Taking Kids Out of School

[AndreaA]

I agree that family time and those memories are THE MOST IMPORTANT thing.

Well, now that I think about it, family might be most important, AFTER not being sweaty.

So, as long as I'm not too hot, family time is most import.... whoops I forgot being crowded. Definitely not being crowded is more important than family, but family is still a close third.

Yup, a close third... after saving money. Sorry, but can't let family come before saving money. Or being a home. I can't even believe that some people think that family time in your home state even counts.

So, as long as I'm not sweaty, or crowded, or at home, or it costs too much, FAMILY IS MOST IMPORTANT! Absolutely more important than being in school.

So, in order of importance:

1. Not being sweaty
2. Not being Crowded
3. Saving money
4. Not being at home
5. FAMILY!!!!
6. Education

Plus, some people have spouses in the military, and can only vacation around leave-time. If you don't take Disney vacations during the school year, you must hate the troops!

Actually, the order for me would be:

1. FAMILY!!!!
2. Not being sweaty
3. Not being Crowded
4. Saving money
5. Not being at home
6. Education


I'm not going to go at an uncomfortably hot and/or crowded and/or expensive time of year just so that my kids don't miss school. Family AND all of those other things all trump school. If you don't agree, that's certainly your right, but being sarcastically snarky about it is juvenile and unnecessary.

 

[Planogirl]

School officials work for the taxpayers whether they want to admit it or not. I'm not sure exactly when so many decided they override parents.

I can see why people give up and go private or home school. I'm not that person. I'm paying for public school and I respect so many of the teachers that have to work the system just to do the job they love.

I do not blindly follow rules, just because a school official makes them.

There are a lot of entities that are tax funded but that doesn't mean that I get to help make the rules. I never get that argument that somehow parents can dictate rules just because of taxes.

Anyway, I think that people should take their kids out of school if they believe that it's the right thing to do. It's really that simple in my eyes. We never did but only because WE didn't think it was right for us. We had fabulous trips and never missed school days to do so. If others do, it doesn't affect us a bit.

By the way, family means the world to me too. You can be all about family without missing school.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Illness is an "excused" absence which preserves funding. Funding, by the way, that is provided by my tax dollars.

As the parent, I will continue to evaluate my child and make appropriate decisions, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Period.

Wrong. Have you ever heard of schools shutting down during flu epidemics? Ever wonder why? The state of MO views all absences equally.

And nobody is telling you what to do. Just saying when one stamps their feet and demands things "their way", it doesn't come off so well. And when one acts like that and then turns around and belittles the school for enforcing a policy.....

 

[Crl1817]

School officials work for the taxpayers whether they want to admit it or not. I'm not sure exactly when so many decided they override parents.

I can see why people give up and go private or home school. I'm not that person. I'm paying for public school and I respect so many of the teachers that have to work the system just to do the job they love.

I do not blindly follow rules, just because a school official makes them.

At least in CA those are laws, not some rules imposed by a local school official. I guess there's no need to blindly stop at stop lights or blindly pay for merchandise at stores or blindly refrain from hitting someone. Just pesky rules, no need to blindly follow them. And heck I pay the salaries of the police force so they should be happy to look the other way when I break those pesky rules.

 

[ErinsMommy]

We've always pulled daughter out for vacations just because with our jobs, we take time off when we can and this is the first time she'll only be missing the first 2-1/2 days of school instead of a full week -- which actually bugs me more just because she'll be miss out on those first few days of 'interaction' with her fellow students and teacher.

 

[cattywampus]

At least in CA those are laws, not some rules imposed by a local school official. I guess there's no need to blindly stop at stop lights or blindly pay for merchandise at stores or blindly refrain from hitting someone. Just pesky rules, no need to blindly follow them. And heck I pay the salaries of the police force so they should be happy to look the other way when I break those pesky rules.

Here's the bottom line for me and then I'm done, mostly because I need to get over to the planning area so that I can plan the trip where my first grader will miss a week of school.

I'm going to make the decisions for my family in a smart, respectful way that tries to preserve school funding. However, my decisions are non-negotiable.

 

[DVCMomBLT]

School officials work for the taxpayers whether they want to admit it or not. I'm not sure exactly when so many decided they override parents.

I can see why people give up and go private or home school. I'm not that person. I'm paying for public school and I respect so many of the teachers that have to work the system just to do the job they love.

I do not blindly follow rules, just because a school official makes them.

Ummm....I hope your kids have a better attitude towards "following school rules".

 

[pioneer89]

Actually, the order for me would be:

1. FAMILY!!!!
2. Not being sweaty
3. Not being Crowded
4. Saving money
5. Not being at home
6. Education


I'm not going to go at an uncomfortably hot and/or crowded and/or expensive time of year just so that my kids don't miss school. Family AND all of those other things all trump school. If you don't agree, that's certainly your right, but being sarcastically snarky about it is juvenile and unnecessary.

Have you read this thread? It's entirely necessary.

At least we've moved past people claiming that EPCOT is an educational opportunity.

 

[cattywampus]

Ummm....I hope your kids have a better attitude towards "following school rules".

My child is a well adjusted child who is well liked by his peers and teachers, who is being raised with a healthy respect for others and a good dose of thinking for himself. But thank you for your concern.

 

[Planogirl]

Have you read this thread? It's entirely necessary.

At least we've moved past people claiming that EPCOT is an educational opportunity.

That educational bit never made sense to me. When I went on vacation so did DS. It was always all about fun and a break from routine and learning was just an accidental side effect.

 

[MrInfinity]

So, in order of importance:

1. Not being sweaty
2. Not being Crowded
3. Saving money
4. Not being at home
5. FAMILY!!!!
6. Education

Hehee love this post. Made me laugh. Only cuz it points out the underlying truth. People don't have to pull their kids out of school, people choose to because other things are more important -- a happy, less crowded, cost-effective vacation is more important than a single week of school missed which you know you can make up.

Anyone claiming they're taking them out because "family time" is more important is just making excuses, cuz you can certainly enjoy family time without taking them out of school. Really to say you would miss out on family time as a direct result of not being able to take your kids out of school is downright silly. Otherwise you'd have to conclude that ppl who can't ever afford to go to Disney by default have less enjoyable family time!

Going to Disney IS important... for me, and for those out here... and given the tradeoffs, people are making a conscious choice about things like crowd levels and enjoyment factor. It is basic human nature / greed... kind of like how Disboarders will figure out how to manipulate the FP+ system to get more FP+'s for themselves by splitting ressies or utilizing multiple bands even tho they know it is not as the system is meant to be used and other ppl will get less as a result. That doesn't speak badly per se about anyone... it's more of doing what you have to do to take care of your family and ensure the niceties in life that are important to you and yours, within your own limits for taking more for yourself at the expense of others. It's human nature.

So if you want to pull your kids out of school, nobody cares. Your kids, your school, your choice. It's not right or wrong, it's just your choice. If you would judge someone who does so and say they're wrong to do that because you wouldn't, well that's just on you, not them.

And AP classes do not change things. I was in tons of AP... but I was also able to get all my work done all the time -- I was the kid who would have my homework done before I left for home and still get straight A's. If anything I'd say kids who are average or struggle in school are tougher to take out than the A-student who knows how to work the system.

And also I would not take homework on vacation. It's just not gonna happen... doing work while the rest of the family is at the pool is contrary to the point, your kids should be on vacation too. We actually do most of our vacation homework ahead of time, only cuz you don't want to look forward to coming home to a backlog of work.

Could you imagine if parents didn't pull their kids? Disney World would be completely dead except for summer, Christmas, Spring Break, and weekends!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I did when they were younger. For a week. Last time we took DS out of school he was in 3rd or 4th grade. I won't do it anymore.

Now we like to go for two weeks. We go the end of August. We get great deals that time of year and crowds are LOW. We love it.

DS is going to high school. DD is going to 3rd grade. I won't pull them out of school because DS will not want to. He'd probably refuse the vacation and want to stay home because of all of the work he would have to make up.

Our district has a policy that after 10 unexcused (vacation is unexcused) absenses I have to report to truancy court. I can't have him out for two weeks, or my DD either.

I've thought about Jersey week and having them miss 1-2 days but again, we like to go for about 2 weeks now. So that wouldn't work.

 

[asmit4]

Some districts have started to charge parents the $$ that they lose when their kid doesn't have their butt in the seat.

I welcome this! STOP pretending like my straight A student is suddenly going to fail 5th grade because of a 5 day vacation....and make it what it is REALLY about....the $$$..

Just charge me and be DONE with this 'holier than thou' BS.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Actually, many are suggesting exactly that.

I was referring to the recent replies directly to you.

 

[JimmyV]

Hehee love this post. Made me laugh. Only cuz it points out the underlying truth. People don't have to pull their kids out of school, people choose to because other things are more important -- a happy, less crowded, cost-effective vacation is more important than a single week of school missed which you know you can make up.

Anyone claiming they're taking them out because "family time" is more important is just making excuses, cuz you can certainly enjoy family time without taking them out of school. Really to say you would miss out on family time as a direct result of not being able to take your kids out of school is downright silly. Otherwise you'd have to conclude that ppl who can't ever afford to go to Disney by default have less enjoyable family time!

Going to Disney IS important... for me, and for those out here... and given the tradeoffs, people are making a conscious choice about things like crowd levels and enjoyment factor. It is basic human nature / greed... kind of like how Disboarders will figure out how to manipulate the FP+ system to get more FP+'s for themselves by splitting ressies or utilizing multiple bands even tho they know it is not as the system is meant to be used and other ppl will get less as a result. That doesn't speak badly per se about anyone... it's more of doing what you have to do to take care of your family and ensure the niceties in life that are important to you and yours, within your own limits for taking more for yourself at the expense of others. It's human nature.

So if you want to pull your kids out of school, nobody cares. Your kids, your school, your choice. It's not right or wrong, it's just your choice. If you would judge someone who does so and say they're wrong to do that because you wouldn't, well that's just on you, not them.

And AP classes do not change things. I was in tons of AP... but I was also able to get all my work done all the time -- I was the kid who would have my homework done before I left for home and still get straight A's. If anything I'd say kids who are average or struggle in school are tougher to take out than the A-student who knows how to work the system.

And also I would not take homework on vacation. It's just not gonna happen... doing work while the rest of the family is at the pool is contrary to the point, your kids should be on vacation too. We actually do most of our vacation homework ahead of time, only cuz you don't want to look forward to coming home to a backlog of work.

Could you imagine if parents didn't pull their kids? Disney World would be completely dead except for summer, Christmas, Spring Break, and weekends!

Agree. But I would be careful about the conclusion you draw about AP classes. They are nothing like they were when you and I took them. When your 11 year old gets to be a sophmore or junior, you will see. In fact, watching several hours of bozemanscience on-line lectures and Kahn Academy lectures was required as part of my daughter's Bio class studies. And that was in addition to the text reading. There simply would be no way to do all of that while on vacation, or in advance of vacation. There literally are not enough hours in the day to do a week's worth of reading and lecture viewing in a binge session. It really had to be done one day at a time.

I agree that if a family goes on vacation, it should be a vacation for everyone. And doing 4 or 5 hours of homework at night after coming back from a park is never going to happen. My daughter would have killed me if I tried to take her out of school last year. As much as lower crowds would have seemed to be "good for the family", the overall effect would have been a real hardship on her. Sort of defeats the purpose, no?

 

[Disney Frenhines]

I took DD out every year, so long as her grades remained good I couldn't see a problem, but, every case is individual. It could be an incentive for your child, work hard keep up the grades and we will be able to take you out of school for this trip, otherwise no can do, carrot for the donkey scenario.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Some districts have started to charge parents the $$ that they lose when their kid doesn't have their butt in the seat.

I welcome this! STOP pretending like my straight A student is suddenly going to fail 5th grade because of a 5 day vacation....and make it what it is REALLY about....the $$$..

Just charge me and be DONE with this 'holier than thou' BS.

Exactly

 

[flicx]

I took my son out 4 to 5 days a year for a Disney trip through most of his school years. He graduated with high honors and went on to do the same in college. Those days are in our families memories forever, and quite frankly are irreplaceable. The money we saved in the offseason(sept, oct) was difference maker for us to go or not go to Disney. So if I had it to do over again I would do the exact same thing!!!!!

 

[robinbutterfly]

I have every year since they were in Kindergarten! BUT I realized last year that it wasn't as easy to make up the work, so we are not doing it anymore. Next year we are going in May AFTER they finish school. Nervous about that because we love going in the winter or fall...but we will give the Spring a shot!

 

[asmit4]

I also find it funny that NY state law allows homeschooling....the students have to take a multiple choice test every 2 years and prove they are making progress. What IS making progress???? A 33%....YES....33%

These tests have FOUR answers to each question- even if I did it blind folded I'm likely to get a 25%.

So....home school and you have to get a 33% on one test EVERY OTHER year.

OR......

Go to public and be chastised by the school board for a disney vacation that is 5 days. If it was REALLY about the students- 33% wouldn't be passing.