By Samantha Sammartano, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 The Truancy Court Program (TCP) is a wonderful initiative created and implemented by the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC). The TCP seeks to address the reasons why students miss school, amounting to thousands of school…
By Tammy Vaughn, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 In the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children, and the Courts Student Fellows Program class, we have learned about a variety of problem solving courts in Maryland. One recent creation are drug treatment courts, which in Maryland began under former Chief Judge Robert M. Bell’s administration.…
By Courtney Ward, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 Each week, law students involved in the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts Truancy Court Program (TCP) discuss at the weekly team meeting each of our TCP student’s cases and the deeper issues that students may be…
By Lauren Wood, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 Truancy is a dilemma frequently facing school systems. A violation of compulsory attendance requirements can, in the worst case, lead to significant punitive consequences for a family. What happens, however, when the student exhibiting truant tendencies is a special education student? What kind of special obligations, if any, does…
The University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Truancy Court Program (TCP) team interacts with students of all ages who have unique needs. As we learn more about the students enrolled in the TCP, we often find that the reasons behind their attendance issues…
By Katie Davis, CFCC Truancy Court Program Attorney “I didn’t come to school because my uniform was at my mom’s house and I slept at my dad’s two days last week.” “I was late because I stayed at my cousin’s house and her mom didn’t get us up.” “I overslept because I was staying in…
By Russell Rasziak, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 I became a Student Fellow with the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children, and the Courts (“CFCC”) in the middle of August. All the Student Fellows have been participating steadily and importantly in class discussions and projects. A major focus…
By Lauren Vint, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 With a weekly local bus ridership of 241,071, the MTA public bus system plays an oversized role in the daily lives of many Baltimore citizens. It’s no exaggeration to say that our students’ success is dependent on the smooth running of the MTA local bus system. Without a…
By Gauri Khanna, CFCC Student Fellow 2013-2014 Only two sessions into the Truancy Court Program (“TCP”), I have already noticed a dramatic change in students’ attendance. While it is still early in the year, the students seem as though they want to make a genuine effort to attend school, be on time, and do well…