need advice especially from school employees

[LisaNJ25]

Wow. If a child in your district misses more than ten (?) days of school they have to repeat the grade?! That's crazy.

That's how it is here but only for unexcused absences. Vacations are not excused. I don't understand why any school would even ever excuse vacation days. High School cant miss more than 10 days and elementary is 16 days.

I would not take my high schooler out for a 2 week vacation.. my younger kids I would since they are allowed more.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Okay, first--my experience.

In Sep/October of 5th grade, we moved from PA to SC as my mother transferred duty stations from Willow Grove NAS, PA to Charleston Naval shipyard in SC.

I have no idea if we moved on a weekend or what we did--but typically you get a few days for the move to show up to your new duty station, which she did.

I was promptly enrolled in school as soon as possible and the school was told immediately that we just moved there but would be in New Orleans for 2 weeks b/c my mother had to attend mandatory training for something. (We stayed at the base on the west bank in the Navy Lodge--oh joy. ).

All told, I was out of school for at least 3 weeks between the travel time and time away and maybe even up to 4 weeks. The school provided a packet (interesting that they were able to do this quickly for a student they had no idea would be showing up on their doorstep.)

I transitioned JUST FINE--though my biggest challenge were spelling tests b/c they were spelling/vocab (so you had to know the word she was defining and spell it correctly) and we didn't really do that at my former school.

I passed the grade and was even placed in the gifted program the following year. I have no idea how they handled my absences--but they really couldn't punish me or my mother for something that the Federal govt was requiring her to do, so they didn't.



****Now--an alternative to all this is that you can unenroll your kids before the trip to "homeschool" and then renroll them upon your return.

It is an unorthodox thing to do--but people have done it here in Florida as the law permits that. (Most are trying to legitimately homeschool and either tried public school and it didnt' work out or tried homeschool and it didn't work out--but I have known several who have done very brief attempts.)

You would need to evaluate the homeschool laws for your state and of course be accountable to those laws for the duration of your homeschool.

But that is certainly an alternative to getting around the absence issue.

Perhaps photocopy textbook pages in advance so that your kids can work on the actual school subjects--and it wouldn't cost you much money. Keep that in a portfolio if required and present it if required when you reregister them. (you have to photocopy since they will need to turn in their books of course.)

You can also have them due some essays on what they have seen to cover writing assignments and make sure you do things that are academically related as part of your touring.


I would not miss out on the trip AT ALL--but as a backup to any issues you might have, the above can be a very valid alternative that would make everyone happy. (Well except maybe the kids who will now have to do a bunch fo work independently, but then they won't have homework and the work will take much less time than an average school day.)

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

life's too short...go on the trip.

friend of family's DH died a couple years ago from cancer. They took their kids out of MS and HS to go sit on a beach with him a couple months before he passed. The school district is still running and the kids are no less smart.

I realize not everyone who goes to WDW is losing a parent, but why wait until you are?

I'm a teacher. Please don't ask me for a packet you're not really going to do until the plane ride home anyway when your kid is exhausted. Thanks.

I'd also like to say I'm instituting a 50 cent charge for every thread about taking kids out of school. PM me for my address. I will donate all proceeds to the education foundation in my district. Thanks again.

oh look~there go the sarcasm police (I just can't help it, honestly)

 

[LoraJ]

When I was in 7th grade, I missed two weeks of school due to the mumps. My grades dropped a full letter grade in all of my classes because of this. My mom was able to bring me work from my teachers, but it was tough to do without attending the class and having everything explained. If you must go, you must prepare for the consequences and make sure the kids are okay with it as well.

 

[Darcy03231]

Asking a child to repeat a grade in order to take a trip is a huge consequence for the child. I am not sure a 13 or 14 YO would be happy with that event.

I think the PP's who suggested that you work with the school to determine what the policy is and how your children could make up work are giving good advice. If you are comfortable with the plan and the kids can catch up in a reasonable amount of time then go for it!

We are in similar situation, we have booked a trip in April during my DGD's vacation. We are not comfortable taking her out if school now that she is in 3rd grade. The school board has decided that if the kids lose too much time for snow days the days will be removed from April vacation. DD told us she would deal with it if that happens but DH is not a fan of kids missing school so we will see. Hoping for a mild winter!

Which is why I stated if that were the consequence I would remove my child from the public school system and home school.

 

[rgf207]

Which is why I stated if that were the consequence I would remove my child from the public school system and home school.

I don't know. That's a bit of a drastic solution so you can take a vacation don't you think

 

[Nancyg56]

Which is why I stated if that were the consequence I would remove my child from the public school system and home school.

I am not trying to be disrespectful but I guess I don't understand that reaction. I would home school a child if I felt that I could do a better job of teaching or if the public school system curriculum was not helping my children learn. I would not consider pulling a child from school, especially the ages of the two here, in order to take a two week vacation.

I am in awe of parents who home school their children, there is no way that I could have provided the level of education to my own children that they are providing to theirs. I cannot pretend to know all of the considerations that contribute to the decision to home school but I would wonder if that decision is made in order to take a vacation.

I know that you are responding to the attendance policy in place but frankly, that is only one factor that should be considered when removing a child that age from so many classes.

 

[punkin]

So how do you pull a child out and homeschool and then put him back in the school after your two weeks vacation? Is this even possible? I mean the people running the school are not complete idiots. They have to be aware of what you are doing, right? What are the consequences? How many people do this?

Many years ago I pulled my DD from a private school and put her in a different school with a 2 week break in between so we took a vacation. However the pull out had nothing to do with the vacation, it was a coincidence.

 

[rgf207]

So how do you pull a child out and homeschool and then put him back in the school after your two weeks vacation? Is this even possible? I mean the people running the school are not complete idiots. They have to be aware of what you are doing, right? What are the consequences? How many people do this?

Many years ago I pulled my DD from a private school and put her in a different school with a 2 week break in between so we took a vacation. However the pull out had nothing to do with the vacation, it was a coincidence.

People have done this before and the school had caught on. Sometimes to prevent this, they will send the kids that do this to the "alternative" schools for the remainder of the semester. You know, the schools where all the bad kids go. This will deter parents from doing this.

Also depending on when during the semester this is done, the student may receive an incomplete grade for the classes since they joined too far in the semester. They would have to retake those classes.

I don't know what state the OP is from but it seems like it's not as easy as walking into a school and simply withdrawing your child. There seems to be a lengthly process involved especially if the school feels that you will not actually be providing homeschooling which in this case, the OP would not.

 

[Darcy03231]

I am not trying to be disrespectful but I guess I don't understand that reaction. I would home school a child if I felt that I could do a better job of teaching or if the public school system curriculum was not helping my children learn. I would not consider pulling a child from school, especially the ages of the two here, in order to take a two week vacation.

I am in awe of parents who home school their children, there is no way that I could have provided the level of education to my own children that they are providing to theirs. I cannot pretend to know all of the considerations that contribute to the decision to home school but I would wonder if that decision is made in order to take a vacation.

I know that you are responding to the attendance policy in place but frankly, that is only one factor that should be considered when removing a child that age from so many classes.

If the school system were so rigid that they would fail a child, who is making passing grades, for missing ten days of school for a once in a lifetime trip (the OP stated she normally doesn't pull her children out of school), then I really wouldn't want my child in that kind of a system. I don't believe in a "one size fits all" type of mentality. I realize that many people out there can't/won't/aren't qualified to home school. I can, will and am able to if the need arises. When DD #1 was sick for an extended period of time although she was enrolled in public school we were pretty much home schooling her.

I think school systems need to work with parents and make the best decisions for the children on an individual basis. I also don't think that its the teacher's responsibility to get a child up to speed if they miss ten days of school, no matter what the reason. Its the parents' job. I don't expect the teacher to prepare work ahead of time or to spend any time after school, other than their normally scheduled time. If I need to hire to tutor I would do it (and have, although the absence was due to illness not vacation).

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So how do you pull a child out and homeschool and then put him back in the school after your two weeks vacation? Is this even possible? I mean the people running the school are not complete idiots. They have to be aware of what you are doing, right? What are the consequences? How many people do this?

Many years ago I pulled my DD from a private school and put her in a different school with a 2 week break in between so we took a vacation. However the pull out had nothing to do with the vacation, it was a coincidence.

Well, I don't have to state "why" I am homeschooling here. I just tell them that I am. (Actually I tell the county, my zoned school has no rights to my child is not legally entitled to know my intentions.)


But the whole homeschooling thing is only as ludicrous as states funding schools based on student presence as opposed to student enrollment. It isn't like the textbook suppliers or the power company are offering discounts based on how many are in the building each day.

While I am sure the school "cares" about the education of my child, the fact that there is a monetary incentive pretty much waters that concern down to a budget issue regardless of what they say.

Students are entitled to an education--the school isn't entitled to ownership of the child.

 

[DizBelle]

I forgot to mention that I want to tell the school soon so they can get a packet of work ready for the kids to bring with us. I know they will have to stay after often for a couple of weeks when we get back to catch up. we are also doing our best to not miss ANY school before or after that. missiing 10 days will not make them "fail". It is a vacation but we do plan on doing educational activities -not just laying on a beach. My kids haven't missed school for a vacation since they were in 1st grade. I am nervous about the school's reaction but I am not going to let my family miss out on the opportunity. I was just looking for advice on the best way to word our plans

Whatever educational things you plan on doing on your two week vacation is not necessarly interchangeable with what they miss during that two weeks of school.

In school, the situation could be that lesson C builds upon lesson B which builds upon lesson A. If your child misses lesson B, they will struggle with lesson C.

 

[DizBelle]

Wow if anyone had of told me that I couldn't have taken my kids out for a vacation that really ends up being more educational than being in school I would have told them to go blow. But I never had that problem. I have taken my dgrdd's away, and my dd has taken the same kids away. They have remembered what they did on those vacations and the family time was invaluable. However, the work that was done??? Not remembered. Your school system is really wonked.
tigercat

If the school work and classroom time are so useless, why are you sending them in the first place?

I would suggest that a school or education system where you "won't miss" a week or two's worth of classroom time to be "really wonked".

 

[DizBelle]

If the school system were so rigid that they would fail a child, who is making passing grades, for missing ten days of school for a once in a lifetime trip (the OP stated she normally doesn't pull her children out of school), then I really wouldn't want my child in that kind of a system. I don't believe in a "one size fits all" type of mentality. I realize that many people out there can't/won't/aren't qualified to home school. I can, will and am able to if the need arises. When DD #1 was sick for an extended period of time although she was enrolled in public school we were pretty much home schooling her.

I think school systems need to work with parents and make the best decisions for the children on an individual basis. I also don't think that its the teacher's responsibility to get a child up to speed if they miss ten days of school, no matter what the reason. Its the parents' job. I don't expect the teacher to prepare work ahead of time or to spend any time after school, other than their normally scheduled time. If I need to hire to tutor I would do it (and have, although the absence was due to illness not vacation).

Shouldn't the public school system be "one size fits most" to make the best use of the funds that they do have? If every child should get an indivudual education from the public school system, we all can expect to be paying about 20 times more in property taxes to pay for it. How much do you think it would cost to provide a teacher/aid/tutor for every student? It wouldn't be cheap, that's for sure.

If I end up having to pay that much in taxes, I won't be living where I am because I couldn't afford the taxes AND the mortgage and other living expenses (like food). Then the schools will be losing out on 100% of any revenue from me and I think it unlikely that there are many that could afford that level of taxes so it would be unlikely someone else would take my place as that taxpayer and the funds overall would plummet. Then where would public education be? No child would get a decent education.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

First, I am neither for or against taking children out of school for vacation. I have a senior and a freshman, took them out once for vacation last year and in MY case it bit me in the butt big time. Karma got me...

But I can't believe the advice you are getting to take your kids out and declare homeschooling. In NYS where I am here is the first step that you would be required to do....

2. Investigate Your State's Requirements
Homeschooling rules and regulations vary widely from state to state. In New York, for example, parents must file an annual declaration of intent with the local superintendent by July 1 or 14 days before starting to homeschool, as well as an individualized home instruction plan. New York parents must also maintain attendance records, submit quarterly reports, and conduct standardized tests. In Texas, on the other hand, there are no forms to file, no records to keep, and no mandated tests. You can find detailed information on your state's laws at You Can Home School or the National Home Education Network.

I would have had to file a whole year of intent of classes, etc... For a vacation.

And just to give you an idea of how my kids did when I took them out. DD was a junior in HS and DS was in 8th. grade. We took them out for 6 days. The teachers for DD would not give her the work ahead of time, but they are computerized and she would get her work that way. She walked around Epcot with Gone with the Wind reading each day to keep up. She is a straight A student and cursed me for the long hours it took her to catch up. Yes she enjoyed the vacation, but said she would NEVER do it again. DS's teachers gave him the work ahead of time, he did most before the vacation and some after. He also has a high average and struggled to keep up after he got back. He missed a lot of social activities while we were gone including try-outs for a sports team. No matter how you look at it, I did not take into consideration what the kids thought. Now don't get me wrong, they had a great vacation, but the consequences were way too high for them in the long run.

Just some food for thought. Good luck in your decision.

 

[DizBelle]

You all can lament about the money and the schools losing funds for absent kids but the money to pay for the education (teachers/school buildings/supplies/meaintenance) HAS to come from somewhere. If not based on attendance, what should it be based on? Why should a school get money for a student that isn't there?

If everyone were "better citizens" and realized how our behavior affected others (if I keep my child out of school, it will affect the funding the school gets, which will affect my neighbor's child - i.e. it isn't just all about you), we would all be in a better situation.

 

[Darcy03231]

Shouldn't the public school system be "one size fits most" to make the best use of the funds that they do have? If every child should get an indivudual education from the public school system, we all can expect to be paying about 20 times more in property taxes to pay for it. How much do you think it would cost to provide a teacher/aid/tutor for every student? It wouldn't be cheap, that's for sure.

If I end up having to pay that much in taxes, I won't be living where I am because I couldn't afford the taxes AND the mortgage and other living expenses (like food). Then the schools will be losing out on 100% of any revenue from me and I think it unlikely that there are many that could afford that level of taxes so it would be unlikely someone else would take my place as that taxpayer and the funds overall would plummet. Then where would public education be? No child would get a decent education.

I can agree with that. I just don't think it should be "one size fits all". For something like what the OP described (she doesn't take her kids out of school for vacations and its a now or never trip) I feel it should be looked at on an individual basis. I also feel that its up to the OP to have a plan in place to get her children caught up on their work that doesn't involve more work for the teacher.

I will say that I happen to live in an area that has strict attendance policies. As a general rule I don't take my children out of school for vacations. First, because we can travel during school vacation weeks or during the summer, and secondly because I know how hard it would be for the work to be made up (DD #1 missed almost four weeks of high school due to illness and we're on block scheduling). However, if a fantastic opportunity arose for us to take a two week trip that was a now or never experience and it couldn't be done during school vacations or summers (for whatever reason), I would do it.

 

[Erin1700]

Didn't get a chance to read this whole thread..but is it an option to go for one week??

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

But I can't believe the advice you are getting to take your kids out and declare homeschooling. In NYS where I am here is the first step that you would be required to do....

I can't speak for others--but the first part of my suggestion was to investigater her state laws and make arrangements to be compliant.

Homeschooling for any length of time is useless if you are non-compliant.

 

[DLANGE3386]

our school policy is that if you miss 27 days of a class you would not pass the class. so we would not even come close. Our teachers have to stay after every day for an extra block of time to help out kids who need help, so I am not asking them to take time away from their families. I would rather not bring a packet of work with us but am willing to do it if the teacher wants to send one. I know we will work hard to catch up but we can do it. I will not unenroll them to homeschool them -unfortunately I have to work. So I will take them out and we will work hard to make up any missed work. Thanks to the poster for the suggestion of having a friend get extra handouts and eamiling them-wonderful idea! my husband and I are both college graduates and feel we can help them with the subject matter they would be missing and let them have an experience they may otherwise never get. Thanks lovetoscrap for your sample note. I think it's perfect.