Hey, my name is Andrew, I am 17 years old and I am a Senior in high school. For my introduction I would like to tell you a little bit about my life the last 2 years.
During my Junior year I realized school isn't exactly a good thing. Education is a wonderful thing. School education not so much. I decided to skip school my during my Junior year and in my city, Stevens Point, WI, truancy is against the law. That is one of the reasons I chose not to attend school. I don't think anyone should be forced to do anything, especially things they don't want to and/or don't agree to. Well since it is against the law for a minor to skip school I was sent to truancy court multiple times but continued to stick with my beliefs. Eventually over a period of about 3-4 months i managed to rack up $350 dollars in fines for truancy and 30 hours of community service. I refuse to pay that fines and I refuse to do the community service. After the court realized I wasn't going to attend school they started handing out more "severe" punishments. First they ordered a JIPS petition(Juvenile In need of Protective Services) which assigned me a P.O. and gave me a list of court orders.
Here are some of my court orders.
1 ) Attend school every day. No absences unless it is a family emergency or doctors appointment.
2 ) Stay away from drug use and people that use drugs.
3 ) Attend an AODA class twice a week
4 ) Attend the truancy abatement program everyday after school.
5 ) Complete community service.
6 ) Enroll in to 2 summer school courses and complete them.
7 ) Listen to house rules. (Which were set by my P.O.)
8 ) Pay all of my fines.
As you may have guessed I didn't listen to any of these and quickly found myself back in court for a sanctions hearing. During this sanctions hearing I was placed on Electronic Ankle Monitoring for 30 days. I was not allowed to leave the house unless I was required to do so because of my court order. I stuck out the 30 days and began doing the same thing again. Luckily the school year had ended before I went back to court. Then summer school started and I chose not to attend that either. I was than filed as a delinquent and scheduled another sanction and was placed on the Electronic Ankle Monitoring again but this time for 45 days. I have been on it for 8 days now and I am already being threatened to be put in jail, foster care, group home, etc… This will happen if I do anything my P.O. does not like.
Simply because I chose not to go to school, the government stepped in and has made my life a living hell. My brother and my friends said they would help me leave the state but I do not know where I would go. I do have my mind made up that I am leaving. I am leaving before they even take the Ankle Monitor off because if I wait around I will be thrown in jail or foster care or something of those likings.
I want to move to New Hampshire eventually and was planning on doing so once I turn 18. As of now I am caught up in a corrupt legal system and I cant seem to figure out a way out.
I am asking for advice, ideas, help, and absolutely anything that may benefit my situation for me. I still do not plan on going to school.
Please help me out and thank you for taking your time and reading this.
-Andrew
If you would like to know more about my situation please do ask.
Wow. OBEY!
I think you've come to the right place.
This is insane. When do you turn 18? What would happen if you left sooner?
[quote author=FTL_Ian link=topic=3915.msg43835#msg43835 date=1283491199]
Wow. OBEY!
I think you've come to the right place.
This is insane. When do you turn 18? What would happen if you left sooner?
[/quote]
I turn 18 May 3rd. Nothing would happen if I left sooner because they won't know where I was. They could take some guesses but they won't know.
I've been dealing with this for about 6-7 months already and I am ready and willing to leave right now.
I did a quick skim of some of Wisconsin's "laws" regarding compulsory schooling. Wow, what insanity! The whole thing seems designed to force everyone to stay in the system until they're 18, or even later, and close off any possible way out. For instance, they don't want people graduating or getting a GED early and so they prohibit it.
Of course we all know that school sucks, and it isn't just in SP. If you want some entertainment and real education in the meantime, check out the School Sucks Project.
As for your immediate circumstance, I don't think any of us can tell you to leave, even if we'd like to. At 17 you'll have a big target painted on your forehead and unless you leave the country you'll pretty much have to remain in hiding until you're 21, or maybe longer. Run into a cop anywhere and they'll ship you back to punish you. They don't like it when "children" "run away."
Now my advice, since you have about two semesters remaining before you can give them the finger with impunity, is to go back to school and make them want to get rid of you. Try things like: In class, when the teacher reads some obvious propaganda or outright lies out of the textbook, point it out and give everyone the truth. Be very nice about it, of course. Tell the principal (you will be sent there!) you were just trying to be helpful by pointing out an error in the textbook. I'm sure you can think of a few other things along these lines that will drive the school administration crazy but which they can't do much about. Keep this up and they'll find ways to send you packing. 
Welcome!
Holy mother of God, that's impressive! (What you're doing.) And crazy! (What they're doing.)
I don't know about the laws regarding minors, so I can't give you advice about moving.
But I would recommend, while you're still in the area, that you make a big ruckus about this. Talk to local politicians about it, write a letter to the editor to your local newspaper, find some local libertarians or homeschoolers and spread your story around. Because the government's response here is so wacky and disproportional, I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a lot of people who agree with you.
You're not going to overthrow public schooling anytime soon, and you might not be able to change the particular laws giving you trouble (though it's worth a try!), but you can still embarrass the bujeezus out of everyone involved, and promote decent common sense while you're at it.
Best of luck! I look forward to seeing you in NH!
Hopefully you have been working and saving your money. If not, you should start immediately so you can move with a nest egg.
It's nice to know that there are other people on the same page as me.
To FTL_Ian: I had a job for about 2 weeks and was fired because of me being placed on electronic ankle monitoring. Since then I have been unable to go out and look for a new job because I'm not even allowed to go outside unless I'm going where the court told me to go.
To Skeptikos: I will look into contacting politicians and I will definitely write an editorial and send it in. I'm not quite sure about the laws regarding minors either, as I am being charged as an adult.
To error: I will take a look at that site.(probably at school)
Your advice is a great idea and in a way I kind of have began doing things like that.
Last year I brought Glenn Becks book Arguing with Idiots to math class and my teacher sent me to the principal for having it in her classroom. I got a lecture from the principal but i thought it was all kind of funny so the next day I brought the book to class with me and began reading it well the teacher was giving a lecture. I ended up getting two detentions. One from the principal and one from the teacher.
[quote author=error link=topic=3915.msg43858#msg43858 date=1283536468]
I did a quick skim of some of Wisconsin's "laws" regarding compulsory schooling. Wow, what insanity! The whole thing seems designed to force everyone to stay in the system until they're 18, or even later, and close off any possible way out. For instance, they don't want people graduating or getting a GED early and so they prohibit it.
Of course we all know that school sucks, and it isn't just in SP. If you want some entertainment and real education in the meantime, check out the School Sucks Project.
As for your immediate circumstance, I don't think any of us can tell you to leave, even if we'd like to. At 17 you'll have a big target painted on your forehead and unless you leave the country you'll pretty much have to remain in hiding until you're 21, or maybe longer. Run into a cop anywhere and they'll ship you back to punish you. They don't like it when "children" "run away."
Now my advice, since you have about two semesters remaining before you can give them the finger with impunity, is to go back to school and make them want to get rid of you. Try things like: In class, when the teacher reads some obvious propaganda or outright lies out of the textbook, point it out and give everyone the truth. Be very nice about it, of course. Tell the principal (you will be sent there!) you were just trying to be helpful by pointing out an error in the textbook. I'm sure you can think of a few other things along these lines that will drive the school administration crazy but which they can't do much about. Keep this up and they'll find ways to send you packing.
[/quote]
Why would I need to hide until I was 21? Wouldn't 18 be good enough?
[quote author=error link=topic=3915.msg43858#msg43858 date=1283536468]
As for your immediate circumstance, I don't think any of us can tell you to leave, even if we'd like to. At 17 you'll have a big target painted on your forehead and unless you leave the country you'll pretty much have to remain in hiding until you're 21, or maybe longer. Run into a cop anywhere and they'll ship you back to punish you. They don't like it when "children" "run away."
[/quote]
Look at this
This is what I found on this link:
Default Re: If You Run Away, Can You Get in Trouble After You Turn 18
Quoting ILTST9 View Post
In the state of Indiana, if you were to run away at the age of 16 and remain undetected until the age of 18, could you possibly get in to any trouble stemming from your running away? What would the consequences be?
In most states the age of majority is 18, and you can't be prosecuted for a status offense after you reach the age of majority. But a typical runaway gets into lots of trouble between the ages of 16 and 18, so there you go.
Key phrase there is "Most states". Some are more draconian than others.
[quote author=Myrkul999 link=topic=3915.msg43888#msg43888 date=1283557619]
Key phrase there is "Most states". Some are more draconian than others.
[/quote]
Do you know about the state of Wisconsin?
[quote author=Andank link=topic=3915.msg43889#msg43889 date=1283558145]
[quote author=Myrkul999 link=topic=3915.msg43888#msg43888 date=1283557619]
Key phrase there is "Most states". Some are more draconian than others.
[/quote]
Do you know about the state of Wisconsin?
[/quote]
Very little. you'd be better off researching yourself than if I "helped". 
Hang in there. What Ian said about a nest egg is great advice. Patience, hombre.
[quote author=Andank link=topic=3915.msg43833#msg43833 date=1283490451]
EducationKnowledge is a wonderful thing. School education not so muchis not necessarily knowledge.
[/quote]
Fixed.
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you're doing great activism.