Excuse Letters for School

[heatherfeather24]

If anyone thinks the public school is innocently there to educate children, they really need to look/think again. I was a public school teacher. I deal with public schools frequently.

The public school is less about true education and more about social engineering and parents are letting it happen (boiling the frog, so to speak). No one wants to be labeled an "extremist" or a rabble rouser. Everyone wants Mike and Sue to make the football team/cheer squad/honor choir and knows that if they are labeled it won't happen. More social engineering...you will quietly play by our rules, or you don't get the goodies.

If you choose to play by their rules, again, that's fine, I'm glad you are content with that, but don't jump all over others who are choosing to make a stand. My dad fought for and served this nation to preserve everyone's rights, you BET I'm going to do my part to honor his service.

Wow! This is the first post in this entire thread that actually strikes me as getting awfully personal. I don't think anyone was jumping all over you for your decisions, but you certainly made it your business to tell off those of us who believe strongly in the public school system.

HeatherFeather24

Public school graduate -- preschool, elementary school, jr. high, and high school -- and, no, I don't feel that anyone "socially engineered" me.

Daughter of two life-long public school teachers and sister to one public school teacher.

 

[graygables]

Wow! This is the first post in this entire thread that actually strikes me as getting awfully personal. I don't think anyone was jumping all over you for your decisions, but you certainly made it your business to tell off those of us who believe strongly in the public school system.

HeatherFeather24

Public school graduate -- preschool, elementary school, jr. high, and high school -- and, no, I don't feel that anyone "socially engineered" me.

Daughter of two life-long public school teachers and sister to one public school teacher.

I was responding to being called an "extremist" on this thread, that's pretty jumpy in my book.

Dawn, public school graduate, former public school teacher, daughter of a public school professor.

 

[heatherfeather24]

I was responding to being called an "extremist" on this thread, that's pretty jumpy in my book.

Sorry, missed that part.

I still think, however, that it's an awful big (and prejorative) jump from discussing the various (and often unreasonable) public school policies about family vacations to "social engineering."

I guess we just agree to disagree and move happily on to getting back to Disney -- whether it be during the school year or otherwise.

 

[pearlieq]

Of course public schools are instruments of social engineering--it's one of their charter functions! If schools were only supposed to teach the "3 Rs" we'd have a society of people who were excellent readers and math geniuses but also thought it was acceptable to eat paste and call someone a "butthead". Schools are one part of our system of social control and order.

I also think it's kind of naive to think that the sole function of any school, public or private, is to educate students. Schools are run by people and people often have agendas. They may be perfectly benign, but they exist.

For the original question, "My child will be absent on X date" is the most the school will get out of me! There's no reason to be hostile or difficult about it, but there's also no reason to perpetuate the idea that the school can "appove" or "give permission" for it either.

My mom pulled me out of school at least once a year when she had to go on business trips. She was single and had no other means of child care, and traveling helped her advance in her career so we could have, you know, food and stuff. Somehow I still managed to graduate in the top 0.5% percent of my class and get a full academic scholarship for college. Unless a child is really struggling, one week of the 3rd grade is not going to make or break them.

 

[PaulaSue]

Bumping this for a friend and soon me.

 

[byoung]

Good luck

 

[mommaU4]

Wow this thread is something else. I just had to deal with this issue about 2 weeks ago. We are taking 4 kids out of school for a total of 6 days and I was worried about it. In a way I'm gald I didn't see this thread before because I think it would have freaked me out more!

I have two DD's in Kindergarten, a DD in 3rd grade, and a DS in 5th grade. Taking them out of school wasn't something we decided to do on a whim, we thought long and hard about it. School is important but not as important as family. Not to me. And on this trip my kids will have a chance to spend not only some quality time with us but with their grandparents which not all kids get a chance to do.

Luckily when the teachers conf. came around and it was time for me to bring it up to 3 different teachers, they all said the same thing,"No problem". I asked them what homework they'd be expected to do and they said a journal if they had time! Amazing. I was so relieved.

One last note about vacations... take them when you can even if it does mean taking them out of school. I read another post about Disney trip things you regreted and someone said their main regret was not taking a family vacation sooner before their mom died unexpectedly of cancer. None of us, young or old, are garaunteed a tomorrow so school can wait.

 

[Just_AzUrE100]

I got pulled out of grade 8 last year and all I had to do was sa this

"I will be going away for 2 weeks and was wondering if you had anything you would like me to do?"

 

[PaulaSue]

One last note about vacations... take them when you can even if it does mean taking them out of school. I read another post about Disney trip things you regreted and someone said their main regret was not taking a family vacation sooner before their mom died unexpectedly of cancer. None of us, young or old, are garaunteed a tomorrow so school can wait.

I totaly agree on this. Right now is not a great time finacially for us to go but if we wait what could happen til then? My father is in bad health, Dh's parents are much older than mine.

I understand why school discourage it but I don't agree with it and some other things they say. (ex. no halloween, christmas, valentines parties in school and no snack can come in for the kids b-day, I am talking 1st grade). They seem to be taking all the fun out of school compared to when I was little.

 

[Tigger2252]

I will be taking dd out for 3 days before Thanksgiving (my oldest is in college and they don't care). We try to shoot for Thanksgiving or Christmas as we have a limited time for when we can get vacation. My dh works construction, and summer is when he is busiest and his employer will not approve vacations during the busy season. It has been my experience with my two kids that schools do almost nothing constructive the few days leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are no state tests scheduled, and I have seen an awful lot of "holiday themed" stuff going on (puzzles, word searches, parties, holiday videos, etc.) during that time period. But, because our state will consider her absence "illegal" I will give a false excuse so she isn't penalized. Is it the right thing to do? Probably not. Does it set a good example? No. But, it is 9 days that the four of us get to spend exclusively together, to reconnect and re-energize, without any external pressure from jobs, school, other people, and the day to day garbage we all have to deal with. So, the school will be told she is ill, and when we return, she will be given her make-up work and it will be completed and turned in. And I will be grateful that we could go on a wonderful vacation and enjoy each others' company. Those are the memories my children will remember, not the turkey word searches they missed.