Calling all teachers! I need advice please

[lowlight]

As a recently retired teacher of 35 years that did on occasion take my kids out of school for travel I must say that this and “my kids my choice” is just arrogantly wrong. First of all when you enroll your child in a school you also enter into an agreement with them to follow the school‘s rules, or face the consequence.These rules are put in place to keep your child safe and to give them the best possible education. Are all of these rules reasonable? Not always , but they are there for a reason. I was fortunate that I worked in a system that wasn’t too strict on missing for travel on occasion as long as it wasn’t abused. If you choose to unenroll them then re- enroll there are no guarantees they will get back in the same class, so they’re basically getting used to a new teacher this late in the year. As far as institutionalized, I really wish someone would’ve told me that years ago, it certainly would have saved me a lot of hard work. I’m a firm believer in everyone has their own opinion, but to that comment I would suggest you spend a couple of weeks in any public classroom then see if you have a better understanding of what teachers And students go through daily. And furthermore it’s attitudes like yours that make it so hard on teachers. Now as for that awful year of Covid , if you weren’t a teacher or school personnel during that time you have no idea how difficult that was. The entire world was turned on its head and we were all just trying to survive and hoped that our students learned something!
To the OP if the past few years has taught me anything it is to each life. Go on your trip. Talk it over with the teachers and admin and most of the time you will find they are willing to work with you.

Of course it's "my child my choice". What's the alternative? "My child your choice"? That doesn't negate the rules, but it supersedes them. I'll do what I want with my child, because I have nothing but their best interest at heart, and when that becomes an issue they can be withdrawn and homeschooled. You can argue whether school existing to institutionalize students is good or not for the sake of society as a whole, but you can't argue that that is the intention- I'm not sure you understand the argument being made, otherwise. This isn't an attack on teachers, it's an attack on the...institution, as it were. The education system has failed students AND teachers.

 

[JLTraveling]

So I love and respect our teachers and know teachers are out there doing the best they can and it’s not easy. I don’t think it’s the teachers that are the problem at all. Or at least not most of them. But @lowlight is right. The education system is institutionalized and broken. It’s meant for kids that can be made to fit in boxes. It’s a pretty rigid system that doesn’t allow for individuals to flourish if they don’t fit in that box. That’s not the teachers fault, and a good many of them try to make it work for the kids outside the box. Ask a neurodivergent kid or adult if they feel like school was set up for them to succeed or if they constantly felt like they were failing because they couldn’t fit into that box. As an ADHD mom with an ADHD kid I can tell you it seems like it’s meant for my kid to fail.

I had a horrible experience in public school (believe me, the insanely expensive prep school was NOT my middle class parents' first choice). I was gifted. Like, taking high school courses at age 7 gifted. And the public school system did its absolute best to metaphorically beat it out of me (the Christian school I attended next tried to literally beat it out of me). I didn't fit in the box, and that put me right up there with the worst of the worst. To this day I'm still working through the trauma.

 

[Lilsia]

Local board makes attendance policy. If a student has too many unexcused absences, truancy charges can be filed.

That is a completely different system and has nothing to do with school policy, it is law. That is meant for kids that miss a lot of days, not ones that take a few days off. The whole point of those laws was for those who either skipped school or the parents that did not think that school was important enough to get their kids there. Our State has a version of that law, like most do, but the child has to miss 20 days before they even turn it over to the State.

 

[kymom99]

That is a completely different system and has nothing to do with school policy, it is law. That is meant for kids that miss a lot of days, not ones that take a few days off. The whole point of those laws was for those who either skipped school or the parents that did not think that school was important enough to get their kids there. Our State has a version of that law, like most do, but the child has to miss 20 days before they even turn it over to the State.

I was answering the question of a previous poster.

It’s not turned over to the state in the circumstances I’m referring to. The district can take parents to court if a student misses too many days without an accepted excuse. Those policies are set by the local school board. Vacations could be the reason. However, in our state we have what are called educational enhancement opportunities that can be used for absences due to vacation.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I could have so much fun with this statement as you did not specific sick of what.

Huh.

Thanks for showing us the importance of attending school.

Bashing education is NOT the topic of this thread.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Huh.

Thanks for showing us the importance of attending school.

Bashing education is NOT the topic of this thread.

Well the child could be:
Physically sick, with symptoms like Nausea or Diarrhea
The child could be in need of a mental health day due to an emotional crisis.
If fact if I understand correctly the school can't ask what the child has or why they are sick, they can only request that a clears them for return to school.

So in my book "sick" is a mental health day or a few days.

So if my child needs a mental health day or a few, vacations are great way to clear mental health crisis....... So vacations as far as the school is concerned as "sick" days

Thanks for playing, and thanks for showing how much smarter than me you are.....