Austin Fisher is a 17 year old senior from a suburb outside Cleveland Ohio. He has been banned from walking at his graduation for having too many unexcused absences. The school district allows 14 unexcused absences to be allowed to walk at graduation and he has 16. His reason for his absences is something that many including myself believe to be heroic. His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago.
The fisher household is only Austin and his mother and when she became too weak to work Austin picked up a two jobs to help pay the bills. He also brought his mom to her cancer treatments and took care of her when she was bedridden. For some districts this could be used as an internship for home health care. But not in his district, all those days are just more absences.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
4. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
First reaction to this story was,"What if that was my mom?" I would do the exact the exact same thing. I always believed that it was family first and that is something that was implemented in this situation. Regardless of absences he did what he had to do for his mom. His mom is all he has and he is doing whatever it takes to keep her alive.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely sign the petition because despite all that was going on, he still only managed to miss only two more days then he was supposed to. I find that shocking because based on the information given regarding his mom's cancer, I thought he would've missed more days and having only missed 2 more days is not worth punishing. I understand it is school policy and their are certain rules that must be followed but this guy was taking care of his mom not playing hookie.
If I was in his shoes I don't believe I could do it. If I had to I would but from the oustide looking in it seems a bit overwhelming to handle all of that. I had one job in high school where I worked between 30-35 hours a week and that was a lot to handle.
The school should make an exception not only to his graduation but also to Prom as well. These are the two most important things in a high school student's life and they should not be taken away due to absences missed in this case. I believe the school should provide a written statement addressing the issue and rewarding Austin on his efforts to put family first. Many people claim that they put family first but Austin has actions behind his words, and those actions should be honored
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteInitially my first reaction hit close to home with this issue. I have watched video clips of this and read the article I think this school system should be ashamed of themselves. Education is important, but Family trumps everything. This is a young man's mother who is terminally ill and it falls solely on his shoulders to take care of his family, let alone his mother is all he has as he is to her.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
Absolutely, I understand that the education system has been morphed into this black or white situation, but this kid is gaining more life experience trying his best to juggle school, work, and taking care of his mother. As a society we don't expect this of our college students let alone a high school senior who should be enjoying his last days of high school. This young man is not a delinquent skipping school for the hell of it, he is an example of a strong young person maturing far faster than he should have to.
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
Well unfortunately i can say I have put myself in similar shoes. Every circumstance is different and I was lucky enough to have a strong support system. I can look at how tough it was for me to adjust to this new life when you find out a loved one is terminally ill and having to let alone focus at work and school is hard enough, but being the main support system for your family. I give Austin a lot of credit for all the wonderful things he has been able to do for his mother and him and the fact that the school system is (or was) adding stress to his life is just unnecessary.
4. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
Well in recent events they have changed the ruling due to a large social media presence in austin's support, Facebook groups and tweets have helped this story gain national attention, while the petition to let Austin walk was aimed to get 5,000 signatures has reached almost 100,000. SO he can walk, BUT he is not allowed to partake in senior events. It just comes down to an ethical issue here on the part of the school board. Why punish a young man for helping care for his mother? What if they were in his situation or what if their child was, what would they want them to do? Austin and his mother never asked for this horrible disease to impact their family, but it did and now they have to react. Wouldn't seeing her son cross the stage be something she could look forward to? I just think that the education system is so corrupt and morally wrong. The sad thing is that this is not the only place this happens, all over the US the black and white ruling of the education system is making it harder on students to graduate then ever before.
Below i have attached the school board statement on the issue:
“Representatives from Carrollton Exempted Village School District had the opportunity to meet with Teresa and Austin Fisher earlier today (April 16). At that meeting, Teresa Fisher provided additional information to school administrators concerning Austin’s absences, which had not been previously provided to the district. Based on this new information and after careful consideration by school officials and the Board of Education, it was decided that Austin would be permitted to participate in commencement.
In the interest of all of Carrollton’s students, the District and Teresa Fisher ask that the community respect their decision and that everyone move forward. Carrollton Schools is a great place to work and learn and we do not want to be sidetracked from our mission of educating children.”
I am not convinced the school board has learned anything from this, and just fell to the pressures of society. I guess its time to reevaluate the rules.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteI personally think this is crazy, even though the school district said all a student could have was 14 unexcused absences he wasn’t as school because he had to support his family and also help out his mother. Its not like he was just skipping school to go get high with his friends. He had a reason not to be there and shouldn’t get punished because he had to work 2 jobs and also in his free time help out his mother. He should 100% be able to walk at graduation.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
Yes I would
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
I personally probably not be able to juggle them all, In my eyes even though you need an education that would be the last thing on my mind I would be more focused on making sure we had something to eat every day and also that my mother was getting the right treatment to get better.
3. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
4. 100% like I said before its not like he was just skipping school to skip school. He was doing the right thing for him and his mother and at the end of the day if he gets punished because he has 2 more absences than the school says you can have is crazy.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this story, I was honestly shocked. I cannot believe that under the circumstances that this teenager is going through that he cannot walk at graduation. What kind of cold-hearted people work in this district that they know this situation, but make it so his Mother cannot see him walk at graduation? Also, it's not even like he's far off from the maximum amount of absences. That is obscene.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
Of course I would sign the petition. I fully stand for the fact that this student should be able to walk at his graduation, with his classmates, and make his Mother proud. He has worked so hard through high school to keep up with school work and work two jobs that this is such an accomplishment.
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
No! I mean I would obviously make it work because I would have to, but I would miss way more than 17 days of school. Are you kidding me? I cannot imagine going through this. I complain about the busy life I have now? Nothing compared to what this young kid has to go through.
4. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
Absolutely! Like I said before, it is not like he is far over the maximum. Even if he was far over the maximum, I don't care. If he's not too far over the max. to graduate at all, then letting the poor kid walk shouldn't be that much of an issue. Are they really scared of making people who also have 17 absences mad if he gets special permission? I think even those people would agree that he should be allowed to walk.
I had goosebumps. Like Jermel, I was thinking about if it had been my mom. This boy clearly has his morals set straight, and he does not deserve punishment like this.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely sign the petition!! How could you not?
Quite frankly, no. I think I would have cracked under the pressure. I probably would have ended up dropping out of school, with plans to get a GED, to care for my mom.
I clicked on the link to the petition and it said that they have already given their approval to allow him to walk. Its kind of sad that it took all of this grand media attention to get the board to reconsider their decision...its sad to think that if this story had slipped through the cracks of media coverage that the outcome could have been very different for Austin Fisher.
I'm angry and all I can think right now is "Give me a break!" There are too many things that are dictated by rules. Yes, there are certain rules that need to absolutely be followed, but seriously? Can you take a closer look into the window of this boys world? Can you try to begin to even fathom the kinds of thoughts and feelings he must have? This is when I firmly believe that every situation needs a fair assessment. Not one of us in this world are the same. You can't even begin to understand what someone else's world is like if you do not try to see it through their eyes. I'm certain this boy would have much rather been in school, but instead he was taking care of his mother who is sick with breast cancer and be a man and support her however we can. This is sickening.
ReplyDeleteI think it is obvious that I would absolutely sign the petition.
I give him so much credit because I highly doubt I would be able to do that. I would be an emotional wreck. My mother is one of my biggest support systems and if you know me at all you know that I constantly worry about everything. For that reason, I would be too stressed out and too much of an emotional mess to even be able to focus on school. Nevermind the two jobs on top of it.
I honestly think that schools need to make exceptions more often. You can't simply apply the rules to every situation. There is so much more to a person than what lies on the exterior. I come from a high school where some of my teachers really invested themselves into their students; they truly cared. For this reason, I find it hard to believe that nobody could have tried to help this boy and his family. I find it hard to believe that the school couldn't have tried to work something out with him so that he can graduate, but also do what he needs to in order to help his mother. I feel like teachers and school counselors have a responsibility to this boy. Where were they???
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteI was blown away. I don’t believe that something like this should EVER be the case of someone not graduating. Austin has become his mothers care taker, the school should understand that and make an exception.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
Yes, of course I would sign the petition for Austin to graduate. I think that he is mature young adult that is living a tough life. He is taking care of his ill mother, working jobs to help buy the bills, AND getting a high diploma.
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
ABSOLUTLY NOT! As a senior in college we have enough crap to worry about. Finding a job, an apartment, what we are going to do when we graduate, money, bills and the list goes on. I give Austin so much credit for doing what he is doing. God forbid something happened in my family and I needed to do what he is doing of course I would.
4 Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
Yes I think that school is not handling the situation fairly. I think he should be able to walk with his class and graduate
1. At first when reading your summary about the absences I completely agreed with the school district sixteen absences is a lot!! But after learning what this kid was doing while he was not in school I am kind of disgusted that the school would not recognize this kid and instead punish him. However, I was pretty surprised by the article headline, focusing on his athletic sport rather than the fact that he is a high school student.
ReplyDelete2. The amount of people who have already signed the petition is pretty remarkable but I think I would definitely sign in support of this student.
3. I currently am a full-time student and work two jobs and have an internship and feel like I’m losing my mind half the time, add on taking care of your mother!!! Absolutely not. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. This student deserves credit.
4. I feel that if the school were made aware of the students’ situation this could have been resolved differently. If they pulled him aside to ask why he was missing so much school I feel there could have been a different approach instead of not allowing him to graduate. We’ve all been seniors in high school before and know how many study halls / internships they allow I feel that this school district should definitely make an exception for this student.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteThis story made me not only angry but surprised me in many different ways. I cant understand how a school could do this to a kid for the reasons that he has. I understand they have these rules for a reason but there must be an exception for things like this.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
In a heartbeat!!! Like I understand I know there are rules for absenses for a reason but this is a little different. I can’t believe a school would do this to a child that was going through something like this. Its not like he is your normal teenage boy that is skipping school to go have fun, hes trying to support his family in the best way he knows how…and hes only 17
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
No way, I commend him for the things he has done. Going to school and working part time has been hard enough for me I can only imagine the things he has gone through for his family. Especially at 17 that’s a hard age to give up school, hanging out with your friends and just being an average teenager.
4.Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
Yes ABSOLUTELY. No question in my mind that this boy should be able to walk with his fellow classmates at graduation.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteMy heart absolutely sunk when I read this. I am horrified that the school district cannot make an excuse for these very unusual circumstances. It is clearly evident that the boy is not making up home issues as a means to cut class etc. There is no need to go through a policy change, because this is not about changing the policy. This is about giving a student some slack about dealing with a situation far bigger than anything one of his text books addresses.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
I would have signed the petition right after I finished this post had a decision not been made on the 16th. Signing only takes a minute, and the support clearly spoke numbers.
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
No, I could not have done this without any support. I can't imagine what Austin has been going through, it seems incredibly draining and exhausting. It is amazing to see where this boy's priorities lie, and how mature he is. Austin is a hero, nothing less. I can barely manage classes, graduating, and figuring out my life after college as is. I could not even imagine also caring for a terminally ill family member. This story definitely puts your life into perspective.
4. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
Well, like Ed said it seemed that the decision was only made due to pressure. I think the district gave in a bit, mostly because the media ran with this story. If anything, I hope that it causes them to be restructuring their absence and graduation policies. This issue should have never escalated to this level in the first place, and I am disappointed to hear that the school board did not reach out to the Fisher family in the first place to support.
I was kind of hit hard by this story, it is a crazy story and I was upset that he is not able to walk. I have seen firsthand what it takes to miss school and take care of those that you love and juggling work alongside it. It is not an easy task, so I give this kid all the credit in the world.
ReplyDeleteI would sign the petition, I would do whatever I could to try and make this kid walk. I believe that his absences from school are real, and are excusable. If he was missing school because of “being sick” then that would be one thing, but he is missing school for something he cannot avoid.
I cannot say if I would be able to I have been able to juggle a lot and I have dealt with my fair share of issues. This is a very unique situation and I don’t think most people are going to be able to deal. I have seen a friend of mine do this in college and it takes a toll on you. He had to take a semester pretty much off in order to take care of his mother.
There is no reason why the school should not make an exception and let this student walk. I think this is a case were the school can make an exception.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story?
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame. It's disappointing that Carrollton High School officials failed to investigate Austin's situation further. If they had done so, this controversy could have been avoided altogether.
2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why?
Absolutely. Austin deserves all the support he can get.
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother?
Probably not. If my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I would likely quit school and my part-time job to care for her. Like Alli, I'd be too emotionally overwhelmed to even focus on the two.
4. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences?
Without question. Carrollton High School officials should recognize that each student is an individual with varying circumstances; and therefore they should have investigated this situation more thoroughly before executing their attendance policy.
1. What is your initial reaction to this story? This concept is ridiculous. There are certainly extenuating circumstances that involve the hospitalization of a family or loved one that can extend a rule. Its not as if the kid was just ditching class to go party.
ReplyDelete2. Would you sign the petition? If not then why? Yes I would sign a petition in a heartbeat. Why would anyone not let a child graduate for stepping up and being a man in his own household? If anything they should give him a scholarship to aid in his ordeal.
3. Putting yourself in his shoes as a senior, would you be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of your mother? One could look at this as almost three jobs and school. It is clear that he maintained decent grades aside from the absences from class and there is no reason to assume he is a bad student. He probably coped with the circumstances of the situation better than most his age would.
4. Do you think the school should make an exception to their rule considering the circumstances behind all of his absences? Of course they should make an exception. Any individual striving for the livelihood of his family and juggling his own success has all the characteristics and good moral fibers of a future leader, why not endorse this individual rather than punish him.
My initial reaction to the story was how can the school board not be understanding of the tough situation this seventeen year old student is battling each day. Yes, it is school policy to disallow a student from graduating when exceeding 14 abscesses; however, Austin Fisher was missing school to assistance his mother who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would sign the petition for Austin to walk on graduation day because 1. His mother deserves to see her son graduate from high school 2. It is not Austin’s fault for his absences; he is merely adapting and assisting his mother who does not have anyone else to rely on.
Putting myself in Austin’s shoes, I don’t believe I would be able to juggle school, two jobs, and taking care of my mother, yet I have not be put in an extreme situation requiring me to adapt to such a difficult situation as he has. He is clearly a strong willed boy, who understands the adversity he is fighting through and the lack of support from his school is a distraction to his success.
Yes, the school should make an exception to their rule of 14 absences because his lack of attendance is a justifiable reason. Austin is not a troubled kid going out of his way to miss school but yet is juggling a lot as a 17 year old and needs the support of his community, and school to battle through tough times.