Parents who take their kids out of school to go to WDW..

[LynnTH]

We were planning on going over my kids spring break (end of March) until I saw how many other people were off that same time and decided I really did not want to go when it was that busy. So, we are taking my kids (pre-K and 1st grader) out of school for 6 days. They both go to a private school. My son told his teacher he was going to Disney and she told him that she would get him is assignments early so that he would have time to do them at home before he left so that he did not have to worry about doing homework while on the trip. I thought that was very nice and will be very glad not to have to bring homework along. I don't feel bad at all about taking the kids out of school - but that may change as they get older and classes get harder to miss.

 

[diznyfanatic]

Some school districts in our area are experimenting with a "year round" school calendar. That's really not as ominous as it sounds. It basically means kids would go to school for 9 weeks and then are off three weeks, go back for 9 weeks and then have three weeks off... all year long. They would still get their winter, spring and summer breaks too but shortened a bit.

If my kids were still in school, I'd be an advocate for this. School systems haven't done a very good job of keeping up with the changing social and economic changes that many families experience such as both parents having to work, single parent households, etc.

The schools here are all getting out later and later and going back earlier and earlier anyway, so the traditional 3 month summer vacation that I was used to getting when I was a kid is now not much more than two months anyway.

Family time is much too limited as it is these days, particularly when both parents have to work and try to juggle their few allotted vacation days.

Many companies put a cap on how many people can be on vacation during certain times such as the holidays. Many people have jobs or own businesses, like landscaping, painting etc where their busiest seasons are when people are on vacation and so are unable to take time off at all during "normal" months.

Many people simply CAN'T take their vacations when every one else thinks they should. Are they just supposed to never vacation with their children?

 

[agnes!]

A lot of the attendance issues these days is because in the US, Federal funding is directly tied to the # of students actually in their seats daily. *That* IMO is why there are all these various measures in place, to insure that the individual school systems keeps their full allotment of funding.

agnes!

 

[SnowWhite33]

Many people simply CAN'T take their vacations when every one else thinks they should. Are they just supposed to never vacation with their children?

I completely agree with this. We own a construction business and have to "make hay while the sun shines," so to speak, and that is concentrated through the summer months. We tried going in July on our 1st trip and you wouldn't believe the mess we came back to. Since then we have went Oct/Nov and pulled ds from school. He will be in 6th grade this fall and we are planning on doing it again. Ultimately, he is OUR son, not the school's and we make sure that we keep his absence within the handbook rules. BTW, our son is an honor roll student and does not miss unless he is very ill (recently, he had strep throat). As for the teachers, we've had it split-some of them have been great and other's not so great. Take your kids to Disney, they will be more than ok.

 

[Amirah95]

I also took my DD out of school for a week to attend my great-grandmother's funeral this past September.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I say take her out as well. As long as she is doing well in school..I think that a family vacation is VERY VERY important.

 

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

As a teacher and parent, I say go for it. We took our DS, 2nd grade, out in Nov. for 3 days and I also missed work for 3 days. I want my child to value their education but I also want them to value family. Remember, a few years from now it will not matter that they missed a few days of school but the memories of a family vacation will last a lifetime!!

 

[the Fidge]

I have to vacation with my family when my husbands company permits, which the Summer is their busiest time so we try to get as close to it as they permit!

With that being said, after taking those standardized tests who wouldn't need a vacation, bless thier little hearts!

I informed the school well in advance for them to compile a packet he would bring along. It was fun to take his picture doing his homework on the beach all the kids loved it and the teacher too!

For me vacations are the opportunties I am blessed to get to truly enjoy my family and see my son actually get to bend Dad's ear and hear them giggle! It is equally important I teach my family how to play as well as work!

Enojy your vacation and you will all be the better for it!!

 

[mum4jenn]

Do the schools up north EVER get time off other than summer??? Maybe if you don't you need to get a petition up with the school board for them to change the school calendar. Our school calendar is great!! For example... We begin school the first week of August.

We are off for Labor Day so that is a 3 day weekend.
We get three days off in October and with the weekend that is 5 days
We get 3 days off at Thanksgiving for a total of 5
We get a little over two weeks off at Christmas
A three day weekend for MLK
Two days off in February for a total of 4 days
A week at Spring Break(this year it is last week of March)
Two days off at Easter for a total of 4
We end the year the third week of May.

Is it because of all the snow days and such that you guys don't get time off like this??

I do understand the not being able to take certain times off though. Back in my early years of being in retail there were lots of times we were not allowed to take a vacation. And when I managed a restaurant there were other busy times we were not allowed to go either. Even when I worked at Publix they had certain times we could not go but that was when we did not have a child or she was not old enought o be in school so we took our vacations at off times and allowed the parents of school aged kids to take the prime times. Things are easier for us now since I work for the school system and have almost all the same days off as dd. My dh has to schedule his time off a year in advance so he looks at the school calendar and puts in for the time we have off. He has changed departments and it is a little harder for him to get the time off since a couple of other guys have kids in our school system but they usually work it out and take turns for the Spring break and such. Also I guess it helps that we are only 5 hours away so it is much easier to take a weekend trip.
If our dd was not trying so hard to get perfect attendance and if she was not in the gifted program we would probably miss a couple of days but since the schools do not allow make-ups for unexcused then we just go with the flow!!

 

[Amirah95]

My DDs school closes for Jewish holidays and for thosse horrid teacher conferences. Everytime I turn around there is no school for something. I'm up north and yes, the kids get time off (I'm speaking for Jersey).

 

[Mandy_in_NC]

We took our kids to WDW in Jan and they ended up missing 4 days of school and of course they were unexcused and after their 3rd day of missed school they sent out the nasty letter that our kids had 3 unexcused abscences. THere was a bunch of legal jargon in it but it basically said state law requires us to send this letter to you after the 3rd unexcused abscence and state law says that after 10 unexcused abscences they can and will turn you into the police and to the Dept of Social Services. WE knew that they were going to be unexcused but we are ok with that. My oldest dd is in the 2nd grade and my youngest dd is in the 1st grade so all they missed was some reviewing of the work that they had done up untill Christmas. The work was sent home to be done when we got back and we are working on it and will have it done and sent back this week. So I say as a parent who has taken their kids out of school to go to WDW DO IT! THe memories are priceless. And I will probably take them out again in a few years to go to WDW and I will not feel bad about it!

 

[1of6]

We live in Michigan and I have to say that the kids do get plenty of time off during the year. That said, it doesn't mean those days are the best for my family. For us it is more about the money that we can save going during value season. We simply can not afford to go during spring break.

We are raising 4 kids on 1 income and have never taken a family vacation that didn't involve a wedding or visiting relatives. And by visiting relatives I mean going to my in-law's house. We need a break.

I think the teachers have a very tough job. I was one, I know. But I also realize that my straight A 4th grader will be fine missing his 1st 5 days of school next month. My second grader will need more help to catch up but that is what I'll do...help her. My 4 year old will miss things that we can't make up but what he will gain from this trip will be worth it in my eyes.

I think that we as parents need to be responsible for our child's education. If our child is struggling, then missing school might not be in his/ her best interest. The bottom line is that it is a parent's decision.

For me, playing catch-up will be so worth it.

 

[Dina]

My DDs school closes for Jewish holidays and for thosse horrid teacher conferences. Everytime I turn around there is no school for something. I'm up north and yes, the kids get time off (I'm speaking for Jersey).

Unfortunately, Jersey isn't typical for most of the northeast. You guys get a whole week off for teachers conferences (Jersey Week)-- you're so lucky. Our school district in PA gets very very few days off, and the only instances where we have more than one consecutive day off is Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter-- and those weeks are just as busy as summer (and a little too expensive for us-- airfare is too expensive around Thanksgiving, and Christmas and Easter is Holiday season in WDW which I cant' really afford). Our school district doesn't have one day off for conferences-- they have the conferences during the second half of testing days (kids get out early)-- which the kids can't miss.

 

[thelionqueen]

Another vote, do it~

 

[Leah and Emily's mom]

My daughter is in 2nd grade. I hesitated to tell her teacher, but I told her that we were taking our DD for a Suprise Christmas vacation... She has taught for 30 years and said every child needs to go to Disney World. The teacher was very happy for us and everytime I went to school she would ask is it still a suprise. When my DD returned to school the teachers said they wanted to call us on vacation to see how excited our DD was when she found out she was going to Disney. I think regardless your teachers age- just tell her what your plans.

 

[RobInBigKC]

We take our DS's out of school but we do try to piggyback onto a school vacation of some sort. In January 2003, we piggybacked onto MLK Jr.'s birthday and took the kids out for 3 or 4 days. In 26 days (but who's counting), we're piggybacking onto President's Day and a teacher's in-service day and taking the kids out for 2.5 days.

Our youngest in school is in 2nd grade and our oldest is in 7th grade. I'm not sure what we'll do when the kids get into 9th grade (and above) and grades really start to count (i.e., come into play for college placement, scholarship awards, job hiring, etc.).

-- Rob

 

[cyndibelle]

so here is what my daughters teacher did...i sent notes to school in sealed envelopes for the teachers....and so teacher opens it and proceeds to ask chloe where she is going ??? uhhhh hello..she doesnt know..then the teacher says..oh never mind i got confused..so i had to explain all that to chloe that she must have gotten her mixed up with someone else. ...soooo..yesterday the note comes home in chloes bookbag how valuable school time is and missed time ..blah blah blah..but the point is..it came home in her backpack with all her other papers...she handed it to me and said...mommy i am not sure what this is...thank god she didnt really take the time to read it..so once again..she is sitting there asking me what is it...and so i have to explain it is nothing and that it is just a note from the school ...soooo the secret is still in the bag...and hopefully we will have no more mess ups from the teachers!!!

 

[myladyisatramp]

Your children are only young for so long, enjoy it. I took my kids out of school for DW vacations and other vacations every year. Their teachers would give them a little work, just to do on plane to keep them busy, and the lessons they will learn by being with you and traveling will be as rewarding as their school work Go......

 

[emma'smom]

I would definitely take my child out. If a teacher makes a comment, remind him/her how many learning standards can be met in just one trip to Disney! My only thought would be to avoid going right before any standardized testing since the teachers may be specifically focusing on preparing for the tests right before they occur. Go right after to celebrate the fact that they are over!

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

We're doing it and I will be telling the school exactly what we are doing. I think its way over the top for a school or a state to be able to dictate what I do with my kids. My DH works for a doctor....we dont get many chances for vacation. This year the boss is taking off in September so thats when we get to take off.