A vent: taking dd out of school for WDW

[MrsPete]

I teach 11th grade Social Studies. I have 75 students that I am responsible for. (Much more than the usual 25 or 30 that elementary teacher have) Over the course of a school year, the number of students who take "extra" time for vacations really adds up. That makes for a ton of extra work that I am asked for. I don't mind, that is until the work is never turned in! That is when I get frustrated.

I also teach high school, and I have the same frustration: I put together detailed packets for students who are going on vacation -- fewer than 10% complete the work, and those few who make an attempt do it in a slipshod fashion.

As for the teacher laughing, well, she's human. The letter is an over-the-top justification of your choices. This letter has been on the 'net for a while. It's quite possible that she'd already read it and was reacting to the fact that it was a doctored-up form letter.

 

[KerriMc]

Sleepyone ... When I posted I too neglected to mention that while the letter would be somewhat amusing, she should not have laughed at it in front of your dd. Please know that MOST of us are professionals and DO remember that children have feelings and that they will not forget the "little" things that teachers say and do. We are not perfect, and we all have our moments, but we all do honestly try. Maybe she needed a good laugh ... maybe she hates WDW ... maybe she was jealous ... maybe she was having an off day ... maybe she isn't professional ... who knows ... but it wasn't something she should have done. If it had been one of my students I would have been SOOOO jealous!! I only wish I could travel in more of an "off" time rather than at the height of it, but that is something I knew when I took my job. I would LOVE to be able to pull my kids out of school (heehee) and take them somewhere so they would know that wonderful feeling of knowing all of their friends are still in school!!! I loved that when I was a kid!!!

Let it go ... enjoy your trip no matter what ... and maybe don't use that letter again I, myself, prefer a parent just speaking to me (so I can express my happiness for them and to let them know that I do not expect a lot of work while gone) or a short note (Hi Mrs. M. We are going on a holiday for this amount of time and so and so will return on such and such a date. Please keep any work for him/her and we will complete upon return). Simple ... and my reply?? Have a great trip!!

So have a great one ... no matter what ... there will be learning going on even when you aren't trying!!!

Kerri

(me) (dh) (dd-4) (20mos)

 

[MrsPete]

I can attest that WDW is an educational trip. My senior year 1999, as part of an AP Environmental Science class we learned tons of applicable educational things.

Change one part of this, and I'll agree: WDW CAN BE an educational trip. I'm sure you'd agree that the great majority of the people who visit do not study the soil, etc.

Most people who try to pass WDW off as an educational trip focus on the countries in EPCOT, budgets, etc. In reality, the kids are spending more time riding the rides, swimming, and standing in line for autographs. Even people who start out with good intentions often see them fall by the wayside because they're tired, they have less time than they'd anticipated . . . suddenly the trip's over and they've completed only a few of the great educational projects that they had planned. I vote for honesty: For the great majority, a WDW trip is about family time. Don't make it into something it's not.

CAN it be educational? Certainly!
Do most people make it educational? No way.

 

[LSUDis]

In junior high and high school, which is all I can tell you about b/c this is all that I have personal experience with, in many states, as someone posted, teachers have absolutely no control over excusing absences or not.

Doctor's notes, illness notes, or death-in-the-family notes are turned in to the office, and the data entry person goes through them and types in the pre-determined codes for the excuses and posts them to the student's report.

This report is directly linked to the state's education department, which is why there are predetermined absence codes. Schools are assigned values based on their average daily attendance numbers, which is then used as part of a formula to label schools as "in decline," which is a label that eventually leads to school closure, or even allows a school to collect extra money from the state if their "numbers" are good. Federal funds are often based on attendance numbers, also.

If an absence is labeled "unexcused," the child gets no grade for any assignment/test that has been missed.

(With the competition for grades and getting into the "right college," could you imagine the uproar if a child got to miss tests and assignments b/c they were at Disneyworld and got the same grade as students who were there? ) Just thinking about that for a minute....

This is just a look from the other side....teachers are not the enemy or the bad guys (usually). You can see some of the pressure that they are under. Oftentimes, they are caught between irate parents and administrations and state departments worried about numbers...when all they want to do is teach those kids.

So, if you are looking for someone at whom to be angry because you don't have full control of your child's time, you are looking in the wrong place. IF you blame the teachers, you are shooting the messenger.

 

[Amom2five]

This kind of stuff is exactly why I HOMESCHOOL and love it -well, most of the time!

 

[disneygoof]

Don't sweat it. Kids can overanalyze what things mean. Maybe she read the letter and was just smiling out loud. Maybe she showed the other teacher to say "look at what a great parent Mrs. Sleepyone is. why can't they all be this involved?" Maybe she wasn't being snarky.

Have a great trip.

 

[juliesue]

I would love for most of you who are teachers to teach my children. I took my DD and DS out of school last year for week in May. I (naively) thought that taking them out 2 weeks before school ended would be a good time and they wouldn't miss too much.

The 1st grade teacher was a dream - no problems, she said just have a great time.

The 4th grade teacher, on the other hand, clearly didn't approve of this. She told me it was a district policy not to give out work ahead of time. To be fair, she did let me know what pages they would be on in some of the books when we returned, so I could pretty much figure it out. But, when we got back, we were absolutely swamped with make-up work. Apparently, they were trying to cram in lots of new information at the last minute. A got a snotty note at the end of the year that said something like, "Your child never did catch up from that vacation" on her report card. It implied that her whole 9 week quarter was messed up because of a one week vacation. I was not very pleased. (Her grades were As and Bs).

My DD has to work very hard to do well in school. This trip was meant to be a special reward for working very hard all year. We had also been gone just before Christmas for a week due to a grandfather dying. At least I didn't get a snotty note about being gone for that. We also didn't get the absolute glut of make-up work either.

Thanks for letting me vent. But, we pretty figured that we are stuck with summer now. The effort needed to catch up after that week, as well as attitudes about it, made it ALMOST not worth it.

 

[sleepyone]

In junior high and high school, which is all I can tell you about b/c this is all that I have personal experience with, in many states, as someone posted, teachers have absolutely no control over excusing absences or not.

Doctor's notes, illness notes, or death-in-the-family notes are turned in to the office, and the data entry person goes through them and types in the pre-determined codes for the excuses and posts them to the student's report.

This report is directly linked to the state's education department, which is why there are predetermined absence codes. Schools are assigned values based on their average daily attendance numbers, which is then used as part of a formula to label schools as "in decline," which is a label that eventually leads to school closure, or even allows a school to collect extra money from the state if their "numbers" are good. Federal funds are often based on attendance numbers, also.

If an absence is labeled "unexcused," the child gets no grade for any assignment/test that has been missed.

(With the competition for grades and getting into the "right college," could you imagine the uproar if a child got to miss tests and assignments b/c they were at Disneyworld and got the same grade as students who were there? ) Just thinking about that for a minute....

This is just a look from the other side....teachers are not the enemy or the bad guys (usually). You can see some of the pressure that they are under. Oftentimes, they are caught between irate parents and administrations and state departments worried about numbers...when all they want to do is teach those kids.

So, if you are looking for someone at whom to be angry because you don't have full control of your child's time, you are looking in the wrong place. IF you blame the teachers, you are shooting the messenger.

Umm...Ok...thanks for all that . My issue isn't with excused/unexcused absence...LOL. It's with teacher laughing. But, um, thanks again. I really could care less if it's not excused. It would be nice if it were excused but it doesn't matter. My dd hasn't missed school this year so, according to her handbook she is okay. The handbook also reads that the teacher MAY give assignments in advance for prearranged absences, but are not required to do so. If dd doesn't get her work in advance that's not a problem. She will be absent 5 days so she will have 5 days after return to school to complete her work.

 

[Trinity721]

Change one part of this, and I'll agree: WDW CAN BE an educational trip. I'm sure you'd agree that the great majority of the people who visit do not study the soil, etc.

OK, sorry. it CAN be educational. But you're right, most people don't go to study anything at WDW. I surely will not be studying anything when i'm there this month! I do like hearing when parents try to make a little effort to teach their children something on vacation.

 

[JenniferW]

I'm a first grade teacher and it is a parent's right to pull kids out whenever they need to, but if I received a letter like that I might have laughed! Do what you need to, but don't feel like you need to justify. Most teachers respect your family time, but to write a long lengthy letter is not necessary.


Jenn

 

[Disneyonmymind]

I respectfully don't agree with many of the reponses on this post.

In our district, I believe a trip can only be excused if it is an "educational" trip. Therefore, a letter such as this one would be perfect and would be required if you have any hopes of getting an excused absence. At WDW, there are specific opportunities for learning, if you choose to accept them. That's the point of the letter, not to hoodwink the teachers. It may be form over substance. It may not. That depends on the parents and the children. Do they take the opportunity to learn something (in a fun way) at World Showcase, AK, etc. or just ride rides all day, everyday?

But, let's face it, everyone knows that you're not taking the family to WDW to educate them. However, learning occurs everywhere, especially if you make the effort. As far as younger children go, I think the "education" obtained from the travel itself and a few days at WDW would be at least equivalent (probably greater) to a few days at school. It's not the same topics (no spelling or multiplication), but it's still educational, in the larger sense of the word. We took DD at age 5 and I know it broadened her horizons. To ensure the trip is actually educational for the children, I believe it would be appropriate for the school to require something age-appropriate, like a journal, etc. for documentation. If nothing else, it would be writing practice. If the kids don't produce the assignment, then the trip should not be an "excused" absence.

Personally, I don't see any difference between a trip to WDW and the "educational" field trips taken by our elementary classes. They spend the day at some local museum, animal park, historical site, etc. They make it fun with a small slightly-academic activity but it's mostly just kids having fun out of the classroom. I know because I've been the chaperone on every trip my child has taken. Believe me, it may be "educational" in the larger sense, but not a lot of traditional "learning" is taking place. But I bet every one of those trips is documented on paper as an "educational" trip or there's no way the District would permit it. Who knows, those same teachers who would laugh at your letter may have written the documentation for such a field trip?

To the OP, I don't think your letter was over-the-top. It said what you had to say to get the trip "excused". It didn't go on and on or claim that the only reason for the trip was to educate the child. The teacher had no way of knowing whether you meant what you said or not. She shouldn't have snickered in front of your daughter, if that's what she did. What do these teachers expect? That you would write "We're going to WDW and my child won't be learning a thing while we're gone. By the way, please grant her an excused absence for educational purposes."

One point that many teachers brought up is well taken, though. Likely, it's not the teachers who grant the excused absence, it's the administration. Therefore, the letter should probably be written to the principal, rather than the teacher. However, if it were me, I would probably copy the teacher, just to keep him/her informed of our plans.

BTW -- We have never taken our DD out of school for WDW, however, I'd do it in a heartbeat. My DD, however, hates to miss school and won't hear of it. She's going to get a perfect attendance award again this year and we are going to WDW in the summer.

Jackie

 

[meandtheguys2]

That letter is one of the most pitiful examples of justification I have ever seen. It is no wonder that a teacher would laugh. Sure there is much to learn in everday life and in traveling, but even as a homeschooler I don't count Disney as "educational."

I believe in parental rights, and family vacations. But unless you are going to DC or Williamsburg, or Gettysburg don't try to write it off as educational.

 

[crisi]

I'm a first grade teacher and it is a parent's right to pull kids out whenever they need to, but if I received a letter like that I might have laughed! Do what you need to, but don't feel like you need to justify. Most teachers respect your family time, but to write a long lengthy letter is not necessary.


Jenn

It isn't a parents right to pull a child out of school whenever they need to in states with mandatory attendence laws. I just went to my daughter's kindergarten orientation to hear her principal say...."You can have seven unexcused absences a year by state law. On the eighth, we do turn your name and your child's name over to social services per district policy."

Our district will excuse vacations at the discretion of the school principal. And you will need to justify. I do it with a phone call first, then with a brief followup letter. I don't say how educational the vacation will be, simply that my husband's vacation schedule and mine don't match the school calendar.

Now in states without mandatory attendence laws....you can do what you want.

 

[welovedis]

OP-You sent the letter that you felt was appropriate, the teacher should not have reacted that way in front of your child. Sorry she had to see that.

I have taken my DS out of school for trips to WDW and other places. I always let the teacher know ahead of time, usually when I am in school for my volunteer time or in person at a conference or open house. I follow up with a letter about 3 weeks before and offer to personally photocopy or come in to do what I can to help get the material ready, if necessary. Most teachers will gladly take me up on the offer and just mark pages they need copied, etc... I take them to the copy room and usually have it done in 15 minutes. In my personal experience they appreciate the fact that I come in and offer to help to get things prepared and I think it helps show them that I am serious about having him keep up with as much as possible while we are away.

I also must be one of the few people who actually plan ahead to have learning experiences each day at WDW. While we are doing our trip planning I have DS read as much as possible about the different attractions and help to figure out what he can learn about. We've done in-depth studies on animals at AK, cultures at Epcot and even animation and design at MGM. No, I don't spend the whole day pointing out enrichment activities, but I want him to be able to take different things away from all of our experiences. If I'm in the minority, then so be it.

I live in NY and we are only allowed a certain number of excused/unexcused days away from school. My son is, thankfully, not usually out of school very often for illness or appointments so we have never had to deal with anyone other than the school principal when taking vacations. If it got to the point where I needed to justify time away from school for trips, then we would be more than prepared to do so or walk away from public school completely.

OP--hope you have a great time on your trip!

 

[sleepyone]

I follow up with a letter about 3 weeks before and offer to personally photocopy or come in to do what I can to help get the material ready, if necessary. Most teachers will gladly take me up on the offer and just mark pages they need copied, etc... I take them to the copy room and usually have it done in 15 minutes. In my personal experience they appreciate the fact that I come in and offer to help to get things prepared and I think it helps show them that I am serious about having him keep up with as much as possible while we are away.

Great tip! Thanks!

 

[luvwdw]

Growing up with a parent who worked for a major airline, we frequently took long weekends and week long family vacations throughout the year. Our teachers/administration never gave my parents a hard time. They looked at our trips as a chance to learn from world. Were some of our trips just for fun? Yes, but my sisters and I still learned alot about the places we went, whether in the USA or overseas. My mom always offered to help get extra work together and I know the teachers appreciated that.
Now, I look at my neice and nephew whose schools frown on family vacations during the school year. One teacher told my sister that missing a week of school would hurt them on their standardized tests that they are required to take. Maybe schools need to focus less on standardized tests and more on real learning opportunities. (and no, it is not the teacher's fault, it is the systems) In the summer, their coaches frown on them missing a week of baseball/softball, and bench them for 2 weeks when they return. And no sooner does the baseball season end, football and volleyball start.
When are we supposed to take family vacations?????

 

[crisi]

Its possible when you went to school funding wasn't as tied to performance and attendance as it is now. Standardized testing is the only way we can "standarize" school performance. (Personally, I think it leads to teaching to the test, but I can't come up with a better way to know if students in rural Montana, urban LA and suburban Connecticutt are faring better or worse than each other).

And your sister needs to decide whether missing school or missing sports is more important.

 

[jeast]

Having taught high school, I found that a lot of teachers begin to believe their own press about school being not only the most important thing, but almost the only thing. Yes, education is important but in my experience, people's overall happiness factor comes from something besides material success.

Make sure your kids know that school is important, but that enjoying your family and life is also important. Missing a week of school isn't going to cause them to fail in life. Keep things in perspective.

Some jobs do not allow a convenient vacation time for school. They just don't.

Thank you, teachers, for the extra work you do when kids go off on vacation during school. I remember what a lot of extra work it made.

 

[luvwdw]

I agree that kids are being taught to pass the test. They need to come up with a better solution. What is it? I don't know either.
As for my sister, trust me, she has her priorities in line. I was just trying to make a point that no matter what children are involved in, like school sports and summer sports, there are those that seem to think the sport is more important that experiencing the world and spending family time.

 

[MommytoMJM]

Just as an aside, I am planning on homeschooling my daughter. We live here in FL 30 minutes from WDW and are there all the time. I plan on creating a lot of homeschool curriculum around WDW.