stop policing recalcitrant
students and start educating.
Third, grades would show what they are supposed to: how well a student is
learning. Parents could again read report cards and know if their children were making
progress.
Fourth, public esteem for schools would increase. People would stop regarding
them as way stations for adolescents and start thinking of them as institutions for
educating America’s youth.
Fifth, elementary schools would change because students would find out early
that they had better learn something or risk flunking out later. Elementary teachers would
no longer have to pass their failures on to junior high and high school.
Sixth, the cost of enforcing compulsory education would be eliminated. Despite
enforcement efforts, nearly 15 percent of the school-aged children in our largest cities are
almost permanently absent from school.
Communities could use these savings to support institutions to deal with young
people not in school. If, in the long run, these institutions prove more costly, at least we
would not confuse their mission with that of schools.
Schools should be for education. At present, they are only tangentially so. They
have attempted to serve an all-encompassing social function, trying to be all things to all
people. In the process, they have failed miserably at what they were originally formed to
accomplish.

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