Truancy
8553 N Beach Street, # 114
Keller Texas 76248
email: truancy@charter.net

Richard Williamson LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker, (Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners license number 03353).  He has a bachelor's degree in sociology from Trinity University in San Antonio and a master's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.  He is a also a certified mediator (basic & advanced) and a member of the ADR section of the State Bar of Texas.

R. J. Williamson began his career in 1970.  He is a former Dallas County juvenile probation officer, former casemanager at the Truancy Enforcement Center,  and formerly a therapeutic foster parent for forty children and youth from 1987 - 2002.  He is also a former board president of Lone Star CASA, and a black belt former board member of the Texas Tae Kwon Do Federation.  He is also a licensing board-approved supervisor for social workers.

Eastfield College is a campus within the Dallas County Community College District.  He taught social work and substance abuse counseling courses for six years at Eastfield.  He initiated, developed and taught the truancy reduction component of Eastfield College's Dropout Prevention and Truancy Reduction program which was awarded the college Innovation of the Year for 2003-2004 (see T.E.A. articles below) and is listed by Clemson University's National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (2005) as a 'model program.'

    Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners:      

30 years earlier:

Below, please find some comments from students participating in classes described above; some students were court ordered, some were sent by school districts.
 

TRUANCY CLASS COMMENTS

 ·        I think it was pretty good and it gives us some idea about how college is or about what college is about.

·        The movie was not so real life.  Students that skip are much smarter than that because they are basically criminals.  Movie was stupid.  Instructor talks for a long time.  My attention span starts to wander and daydream when material are repeated.  Skippers know the rules about skipping.  Just the law is getting stricter.  3 days, that’s nothing.  I think is a waste of time to go to school for that amount of days.  Some teachers really don’t teach.  But the people here are great.

·        I think the instructors did a great job.  They supplied us with good information, important information, and how important it is to attend school, and how it will affect us.

·        I like this college.  I hope come this college next year to be a police officer.

·        I think this course was great and motivate.  I would like to have more information by mail.  Thank You.

·        (Evaluation form instructions read “Thank you for your help.”) No, thank you for your help.  Should have snacks.

·        I liked the tuition and it was reasonable to me.  The materials were clear and helpful.  I felt supported and I recommend that other to be available for Eastfield College.

·        This class should be shorter and snacks should be available.  The instructors were good.

·        Some small snacks and drinks would be nice.  The tour was a relief from the hard desks.  Need to walk more and sit less.  Bathroom break should be a little earlier.  Instructors should get here earlier so they can assist problems with “lost” enrollees.  The chairs should be more comfortable and they should let us sit where we would like to sit without moving us.  We are paying $35: what does it go to.  I like the pens and the notepad, but I wouldn’t pay $35 for it.  I did (on a positive note) enjoy seeing the automotive facility and decided right then and there what I was going to do for college and my life.  

·        Everything was great and very helpful. I really don’t think anything should be changed.

·        It was a good course.  “Great job.”  It really got to me about what y’all are trying to reach out to us.

·        It was a very nice environment.  It made me feel safe.  I didn’t have any problems with anyone.  

 ·        Well this help me a lot.  It help me to understand that it is very important to be in school and the school is your future.

·        I would be happy to come back on my own and with a friend or relative.

·        I plan to go to a community college and then to UNT or UTA but I don’t know if I can do that and do I have to take the same classes over again.

·        They were very helpful and gave me more of a positive attitude on what I can do about going to college.

·        This course taught me a lot about tardies and how education is the key to all success.

·        Thank you for all the help you gave us. 

 ·        Nothing needs to change about Eastfield College.  I think this looks like a great learning place to continue your education.

·        I think everything is cool.  The thing that would be tight is if you all buy maybe some doughnuts or maybe a Jumbo Jack or something to munch on.

·        I don’t think there was anything wrong with the class, but that it is kind of long and some people have things to do.  I really enjoyed the tour.

·        The thing that I liked most was the tour because it made me want to join Eastfield College.  The thing you should do better is that they should have pen and paper for the students.

·        What did I like about the class?  Ms Long explained things very well about college and let me know what I need to know to be a Registered Nurse.  What did they need to do?  Make the video be a little more interesting; it was boring but overall the program gives us a lot of opportunities.

·        Well I like everything about Eastfield College.  I want to come here when I am a senior or maybe after I graduate.

·        I like the automotive tour.  Need to get more involved in the athletic part of the tour.

·        I think you covered everything.  The class was not as boring as I expected.  I liked the tour, especially the biology lab.

·        I think that the class was very helpful and it wasn’t boring at all.  I think you two did a very good job overall.  I appreciate all y’alls help and information.

·        This class has given me the information I need to help me better understand the community college district.

·        I liked the tour but make a stop at the dance studio next time.  Allow the students to introduce themselves.

·        I liked walking around to see different places of Eastfield.

·        In this Continuing Education class I liked the fact that Mr. Williamson and Ms Long explained everything slowly and carefully.

·        The thing I really liked about this class is that they show you how you can do what you want in life; how to go on with your dream.  They help you know about everything they can that will help you.  Thing I think they should do better is get pen and paper.

·        In this class I liked the fact that they tell you a lot of different things about college.  This is a cool class and I don’t think you should change anything about this class.

·        What I liked about this class is that it is very informative and showed us the benefits of finishing school.  After this class I am going to attend college and study a good career.

·        What I like about this class was that they showed us that we should go to school (taught) and it is good for us so we can go on and get better things.  Also, I liked they gave us numbers we might need in the future.

·        I think this is a very good program that explains what a community college has to offer.  You did a very good job at explaining Eastfield’s advantages and its opportunities it has to offer.  There was only one thing I wished you could have spent more time explaining; that was explaining how to get enrolled.  I think you could have done a better job of it.  One of the things I wished you would have told us is what we need to bring to enroll.

·        I think you should improve the class by having young adults who have experience.  Have them talk to the skippers.  And what I like about this class was that they showed us the campus and told us about college.

·        I liked all the numbers y’all gave us for more information. I liked the trip we took around Eastfield.  You should improve by having something to eat.

·        I think this is a good class because we get to learn more about absences in school.  What I really like about this class is when we went to the auto program class.

·        This class is ok, I guess.  But it’s just that we have to come.  It’s not of our own free will.  But I think it was ok because I got to see the school and learned more about the Mesquite Community College.  But that’s all.

·        I feel the course was very informative with the outcomes of truancy.  The tour was excellent.  Ms Long gave good information about that I would like to take.  What I would want is more information about scholarships for different ethnicities.    Other than that I enjoyed it.  Another suggestion is that parents should attend.

·        I liked the trip that we took around Eastfield.  I also liked the courses that Eastfield had.  I don’t think it needs to improve anything.

·        What I like about this class is that there are a lot of classes (here).  You have a variety to choose from.  I didn’t dislike anything about the class.  I thought everything was a-ok.  I don’t have anything special I liked because I liked a lot of things.

·        What I like about this class was the way Ms Long explained everything; the way she gave us information about different things.  I also like the way everyone was with each other.  What I didn’t like was the video; it was not real; it was too boring.

·        I learned a lot of information on the different prices of courses and the types of courses offered at the college level.  I also learned about the different types of financial aid services.

·        There are many career opportunities that you get and also that they have job placement.  Shorten the hours.

·        I have learned about the many positive opportunities offered at the community college level.  Until now, I was unaware of the vast array of services, activities, and programs that cater to someone like me at Eastfield College.  During the college tour, students should be able to watch a basketball or other sporting event.  Another suggestion is to allow students to go to the computer labs and get hands on experience on filing FAFSA forms on the Internet.

·        I have learned a fair amount of things here, like about this college, what community colleges have to offer you.  I also learned that it is the same to go to a community college as going to a university, but community colleges are cheaper.  Everything is ok.

·        I have learned to value my education more, and that it is very important to stay in school.  I don’t think we need to make the colleges better, they’re already great.

·        I learned that there are many ways of getting financial aid.  Also, that you get to choose when you want to take classes.  Another thing was that you can get classes by computer or on the Internet.  I think they should provide some refreshments and a shorter class time.

·        I learned what kind of classes Eastfield offers.  Give us a preview of each class.

·        I learned a lot about court and about absences; how not to miss any more days of school, so I wouldn’t pay any more consequences.  This program explained enough and just a little bit more about courses at the colleges.

·        What I learned today in the course is nothing really on the video, but in the end during the college talk, I noticed I need to make up my mind on what I want to do.  Make it shorter.  Also, find a different video that makes more sense, and is not the same one over and over again from the last truancy.

·        I learned about college and the programs.  Do it in less time.

·        I learned to go to school everyday, on time, and not to be absent too many days.  I also learned information about attending college that I am interested in.  Make class shorter and more girls.

·        Classes are cheaper at Eastfield.  Take less time.

·        What I learned today is about the responsibilities about not being in school and how you can get your parents into trouble.  I don’t think Eastfield College needs any changes; it seems a really good school and they have all the equipment they need.

·        I learned that I need to start thinking about a career choice.  I could go into nursing because it is a high demand, wide opportunity job.  I think this course should be shorter.  We could do all this in 2 ½-3 hours.  Come on, it’s Saturday and that’s when people go to do stuff, and if they don’t do it on Saturday, they might skip school to do it.

·        I would recommend a fifteen minute break and munch on some chips outside since we can’t eat inside the campus.  I learned some very good tips towards financial aid.

·        I learned how to get free information about a college career.  I think they should get some kind of diversion and less time.

·        I learned that even though you are 18, there is a certain time you could miss school and still go to court.  This course needs a better movie cause the one that was shown to us is way too boring. 

 ·        The truancy class was very informative; instructors were both professional and enlightening.  All information shared was beneficial for both present and future references.  A parent

·        During this class I learned more than just why not to skip school. Some of the things I learned were about financial aid, college admissions, and the different courses I could take in a Dallas Community College.  One thing that would make the course better would be a little more interaction among the students.

·        I learned about all the different organizations that can help you for college (example FAFSA), the number of hours you need for classes, more about the court system of unexcused absences.  Ask more questions and more videos to make class better.

·        I really didn’t know what to expect; didn’t know what kind of conversations would be spoken.  But after watching the videos, that was stuff I already knew, but what I didn’t know was that if you fail to attend court they send out constables to ask for you; that’s good information.  The class seemed pretty comfortable, but the part of being pregnant nothing comfortable enough.  The instructors were great.

·        I learned today that skipping school is bad.  It will get you nowhere, and education is a very important thing in life and that college is not so bad and that you need an education to get anywhere in life.  And that no matter what you go through, there’s always someone who cares about your education.  This class is alright the way it is.

·        I have learned a lot about what I need to go to college.   I have enjoyed seeing the college and getting a feel of what the classrooms feel and look like.  I think that what would improve this course is to have actual active college students to come and talk to us from a student’s perspective.  By doing this we will be able to hear the actual truth of what goes on in the classroom.

·        Today I learned that community college is a good alternative for individuals like myself who are not yet ready to attend a four-year university.  As for improvement  I have no comments except that it was cold which I know you can’t change.  But I liked that everything was hands-on and that the instructors showed general concern.

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