Missing school could cost you money...

[BuckNaked]

That's an excellent point, MaryAnn.

 

[Oreo Cookie]

Yes, and through taxes, you are paying for school every day, whether you use it or not. What this district wants is to charge you again.

If people are dumb enough to pay it, more power to them, but I wouldn't.

I agree. I pay school taxes and I don't have kids. You don't see me running around and asking for my money back since I'm not utilizing that service.

Maybe funding needs to be based upon something other than attendance.

Also, my own personal belief is that school districts should define their attendance policy and then enforce it. If the district decides that vacation is unexcused, then if kids are taken out by their parents, the kids received failing grades on any homework or tests during that time.

If school systems want to excuse vacations, do it and allow the work to be made up.

When I went to school, it was a very rare occasion that kids took vacation during the school year. I know we never did. But I think work schedules were much different back then. I know that there are certain times of the year that are extremely busy for my husband, and we cannot take vacation during those times.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

and I pay school taxes, yet 2 of my kids go to private school.


Fair is fair, if they are going to start charging parents for funding that they miss out on because of vacation absences, then they need to REIMBURSE families that are still paying school property taxes but not utilizing the school at all.

My thoughts on it:

I agree that overall the school funding formulas are inherently unfair as it is. They were implemented to try and get schools to put pressure on chronically absent and truant students to show up. But it turns out that if a student and their family don't care enough about school to show up in the first place, the thought that the school isn't getting money because of their absences really doesn't matter to them either.

So instead, the schools turn toward pestering the people who DO listen to them and they start creating boatloads of rules to control the people who aren't the ones who need to be controlled -- just because they need to look like they're doing something.

 

[momto2girls]

I agree that overall the school funding formulas are inherently unfair as it is. They were implemented to try and get schools to put pressure on chronically absent and truant students to show up. But it turns out that if a student and their family don't care enough about school to show up in the first place, the thought that the school isn't getting money because of their absences really doesn't matter to them either.

So instead, the schools turn toward pestering the people who DO listen to them and they start creating boatloads of rules to control the people who aren't the ones who need to be controlled -- just because they need to look like they're doing something.

Isn't that the truth? Rather than deal with the problem families directly, they put rules in place that just punish the families that care about their children's education.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Isn't that the truth? Rather than deal with the problem families directly, they put rules in place that just punish the families that care about their children's education.

EXACTLY!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes you pay taxes,but the money doesn't filter to the school unless your kid is there. They have tried to get that changed, but this is .....California.

And, how is that MY problem??????????

First they tax me... and every other taxpayer.

Then the funds don't get to the school where my kid is officially enrolled...

And 'I' am supposed to pay again???

That's just warped...

I am sorry, but the State is mandated to provide a free education.
If they want to bar the appropriate money from getting to my child's school, that is THEIR problem, and is technically illegal.

Once my child is enrolled, he or she is entitled to that education.
Period.

 

[monsterkitty]

How much do I get to charge the school for teacher absenteeism?

Here we do get charged for our absences. We get charged for paying the sub $110/day.

If our absence is on a Monday, Friday, or the day before or after a holiday, we get charged 1/180 of our pay plus the $110 for the sub unless we have a doctor's note. For me that would equal about $350 total for missing a day of work. Oh, and multiply that by the days you miss after that Monday or Friday and it can be quite costly.

Here is an example:

I had emergency surgery on the Friday after Thanksgiving a few years ago. I was not allowed to return to work for the entire following week, missing 5 days of school. The administration building lost my doctor's note and I was charged $1,750, which was almost my entire pay check. It took several months before I received that docked pay.

While I don't think schools should charge for student absences, some absences are way out of control. If you miss 15 days of school in our district you will be put on an attendance contract. Violate the contract and the district will take the parents to court.

Study after study shows that to increase student achievement, the child needs to be in the classroom. Children who miss a lot of school are not going to learn as much as a child who is there.

 

[Wishing on a star]

While I don't think schools should charge for student absences, some absences are way out of control. If you miss 15 days of school in our district you will be put on an attendance contract.

WOW!!!

And, we all do have to agree that some absences are way out of control.

I do think that the student should have to be in school for a reasonable number of days to meet the State requirements that parents must meet to show that their child is being educated... I think that 'reasonable' is the key word!

 

[leighe]

Isn't that the truth? Rather than deal with the problem families directly, they put rules in place that just punish the families that care about their children's education.

I understand your frustration but there really is no way to just deal with the problem families directly without schools being accused of unfairness. Hence the strict attendance policies. I teach in a school with almost 2000 kids. There is just no way (from a simple time perspective or a fairness one) to individually determine the appropriateness/inappropriateness of each unexcused absence. I do think that asking parents to pay for days missed is silly. However, maybe it's more to raise awareness of how attendance affects schools than anything else.

I just posted this on a different thread but I think most Dis parents would be surprised at how many completely irresponsible parents there are out there who take very little interest in their child's education, and don't really care if they come to school or not, and/or see school as free babysitting. However, legally I am just as responsible for that child's education as I am for one who has concerned, interested parents who do the right things. That is why so many school policies seem so unnecessary or just plain ludacris to many reasonable people.

 

[freckles and boo]

I just posted this on a different thread but I think most Dis parents would be surprised at how many completely irresponsible parents there are out there who take very little interest in their child's education, and don't really care if they come to school or not, and/or see school as free babysitting.

There is a little girl in my daughter's first grade class who regularly calls to ask if my daughter can play. This child has twice called before three o'clock - the time they are dismissed from school. Apparently there are days she just doesn't feel like going to school so her folks don't want to force her to go. I also have a "homework before playing" rule that her mother has ridiculed on a couple of occasions. Obviously their choices are different than mine, but it seems that it is setting a terrible precedent at a very young age.

 

[Wishing on a star]

That is why so many school policies seem so unnecessary or just plain ludacris to many reasonable people.

I think that we ALL know that there are 'deadbeat parents' out there.
However, I do not think that this should ever be used to justify policies that could be described as unnecessary, ludacris, or unreasonable.

The ends (or intentions) do not always justify the means.

 

[Honu]

Actually the parents in Scott's Valley will be charged taxes, state truancy fines (plus legal fees) and by the school. It's illegal in this state to pull your kids out for unexcused absences, which IMO is a good law. California truancy

 

[Wishing on a star]

There is a little girl in my daughter's first grade class who regularly calls to ask if my daughter can play. This child has twice called before three o'clock - the time they are dismissed from school. Apparently there are days she just doesn't feel like going to school so her folks don't want to force her to go. I also have a "homework before playing" rule that her mother has ridiculed on a couple of occasions. Obviously their choices are different than mine, but it seems that it is setting a terrible precedent at a very young age.

Definately an example of truancy here.
The answer is to have 'reasonable' truancy policies and to enforce them. Not give the school the rights to ask parents for $$$$.

 

[BuckNaked]

Actually the parents in Scott's Valley will be charged taxes, state truancy fines (plus legal fees) and by the school. It's illegal in this state to pull your kids out for unexcused absences, which IMO is a good law. California truancy

I just read this, but I didn't see where it defined "valid excuse".

 

[EthansMom]

I just posted this on a different thread but I think most Dis parents would be surprised at how many completely irresponsible parents there are out there who take very little interest in their child's education, and don't really care if they come to school or not, and/or see school as free babysitting. However, legally I am just as responsible for that child's education as I am for one who has concerned, interested parents who do the right things. That is why so many school policies seem so unnecessary or just plain ludacris to many reasonable people.

It wouldn't completely surprise me. I have someone I know well whose two children are behind in their abilities to perform curriculum at grade-level. Neither the mother or father read to the kids or help with homework. If school is having a late start (due to icy roads) or an early release, the wife doesn't send the kids in to school "because it's only for a few hours, anyway". Those absences are in addition to the legitimate ones for illnesses and in addition to taking the kids out of school for over a week each winter for vacation.

If Mom and Dad spent just half an hour each day helping the kids with homework and reading and encouraged the kids to attend school, both kids would most likely be doing better in their studies. Oh, and these folks aren't anywhere near "poverty" either...

 

[Wishing on a star]

I didn't read the whole link...

But, 30 minutes of missed instructional time three times a year qualifies as truancy....

Miss 90 minutes of school in an entire year and you are subject to prosecution!!!!

NOT reasonable.

My child would not be enrolled in these schools if these unreasonable demands were to become a problem.

 

[yeartolate]

And, how is that MY problem??????????

First they tax me... and every other taxpayer.

Then the funds don't get to the school where my kid is officially enrolled...

And 'I' am supposed to pay again???

Why the anger? It was a request. Not a demand. I can understand if it was a demand. My guess anyway it isn't about getting the money from the moms and dads, it is about reminding the parents that their actions en masse have a huge effect on the school budget. Possibly a reminder that when the music program goes away - that $230,000 could have saved it.

I probably wouldn't pay either, but I do donate to the school on a regular basis for things that would specifically benefit my son. (and others along the way).

Probably wouldn't affect me anyway, at this age, the makeup work would be too much of a pain for my son. So we stopped the mid year trips.

 

[BuckNaked]

I didn't read the whole link...

But, 30 minutes of missed instructional time three times a year qualifies as truancy....

Miss 90 minutes of school in an entire year and you are subject to prosecution!!!!

NOT reasonable.

My child would not be enrolled in these schools if these unreasonable demands were to become a problem.

Mine either, though I would like to see what they define as "valid excuse".

 

[Wishing on a star]

I just read this, but I didn't see where it defined "valid excuse".

I couldn't get past the first few paragraphs...

But, my guess is that a 'valid excuse' would involve death.

 

[Honu]

I just read this, but I didn't see where it defined "valid excuse".

Vacation is not a valid excuse. Extracurricular activities, like sports, music aren't either. Death in family, illness, etc. are the only things I've seen get a pass.