School Attendance Policy Rant

[Briar Rose 7457]

being single mother I understand that completely.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

educational neglect petitions are often filed against parents who are still married to each other. child welfare authorities don't look to see if you are married before the begin court proceedings.

no one wants to be in court on such a petition.

a divroced single parent has an additional fear -- that the other parent will try to "step in" and seek a change of custody. but a widow should also be concerned. you don't want to have to spend $$$ to defend yourself.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I personally resent the fact that in our school district I have to take my child to the doctor if he/she misses 3 days of school due to illness. They don't want them to come to school sick, but it is unexcused if I don't make an unnecessary trip to the doctor for a virus or flu. It amounts to paying for the slip of paper from the doctor, because antibiotic isn't needed. I know lots of people who are uninsured or just don't have the money to pay for a doctor's visit. Maybe some people abuse the system, but why should the rest of us be punished?

Good luck to you. I'd fight it. If your child is making a good grade, he shouldn't fail due to absences. Just my honest opinion.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Seems to me that if a child can miss school and still get good grades, they should get bonus points. Why take away good grades that they've earned? So does a child who earns A averages, but "flunks" due to absences, need to repeat the year??? Or just drop out? Oh, that makes sense to me.

I was just complaining to my DD's Math tutor last night (last year's Math teacher) about "missing school" issues. I've seen some teachers (not ALL) miss school left and right for who knows what (most subs tell the kids to "keep busy" or "read") and kids miss days for some pretty useless, IMHO, field trips; yet *I* am held to a stricter standard of attendance for my children than the schools/teachers are for themselves.

(Why DD needs a Math tutor...DD, who is in 9th grade, received the Math award at graduation from elementary school (5th grade) and "achieved the standard with honors" in all 3 Math categories last year (even tho she missed about 20 days of school due to a serious illness), but needs a tutor because, according to her teacher "you're in honors now...you shouldn't need extra help". So now I'm paying someone to teach my DD what she's not learning in school. Does this make sense? Only children in a lower level Math class should need help?? I could see if DD were in the lower level Math class that she shouldn't need extra help, but she's in a more intense Math class! (I haven't heard anything good about this Math teacher.))

We're taking our kids out of school for 5 days to go to WDW, as we have done on 4 previous occasions. They've all done fine in the past, but now that DD is in HS, I'm not sure how that school will react. (We plan to bring the laptop and textbooks and have people email homework assignments.) It seems to me that some of these policies wreak of the ridiculous "zero tolerance" rules. My kids are excellent students (partly because we/they make sure they're on track all the time because we go away)...excellent grades, nice, respectful, always prepared, always do their homework, and rarely miss school besides our 5 day trip. Let the schools and the teachers focus their attention for missed days on the kids with ISSUES.

Vent over...thank you.

 

[aprincessmom]

I personally resent the fact that in our school district I have to take my child to the doctor if he/she misses 3 days of school due to illness.

If your child is out 3 consecutive days with an illness, the school has a responsibility to ensure that the child is not contagious upon return. Hence a doctor's note is the norm pretty much anywhere.

I don't understand the big deal with providing a note. Most workplaces require it of their employees. Why is it such a problem to provide it when children are involved.

 

[Mermaid02]

Not all illnesses are contagious-my son has asthma and sometimes when he has a flare up I have to give him treatments every 2 hours, yet he does not need to go to the doctor.... the school board/systems seem to think THEY know better what is best for our children than we as parents do. I'm lucky because our school system here is actually very reasonable.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by TimeforMe
You would not believe the number of students who get an early dismissal for routine dental/medical appts, sports, auditions, etc., etc. that can and should be arranged after school hours. It's really quite sad the example these parents are setting by letting their kids think that school is not the priority.

Amazing how posts disappear! I posted this a day or two ago. Let's try again...

Exactly! Where we live the moms take the girls out early to take them shopping. School days are for a certain number of hours and need to be adhered to. Once these kids grow up and work, can you imagine them cutting out early? Not sticking out the day sets up a bad example. Even DS has asked me if I can pick him up for "early dismissal" one day.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I have mixed feelings on the note requirement. On one hand, the school needs to protect its funding, which is partially attendance based. Also, some parents need a policy to ensure that they send their kids to school. Sad to say, not everyone places an importance on education.

On the other hand, a parent knows when medical attention is necessary. Every parent here has had a child with a fever with no other symptoms. You *know* that it's just a virus that has to run its course, and you also know that you aren't supposed to send a feverish child to school. Why waste the money on a trip to the doctor only to be told what you already know? Shouldn't the parent have the primary responsibility here, not the doctor's office nor the school system?

 

[Mermaid02]

Addicted to WDW.... you are so right about a parent knowing when a child is sick...... Last Winter I saved my sons life because I followed my gut.... I thought he had appendicitis.... the ER said, "no fever" the surgeon said, "no elevated white blood count- too playful. Go home and give him an enema" my pediatrician said (after 3 days) "I trust your instincts" and ordered a CT scan... by then my sons appendix had ruptured. One more day and my 4 year old would probably have been dead.

Parents know- and it's up to PARENTS to decide. If the school thinks someone is abusing their absence policy- take it up with that family.... don't paint everyone with the same brush.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Miss Jasmine
A missed day is a missed day and if you have 9 in one semester (4 in block classes) then you fail due to attendance. In December (for this semester) you get the chance to appear before the appeals board and make your case and show your doctor's note. Still the board could deny your appeal.

I would think that if there were a doctor's note explaining absences due to a serious illness, they would make an exception. However, nine separate days on nine separate occasions seems excessive. Wait until college. We're allowed three days per semester. Over that, you can be dropped.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Miss Jasmine
Straycat is a single mom because her husband passed away. I don't think she has to worry about educational neglect. Oh please.

"Oh please."?? What does that mean? Single moms don't have to worry? Hardly! And this comment is from another single mom due to being widowed.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by TimeforMe
You would not believe the number of students who get an early dismissal for routine dental/medical appts, sports, auditions, etc., etc. that can and should be arranged after school hours

I've thought the same thing about teachers.

But what appears to be routine to you, may not be. I took my DD to the orthodontist during school hours because her wire came off; otherwise she'd have to wait 3 weeks for an after school appt. To get an appt for after school for our Pediatric dentist for a cleaning 6 months away is like trying to get breakfast at Cindy's...I need to call on Friday at 9 AM 6 months ahead, when they "open" another week of appts. I've put off and put off appts because of that.

When my DD was very sick, we were going to a Pediatric specialist every 2 - 3 weeks...EVERYONE is trying to get those after school appts...the women at the appt desk would laugh (and apologize) when I made my request. When we made an appt August 8 for "3 months later", I got Nov 20 at 11:30 (it's an hour and a half away, so she'll miss most of the day of school)...I asked if she had anything later in the day...she said she didn't have anything else in November.

Sometimes, doctors and dentist schedule certain procedures for certain times of the day.

If the school nurse calls and says my child is sick, I'll go and get him/her, even if it's the end of the day...who wants a long ride on the bus when feeling ill? And who decides that if the child is "fine" in the morning, they're fine for the day?

My kids have told me about kids getting out early to have their hair/nails done for a big event (Father/Daughter, Graduation Dance, etc)...my kids know full well that things like that are on the "over mom's dead body" list.

As far as teaching kids that school is a priority, I teach them that to the fullest extent 175 days out of the school year...the other 5, our family and our vacation are priorities.

 

[aprincessmom]

On the other hand, a parent knows when medical attention is necessary. Every parent here has had a child with a fever with no other symptoms. You *know* that it's just a virus that has to run its course, and you also know that you aren't supposed to send a feverish child to school. Why waste the money on a trip to the doctor only to be told what you already know? Shouldn't the parent have the primary responsibility here, not the doctor's office nor the school system?

You may know that it's just a fever with no other symptoms. You may even be diligent about not sending your child when he/she is sick. DD goes to an elementary school of K-2 with over 1000 children in attendance. I'll wager there's at least one or two parents in that school may not be a vigilant or responsible as you are when their child is sick.

The school has a responsibility to ALL CHILDREN who attend the school to make sure children returning from being sick for 3 or more days continuously are free from symptoms and contagion. It's a public health issue. Period.

I don't know you. I don't know most of the parents in my child's class. I would bet most of us here don't really know all the other parents in your childrens' classes. If your child is in my child's class and he/she is out for 3 consecutive days, I'm in no position to know whether or not to believe your opinion that your child is better from whatever he/she had. I don't know you and, quite honestly, I don't care if you THINK your child is not contagious because you "know". Get a note from your doctor.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

I guess my problem here is that if these are legitimate absences because a child is ill -- and the child doesn't have unexcused absences for "vacations" or ohter such activities -- then the parnet should have addressed this with the school administrator before it became a problem.

 

[TimeforMe]

By the way, I am not a teacher, but I do the student's daily attendance and work in the data center. I know at our school, very rarely do teachers leave work for "routine" medical appts.

I was not speaking of cases where it's somewhat of an emergency (I've done that with my kids, too), I'm talking about parents who take their kids out of school ROUTINELY for appts., one whose son was on a travel hockey team and left school 2-3 hours early several times a week during hockey season, another one whose daughter is trying to break into show business and brings her into NYC several times a week, etc. Where my kids go to school, having braces taken off is a totally acceptable reason to miss school, a cleaning is not. I scheduled my kids' cleaning in the summer and like a dummy missed the appt. so had to reschedule it. I made it for this Mon. (Columbus Day) when we had off---the soonest appt. I could get. Once, the receptionist at our dentist (who no longer works there) tried to give me a midday, school day appt. because it was more "convenient" for the dentist.

This isn't a debate here. I see these kids every day. I work in a very affluent community and this is some of these families' modus operandi. Some kids have legitimate excuses--many do not. IMO, playing travel hockey does not take precedence over my kids' education.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

cheers for time for me.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Originally posted by aprincessmom

I don't know you. I don't know most of the parents in my child's class. I would bet most of us here don't really know all the other parents in your childrens' classes. If your child is in my child's class and he/she is out for 3 consecutive days, I'm in no position to know whether or not to believe your opinion that your child is better from whatever he/she had. I don't know you and, quite honestly, I don't care if you THINK your child is not contagious because you "know". Get a note from your doctor.

I've taken my son to the doctor for viruses, and every single time I've been told that "there's a virus going around," and "send him back to school once the fever has broken." I'm sure others can corroborate that doctors rarely go beyond that advice for a routine childhood illness. How many of you have had your child tested for strep with negative results? You are then told that it's a virus and given the same advice as above.

I have insurance, and can afford to go to the doctor for every sniffle. There are people who can't. So I guess their kids should fail while mine passes? There's a problem with the policies, IMHO.

 

[aprincessmom]

There's a problem with the policies, IMHO

But a consecutive days out requires a note policy is not typically for attendance purposes and funding only. It's a public health and safety policy that has nothing to do with attendance and everything to do with public health and safety for everyone at that school.

Luckily my DD is a healthy kid. The few times she was sick for more than two days with a fever her doctor insisted she come in for an examination because it could be anything. But while I'm there I get the note from him, even if he does say, after running the quick streps and urine and blood tests, that it's just a virus and we can't do anything but wait. Because that's the rule.

We go to an old-fashioned GP so maybe he doesn't see enough kids to be so cavalier with the "it's just a virus" comments I hear the parents in our neighborhood say they get when they call their pediatricians about sick kids. My doctor knows when I call him, it's serious and he treats it as such. He also will make sure we don't leave the office without a note releasing her for school.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I agree that I hate these policies that have come about as a result of connecting school funding to student attendance.

In my opinion -- you are cutting the funding of the kids who attend (they are the ones there after all) because of the actions of those who don't attend. And let's face it, parents who let their kids miss school frequently for poor reasons probably don't give a crap about school funding anyway.

I can tell you that our school had a 96% attendance rate for the month of September because it's on a banner in the hallway and printed at the top of every memo sent home. Our goal for October is 100%....sadly enough I suspect that out of 400+ kids, somebody is going to get sick and we'll fail.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Originally posted by aprincessmom
But a consecutive days out requires a note policy is not typically for attendance purposes and funding only. It's a public health and safety policy that has nothing to do with attendance and everything to do with public health and safety for everyone at that school.

If I believed this for one second, I'd completely agree with you. However, I see this as nothing but a funding/school rating issue.

Waaaaaay back a couple of pages someone in FL mentioned that the attendance policy was so strict that children with lice were expected to attend. Somehow that doesn't strike me as a policy in place to ensure the health and safety of all.