School excuse wording

[sukhakuli]

I sympathize with your situation. I don't know what I'd do if my school just refused to admit hat my daughter needs an IEP (I don't know if it's the same in all states...in NY that's an Individualized Education Program)..
If you have a medical diagnosis and they are being like that, I would sue them!
As it is, even though Becky has an IEP and receives extra help, they do not use the system that works best with her problem, so I have private help (though it';s after school hours....I do recommend you see if you can get his therapy worked out for after school so he's getting the advantage of both).
DO they have parent advocates in your school? I brought in a pedaitric neurological psychologist to my hearing with the school and they never even tried to say that she didn't need IEP! It's suh a shame that some schools do this. I really think my daughter has great potential to be a perfectly average student - IF she can get the kind of teaching she needs...her brain just works differently than the norm - other than that she's quite bright...

We got a bit railroaded at the end of the year last year. It's a really long story, too long for here, but we are probably heading for a lawsuit. I have the names of some of the better lawyers in the city to contact, and several of my ds's specialists (including my MIL, who is a 1st grade teacher) said we should sue. I wanted to see how they do with him this year first, and I gave them fair warning, as well. If they start removing him from the classroom, calling me to take him home, and if they are unable to teach him so he passes promotion requirements, they will be getting sued. End of story.

So... your job requires you to come in early and stay late, after working hours, to redo what you did last week? Your job requires you to do the very exact same meeting, project, whatever because coworkers who are expected/required to be present or participate choose not to because there is something else they'd rather be doing? Your job requires you to have projects finished a week in advance of when you are actually presenting it? Of course, you buy all your own office supplies, paper, pens, laptop/computer, etc., too? I am guessing you also listen to your clients, distributors, suppliers, whatever yell at you and be insulting and tell you you ruined their business's future, too? I find it insulting that you lump teachers all together, and seemingly have no respect for the profession.

My husband's job requires almost all of that, and he never complains about it. He is required to pay for his own uniforms, his medical license ($$$$), his books, stethoscope, etc. He often gets yelled at by parents (more when he did general Peds than now, people usually like you when you save their baby. not so much when you refuse to put their one year old on ADHD meds without an eval), he often has to go in on his day off, stay 10+ hours past quitting time, work over 100 hours a week but creatively book keep so that it doesn't look like more than 80. Oh, and he only gets 2 weeks of vacation a year, not 3 months... And for several years in a row, that was taken away because of staffing issues. Patient care comes first, vacation comes second. And if they decide that they need him in Afghanistan for 15 months, or in Indonesia with less than a week notice, that's what we have to do. When we're offered vacation time, we take it!

I'm sorry you dislike your job, maybe it's not a great fit for you? My MIL has been teaching for 30 years, and loves it, and never complains about it. Some people are better suited for it than others. I know I would be an awful teacher.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

As for truancy, my experience is a school can persue it...if they want to. I was something of...let's say a problem child. I skipped a lot of school and say what you want about that, I know why I did it and I don't care what anyone thinks about it. My point is only that I would go back to school without a note, was still allowed back into class, was still allowed to make up work, and they would only call my house once and say "Hey we were just wondering where she was today" and that was it. No getting in trouble, no officers, no phone calls to my mother's work. Perhaps things have changed since then, or maybe it was a weird case but just my experience.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Perhaps things have changed since then

NCLB has changed a lot in the education world. Schools are being held more accountable for absences and student performance than they were before it went into effect.

 

[disneyguy1818]

It's preposterous how many districts would actually not give credit to a student for a class simply because of absences even if the kid has an 'A' in the subject. While that's not going to be the case with every student (that he can earn an A in spite of excessive absences) for those who it is, like me when I was in public high school in 2005 with all AP classes and a 4.2 GPA in one of the top schools in the nation- if you can master the material on your own without needing to be there everyday what is the point of showing up? This issue always frustrated me. If you want kids to attend then make your courses challenging to the point where one really can't succeed without attending and learning in person. Teachers should be imparting knowledge that can't be obtained out of class, if they want students to attend. If our objective is mastery of content then tell me why a student who has learned the material yet missed classes should receive a lower grade or no credit when the average student who graduates high school in the US who actually attends can only score a 1509/2400 on the SAT (2010)? Attendance shouldn't be compulsory without an incentive for the learning child- not in the form of attendance/participation credit- but in the form of actual subject content insight that would be otherwise unavailable. Let's just be honest- much of compulsory education is about control over the nation's children not about learning. Just my honest opinion / experience. Guess no system can ever function without marginalizing some population.

 

[wen8jr]

It's preposterous how many districts would actually not give credit to a student for a class simply because of absences even if the kid has an 'A' in the subject. While that's not going to be the case with every student (that he can earn an A in spite of excessive absences) for those who it is, like me when I was in public high school in 2005 with all AP classes and a 4.2 GPA in one of the top schools in the nation- if you can master the material on your own without needing to be there everyday what is the point of showing up? This issue always frustrated me. If you want kids to attend then make your courses challenging to the point where one really can't succeed without attending and learning in person. Teachers should be imparting knowledge that can't be obtained out of class, if they want students to attend. If our objective is mastery of content then tell me why a student who has learned the material yet missed classes should receive a lower grade or no credit when the average student who graduates high school in the US who actually attends can only score a 1509/2400 on the SAT (2010)? Attendance shouldn't be compulsory without an incentive for the learning child- not in the form of attendance/participation credit- but in the form of actual subject content insight that would be otherwise unavailable. Let's just be honest- much of compulsory education is about control over the nation's children not about learning. Just my honest opinion / experience. Guess no system can ever function without marginalizing some population.

I completely agree.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Teachers should be imparting knowledge that can't be obtained out of class, if they want students to attend.

I don't think any teacher would actually disagree with that. One of the most difficult things I've found as a teacher is how to successfully balance what I'm teaching so that I'm actively attending to the needs of all level students in my class. As class sizes are continuously increasing, that becomes even more difficult.

I'm not complaining about that, just so it's clear. I've been there as a student as well. I've sat through classes where I wasn't challenged enough and easily aced (in HS as well as college). At the same time, I was also helping classmates in those classes who weren't getting it as easily as I was. So while I may have been bored at times, as I progressed further into my education classes and then into my career I understood more how difficult that balance is to maintain.

It's one of the main reasons that small class sizes are so important, imo.

 

[disneyguy1818]

I should clarify- in most of the instances where I used the word "teachers", it's really more accurate to say the public school system or Department of Education. It should be acknowledged that many of my complaints are issues the system has to address as teachers really don't have anywhere near as much autonomy as the general public believes. Teachers don't have control over the curriculum or attendance policies. So, I apologize for directing my negativity towards teachers.

 

[Angel Ariel]

as teachers really don't have anywhere near as much autonomy as the general public believes.

Sad, but true

I apologize for directing my negativity towards teachers.

Thank you

 

[PersonalizedMouse]

Dear School,

A. I am taking them out because they are my kids and I choose to.

B. My taxes pay your salary so you answer to me, I don't answer to you.

That will be all

 

[Reddog1134]

Dear School,

A. I am taking them out because they are my kids and I choose to.

B. My taxes pay your salary so you answer to me, I don't answer to you.

That will be all

I tried the same thing when I got pulled over for speeding. It didn't work.

 

[si-am]

Dear School,

A. I am taking them out because they are my kids and I choose to.

B. My taxes pay your salary so you answer to me, I don't answer to you.

That will be all

Teachers pay taxes, too, so I guess they pay their own salaries!

 

[Angel Ariel]

B. My taxes pay your salary so you answer to me, I don't answer to you.

it's this kind of combative outlook that makes partnership between parents and educators more difficult than it needs to be

 

[stargazertechie]

it's this kind of combative outlook that makes partnership between parents and educators more difficult than it needs to be

I'm not a parent, but I agree 100% with the "it's my child and I pay you, so I make the decisions that are best for my family" perspective. Ever since NCLB, teachers hav become babysitters who teach a standardized test. Public education has become a joke, and I plan on private schooling my future kids to ensure that they actually learn something.

 

[LilyWDW]

Dear School,

A. I am taking them out because they are my kids and I choose to.

B. My taxes pay your salary so you answer to me, I don't answer to you.

That will be all

When you enrolled your child in your school district, you agreed to follow the rules of that district. These rules are not secret so you were able to make an informed decision. If you don't like the rules, then you have other options that you can look into it.

it's this kind of combative outlook that makes partnership between parents and educators more difficult than it needs to be

Agreed.

 

[nytimez]

Dear School,

A. I am taking them out because they are my kids and I choose to.

B. My taxes pay your salary so you answer to me, I don't answer to you.

That will be all

This is a great approach. I'm going to ask my kid's teacher to come over and do the laundry. I pay her salary, after all!

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm not a parent, but I agree 100% with the "it's my child and I pay you, so I make the decisions that are best for my family" perspective. Ever since NCLB, teachers hav become babysitters who teach a standardized test. Public education has become a joke, and I plan on private schooling my future kids to ensure that they actually learn something.

I'm sorry, but taking it out on the teachers accomplishes nothing. Teachers aren't the ones who created or required NCLB. We hate it just as much as parents do. I went into education because I love what I teach, and I despise having my hands tied the way I do because of NCLB.

I'm completely on board with getting rid of NCLB and getting back to what education should be about. In order to do that, parents/teachers/administrators need to work together. The us vs them viewpoint isn't going to help OR change anything.

 

[Reddog1134]

This is a great approach. I'm going to ask my kid's teacher to come over and do the laundry. I pay her salary, after all!

I'm going to ask her to NOT do you laundry because I also pay her salary.

 

[nytimez]

I'm going to ask her to NOT do you laundry because I also pay her salary.

Can she at least make me a sandwich? I need to get something for my money, after all. You know, beyond this whole education nonsense.

 

[Reddog1134]

Can she at least make me a sandwich? I need to get something for my money, after all. You know, beyond this whole education nonsense.

OK. As long as there is no mayo involved. I hate mayo.

 

[disneyguy1818]

Those comments make about as much sense as hating a cast member, who is paid via your ticket purchase, for enforcing an unpopular regulation decided upon by Disney execs. Teachers aren't the policy makers! We may hate the rules that teachers or our schools enforce, but obviously some of us voted for the policy makers who enacted these procedures. The issue really needs to be addressed to them. Have any of you ever looked into teaching? Teachers probably make 1% of their classroom decisions on their own accord. I hope people don't start talking trash about me because of the unpopular credit lending restrictions my banking employer has required me to follow.