Parents should defiantly be charged for late pickup. A child is not a late credit card payment or returning a movie. Teachers and support staff have to wait for that parent, our education system is stretched to the limit all ready and parents need to get back to being real parents!

My wife is a teacher and yet even she would agree that is ridiculous. Why are the parents late? Because they are probably working so they can pay the taxes that pays the school district to allow the inefficient public education system to educate their children. If the school district wants to charge a late fee, then parents should demand a refund of their taxes if they are not satisfied with their child's educational instruction and progress. Let's see how far that goes with the NEA.

Schools are not daycares yet that is what we are being used for more and more. Paul...teachers and support staff are now putting in overtime since we are having to put in extra hours to 'babysit' for late parents. This in turn costs much more and I feel is a waste of my tax money. How about we put a few kids at your job after you have worked 8 to 10 hours that you can be responsible for. How about we do that everyday for you? Be honest now when you reply back.

I commuted a far distance from home to teach fifth graders for 17 years, and I would sometimes arrive at 6:00 a.m to find find young children standing in the cold waiting for school to begin (at 8 a.m.). When asked why he was already at school, one young boy said his mom was sleeping and had told him to take care of himself in the morning. SOME parents really do expect the school to be a daycare provider, thinking that if they send their child to school early (or have them stay late), there will always be someone who will help if something goes wrong. Sometimes our principal had to drive kids back home. The work doesn't stop in a school after the kids leave. There are meetings attend (many involving parents), and paperwork to do. Parents need to care for their children and find someone else to pick them up from school on time if they can't be there. The same applies to those who drop their kids off at school early because THEY have to get to work. They're being self-centered and uneducated about what it takes to make a school work.

I forgot to mention when I was in school it was NEVER like it is now. Judy is correct, 6:30 am and a bunch of shivering kids outside, groups of kids just hanging out after school. When I was in school it was a ghost town 5 minutes after the last bell. Had a group loitering around the school where I work. Two of them ended up in a fight just before I was about to leave after 8 and half hours already. Had to turn around and wait for parents who should have been there right after school to deal with their kids and the fight while PAUL sits at home counting his tax money!

I agree with Judy regarding late pickups and early arrivals. Finding children waiting outside the school means they are not in the care of an supervising adult. This leaves them in a vulnerable situation. Inviting them inside early or late means that staff that should be attending to assigned work and meetings are babysitting. Before and after school programs are available at SOME schools on a fee basis. Children waiting for parents AFTER a reasonable amount of time could be considered abandoned. Then CPS/Police might be contacted as a last resort. This could apply whether it is a private or public school.

If parents are "too busy" to be there for thier children then they should pay for childcare. Too many children go missing and are kidnapped, you would think if people are adult enough to have children then they should step up to the plate and be "parents". Why should the school district be responsible for the parents lack of judgement? Parents how would you feel if you child went missing? how would you feel if your child felt neglected? how would you feel if you were in the shoes of the school and "had to" fill in for you? Be responsible parents!!!!! Don't let your children down or abuse the school system.

If parents are "too busy" to be there for thier children then they should pay for childcare. Too many children go missing and are kidnapped, you would think if people are adult enough to have children then they should step up to the plate and be "parents". Why should the school district be responsible for the parents lack of judgement? Parents how would you feel if you child went missing? how would you feel if your child felt neglected? how would you feel if you were in the shoes of the school and "had to" fill in for you? Be responsible parents!!!!! Don't let your children down or abuse the school system.

This is one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard of (next to wanting to dig an under capacity [viaduct replacement] tunnel under the water table through fill seattle is built on and in a major earthquake area)

Yes there should be a late fee. If parents are running late, they should budget their time better. If they are working late because of work then they most likely know in advance enough to make arrangements to pick up the kids. I see far too many people doing makeup in cars while driving and eating while driving and tail gating and getting angry because they are running late. How about those parents who run late learn how to set a good example with their kids by budgeting their time better. Getting out of bed earlier, etc. Most of these late parents take advantage of schools and are selfishly forgetting that if they are running late that they are forcing other people like teachers to basically babysit. How many of these late parents would be upset if they got stuck watching someone elses kids because others are late. Maybe if the fine upsets you parents, the perpetually late parents should take turns waiting at the school for other kids parents to come and get them. Stop whining about being charged and be responsible and pick up the kids on time!!! Set a good example for your kids to follow.

I am a tax payer and do not have children. I pay these schools anyway. I don't expect my money to be used for babysitting for irresponsible parents who can't plan their time appropriately. Stop putting on makeup in the car, stop road raging because you are late. Stop being selfish and budget your time. Teach your kids how to be responsible. Are you also always late for your jobs? How come you manage to get yourself to work on time? Your kids are your responsibility no matter what job you have. If you have trouble picking up kids, then work with some friends or neighbors and 'car share' 'ride share' the kids. I have no problem paying taxes for education when it id for education. But I will Not support teachers BABYSITTING your kids with my tax money!!!! Knowing you whiners, you'd turn around and sue the school district if your child got injured or worse ...just because you were late. Be responsible and stop selfishy taking advantage of others and making excuses for your lack of responsibility.

Parents should not be charged. Many corporations today, particularly call centers, will not let you leave your job on time if you are helping a customer. They don't care if it causes you to go an hour over your shift. If you try to leave, they will fire you. Most of us working in the call center industry work there because it was the only job we could get. I went to college and studied computer programming, because it had promise. After I graduated, the September 11th bombings occurred and the layoffs occurred. I was new in the industry and suddenly, people with my education are stuck being phone reps in call centers. It took me three years of being unemployed before I got hired at my current job. The motto where I work is if you don't comply, you are gone. This includes leaving work at the end of a shift if you are still helping a customer. Many of my colleagues are single parents and have been fighting the company on this issue for years. I have seen them publicly humiliated and walked out for trying to hand the phone call off to another rep in order to leave at the end of their shift to go pick up their kids. Those who lose their jobs are still unemployed years later, because of the economy. So, if we are going to start charging the hardworking tax paying parents for being late picking up their kids, then we should only do so once there are laws passed that force corporations to change the way they treat their employees. Right now, many corporations act like dictatorships and put parents in a bad position. Further, they expect you to work whatever shift they decide you should work, regardless of your personal situation.

I personally have a stay at home wife, so my son get's picked up on time, but I've seen what these corporations are doing to my fellow employees, and I've filed many complaints with the state about it. I continually get responses that there is really no law preventing this, and therefore there is nothing that can be done.

When my son's friends visit him on my days off, I'm often the one taking them home, because otherwise they will be walking home in the dark alone. Why? Because their parents are single parents being overworked by a corporation, and they can't afford day care. Honestly, some of us need to reach out to these parents and offer to help them. I personally donate food to their households and make sure their kids get home safe and sound. I'm not required to do it, but I figure I'm a little more fortunate than they are, so I will do my part. We need to stop looking for people to penalize and put down and start looking at how we can help one another in our society. The biggest complaint I hear from people from other countries is that our culture is ready to penalize everyone, but no one is willing to help their neighbor. Yet, in other cultures, other people reach out to their neighbors and try to find out why they are really struggling. Until we do this, things are never going to change.

When did you read Freakonomics? Last week?

Maybe since Superfreakonomics came out you figured nobody would notice you were ripping off an idea?

Come on, do something original.

The comment regarding a refund on taxes if a parent is charged a late fee is ridiculous. I am not a parent and will never be a parent, yet, I pay taxes and will pay taxes until the day I die. Does that mean I deserve a refund as well? I think they should be charged a fee for using the school as a baby sitter. It is not the schools responsibility when school is done to watch other peoples children. They are not paid to do that extra service. Parents are no longer held accountable for their children. It is sad that people can conceive children and not be responsible enough to make arrangements for someone else to take care of their children if they are not able to pick them up in time. They would more than likely pay that person, so, what is the big deal about being charged a fee for performing daycare services?

I work at a school and wanted to thank everybody in support of the schools. Students being left here is a widespread problem. Coaches and staff DO NOT get paid to stay and wait for late parents. Some are over an hour late on a daily basis! We are not required to stay but we do because of safety. Also, beyond popular belief, we actually do care about your children!!! Again I say, when I went to school everybody was gone 5 miniutes after the bell. If a parent couldn't make it they made arrangements with other parents, family or friends to pick them up. or they had the courtesy to call the school and arrange something not just expect it out of their own selfishness. To those opposed to this I have plenty of volunteer forms here if you want to see what it is actually like at a school before you start mouthing off. By the way we send your fingerprints to the FBI even if you want to volunteer!