School excuse wording

[DisneyFamily123]

School policy here is "observance of a documented religious holiday" is a reason for a lawful absence from school. Spending quality time with family is part of my religious values. I documented simply that DS will be absent due to observance of a religious holiday.

If the school wants more documentation than that, it's none of their business. Especially since they don't bother documenting all the students and parents who are in the US illegally who are getting priority for school services.

My son is not going to suffer by missing a week of school. I'm responsible for his education, not the school.

 

[Reddog1134]

I'm on board with both these posts.

So you've got that going for you....which is nice.

I'm interrupting this thread to say...

CADDYSHACK!!!

That is all.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Teachers know this happens and should be prepared. It's now a normal part of the job description. If I complained every time I had to do something that wasn't part of my "job description", I would never get anything accomplished.
....
All I ask is that teachers do what the job has evolved into. Kids miss school. You are there to provide materials to the students. It's part of the job description.

Most teachers who have posted here have not indicated they have a problem with helping kids. Most have been saying that parents should acknowledge the fact that it is, in fact, extra work for the teacher to do so - and appreciate the teacher doing that for them, instead of being demanding about it.

I know you believe you are overworked and underpaid, but aren't we all? I would love to have the job security that you enjoy, but I chose my profession and with it, all of the downfalls. Please just accept yours also.

Quite frankly - it's attitudes like this that are what put teachers on the defensive. I would never say "I know you believe you're overworked and underpaid" to anyone. It's disrespectful. Yes, I chose my job and I chose the hours and salary that come with it. I've never said otherwise. But disrespectful attitudes from parents are a large part of why so many teachers leave the profession after 5 years.

Education requires a partnership between parents, teachers and students. You can't have a working partnership without courtesy and respect from allparties involved.

(and before it's said - yes, I realize there are teachers out there who don't uphold their end of the respect/courtesy/good teaching bargain out there as well, and I would apply the same statement to them).

Imagine our surprise when we saw not one, but two teachers from our district "Skipping School" at WDW while we were there. You've never seen such sheepish smiles when we waved and said "Hi, Mrs. ......., having a good time?" And please don't tell me it doesn't happen all over the country.

I can't say whether it happens all over the country or not. All I know is that I've only ever had 3 personal days to take over the course of the year, and I never used them for vacation. I know many other teachers who also do not take off on vacation during the school year. Does it happen in some places? I'm sure it does. But I'm equally sure that there are teachers out there who don't take vacation during the year as well.

 

[Wadecool]

I knew a guy like that. If a professor had no attendance policy, you'd pretty much never see him in class... he didn't get A's, but he did pretty well.

"Imagine if I applied myself," he said one day while enjoying a cigarette that appeared to be not tobacco.

I wonder what happened to him.

I think I found him.

 

[nytimez]

I think I found him.

I'm guessing that these days he's more like this:

 

[rgf207]

School policy here is "observance of a documented religious holiday" is a reason for a lawful absence from school. Spending quality time with family is part of my religious values. I documented simply that DS will be absent due to observance of a religious holiday.

If the school wants more documentation than that, it's none of their business. Especially since they don't bother documenting all the students and parents who are in the US illegally who are getting priority for school services.

My son is not going to suffer by missing a week of school. I'm responsible for his education, not the school.

So a wdw vacation is a documented religious holiday. That's a good one.

And you second paragraph makes no sense and is laughable.

 

[nytimez]

So a wdw vacation is a documented religious holiday. That's a good one.

A number of people have reported seeing the Flying Spaghetti Monster hover about the castle during Wishes, touching all with His Noodly Appendage... so don't judge, pal!

 

[DisneyFamily123]

School policy here is "observance of a documented religious holiday" is a reason for a lawful absence from school. Spending quality time with family is part of my religious values. I documented simply that DS will be absent due to observance of a religious holiday.

If the school wants more documentation than that, it's none of their business. Especially since they don't bother documenting all the students and parents who are in the US illegally who are getting priority for school services.

My son is not going to suffer by missing a week of school. I'm responsible for his education, not the school.

So a wdw vacation is a documented religious holiday. That's a good one..................

Let me step on the soap box for just a minute... to give a short lesson on the Consitution (since we just passed Constitution Day on 9/17). Anyone from Maryland should be fully aware of how the State of MD stomps on it's citizens' constitutional rights every day. In MD, criminals and illegal aliens have rights... law abiding citizens do not.

A WDW vacation is not a documented religious holiday. But the school system has no right to interfere with my consititutional right to nurture and education my children as I see fit. The 1st, 9th, and 10th Amendments guarantee that. Please read the Consitution folks... Remember someone saying, "Give me liberty or give me death"?

The school system violates my consitutional rights by telling me my children have to be in school or my children and/or we the parents will be punished, and limiting the excuses for "lawful absence". Therefore, I give the school system the excuse they demand (religious holiday).

.............. And you second paragraph makes no sense and is laughable.

- It's not laughable. Read below for more details.

The 1st Amendment gives me the right to freely exercise my religious beliefs without limit to specific religions or organized religions. Spending this time with family is highly valued by me. The Constitution does not allow the government to restrict what I may consider a "religious holiday".

The school system in MD does not document illegal aliens. Teachers and employees of the school are prohibited from asking about citizenship or legal status. So, it's not laughable. It's the truth. And here's one example of how it is a problem. Parents break the law by being in the U.S. illegally. In our county, non-English speaking children (many of who are illegal) are given priority for pre-school services AHEAD of children with individualized education plans for disabilities. This is because the system needs these children to speak English better so they perform better on the tests in elementary school because school funding is dependent on those test scores. These parents don't pay taxes because they are not authorized to work. So, my taxes pay for all their education and services.

I'm also a teacher. And I value education. I don't mind my tax dollars being spent on helping children of parents who break the law. But I'll be damned if that same school system is going to violate my constitutional rights and punish my child by making his absence "an unlawful absence" when a LOT of school resources are spent helping illegal aliens instead of using those resources to spend more time teaching my son who is a LAWFUL citizen of this country.

Ok.... off the soap box.... everyone have a great trip! I know I'll be enjoying the low crowds next week!

 

[nytimez]

Let me step on the soap box for just a minute... to give a short lesson on the Consitution (since we just passed Constitution Day on 9/17). Anyone from Maryland should be fully aware of how the State of MD stomps on it's citizens' constitutional rights every day. In MD, criminals and illegal aliens have rights... law abiding citizens do not.

A WDW vacation is not a documented religious holiday. But the school system has no right to interfere with my consititutional right to nurture and education my children as I see fit. The 1st, 9th, and 10th Amendments guarantee that. Please read the Consitution folks... Remember someone saying, "Give me liberty or give me death"?

The school system violates my consitutional rights by telling me my children have to be in school or my children and/or we the parents will be punished, and limiting the excuses for "lawful absence". Therefore, I give the school system the excuse they demand (religious holiday).

- It's not laughable. Read below for more details.

The 1st Amendment gives me the right to freely exercise my religious beliefs without limit to specific religions or organized religions. Spending this time with family is highly valued by me. The Constitution does not allow the government to restrict what I may consider a "religious holiday".

The school system in MD does not document illegal aliens. Teachers and employees of the school are prohibited from asking about citizenship or legal status. So, it's not laughable. It's the truth. And here's one example of how it is a problem. Parents break the law by being in the U.S. illegally. In our county, non-English speaking children (many of who are illegal) are given priority for pre-school services AHEAD of children with individualized education plans for disabilities. This is because the system needs these children to speak English better so they perform better on the tests in elementary school because school funding is dependent on those test scores. These parents don't pay taxes because they are not authorized to work. So, my taxes pay for all their education and services.

I'm also a teacher. And I value education. I don't mind my tax dollars being spent on helping children of parents who break the law. But I'll be damned if that same school system is going to violate my constitutional rights and punish my child by making his absence "an unlawful absence" when a LOT of school resources are spent helping illegal aliens instead of using those resources to spend more time teaching my son who is a LAWFUL citizen of this country.

Ok.... off the soap box.... everyone have a great trip! I know I'll be enjoying the low crowds next week!

Wow. I don't even know where to begin with this post. I'll limit my response to: I'm sure there are plenty of places on the Internet to discuss your various political and religious paranoias and persuasions... but this ain't one them.

 

[rgf207]

Let me step on the soap box for just a minute... to give a short lesson on the Consitution (since we just passed Constitution Day on 9/17). Anyone from Maryland should be fully aware of how the State of MD stomps on it's citizens' constitutional rights every day. In MD, criminals and illegal aliens have rights... law abiding citizens do not.

A WDW vacation is not a documented religious holiday. But the school system has no right to interfere with my consititutional right to nurture and education my children as I see fit. The 1st, 9th, and 10th Amendments guarantee that. Please read the Consitution folks... Remember someone saying, "Give me liberty or give me death"?

The school system violates my consitutional rights by telling me my children have to be in school or my children and/or we the parents will be punished, and limiting the excuses for "lawful absence". Therefore, I give the school system the excuse they demand (religious holiday).

- It's not laughable. Read below for more details.

The 1st Amendment gives me the right to freely exercise my religious beliefs without limit to specific religions or organized religions. Spending this time with family is highly valued by me. The Constitution does not allow the government to restrict what I may consider a "religious holiday".

The school system in MD does not document illegal aliens. Teachers and employees of the school are prohibited from asking about citizenship or legal status. So, it's not laughable. It's the truth. And here's one example of how it is a problem. Parents break the law by being in the U.S. illegally. In our county, non-English speaking children (many of who are illegal) are given priority for pre-school services AHEAD of children with individualized education plans for disabilities. This is because the system needs these children to speak English better so they perform better on the tests in elementary school because school funding is dependent on those test scores. These parents don't pay taxes because they are not authorized to work. So, my taxes pay for all their education and services.

I'm also a teacher. And I value education. I don't mind my tax dollars being spent on helping children of parents who break the law. But I'll be damned if that same school system is going to violate my constitutional rights and punish my child by making his absence "an unlawful absence" when a LOT of school resources are spent helping illegal aliens instead of using those resources to spend more time teaching my son who is a LAWFUL citizen of this country.

Ok.... off the soap box.... everyone have a great trip! I know I'll be enjoying the low crowds next week!

wow. ok

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Wow. I don't even know where to begin with this post. I'll limit my response to: I'm sure there are plenty of places on the Internet to discuss your various political and religious paranoias and persuasions... but this ain't one them.

First, if the moderators think my post is out of line... then the whole thread should be deleted. My original post #261 simply answered the original poster's question. My additional posts were just responses to the personal attacks from you and the other poster. Seriously, mind your own business.

The original poster asked, "What did you write on a request form if you were taking your children out of school?". I answered that question and, like all threads on this topic, people have to jump in and force their opinions on others in a heated debate.

My point is... if I want to take my child out of school to go to Disney, it's my business and I shouldn't have to give the school any excuse. If you or other posters don't think it's right to take your child out of school for vacation, then don't. That's your business.

And here you want to insult me by calling me paranoid? The problem with today's society is too many people in government thinking they have the right to control every aspect of life.

I should NOT have to give anyone an excuse for spending legally earned income and time off work (and school) to have quality time at Disney World to have fun memories and build close family relationships. Maybe I couldn't take a vacation during the summer because I didn't have the money or vacation time? Why is that any of your business?

All the controlling liberals who want to tell me I can't take a vacation with my family during the school year should worry more about violence, child abuse, crime, poverty and things like that.... not me having to make up an excuse for spending time with my precious loving family.

Give me a break.... Again... I will be enjoying the low crowds at Disney next week! Now, I have to go back to packing for my trip!

 

[EMom]

If a teacher is absent, the class stays in sync., namely everyone falls behind by the same amount.

But the teacher upon return should not assign a double dose of homework (unextrapolatable in advance), all due "tomorrow".

So when Miss New Teacher missed an entire week of school to visit her fiance and the class had a substitute who apparently couldn't teach math and science, causing them to essentially miss an entire week of instruction in those two subjects, that warrants a pass because the ENTIRE class fell behind? I know that makes the parents feel sooooo much better. And yes, the kids had to bust their rear ends upon her return.

But if I had taken my DD out for a week of vacation and she returned to class having not fallen behind by one inch, THAT risks what exactly? Or if someone takes a child out who truly does fall somewhat behind, how does that really handicap the teacher's teaching efforts? Is the child hanging from the teacher's leg, sobbing, "Help me! Help me, please!"

No. The teacher is not mortally wounded. The child will continue forward and with any luck, the parents will learn to better assess whether or not their child is the type which can be out of school or not.

I still say a teacher missing a week of school has more impact ON THE CLASS than one student missing a week.

 

[nytimez]

First, if the moderators think my post is out of line... then the whole thread should be deleted. My original post #261 simply answered the original poster's question. My additional posts were just responses to the personal attacks from you and the other poster. Seriously, mind your own business.

The original poster asked, "What did you write on a request form if you were taking your children out of school?". I answered that question and, like all threads on this topic, people have to jump in and force their opinions on others in a heated debate.

My point is... if I want to take my child out of school to go to Disney, it's my business and I shouldn't have to give the school any excuse. If you or other posters don't think it's right to take your child out of school for vacation, then don't. That's your business.

And here you want to insult me by calling me paranoid? The problem with today's society is too many people in government thinking they have the right to control every aspect of life.

I should NOT have to give anyone an excuse for spending legally earned income and time off work (and school) to have quality time at Disney World to have fun memories and build close family relationships. Maybe I couldn't take a vacation during the summer because I didn't have the money or vacation time? Why is that any of your business?

All the controlling liberals who want to tell me I can't take a vacation with my family during the school year should worry more about violence, child abuse, crime, poverty and things like that.... not me having to make up an excuse for spending time with my precious loving family.

Give me a break.... Again... I will be enjoying the low crowds at Disney next week! Now, I have to go back to packing for my trip!

You post something on a public message board and tell people to mind their own business... then you claim there's a liberal conspiracy preventing you from taking a vacation.

Ummm... OK.

 

[WolverineQ]

You post something on a public message board and tell people to mind their own business... then you claim there's a liberal conspiracy preventing you from taking a vacation.

Ummm... OK.

Exactly!!! Great response.

 

[ccgirl]

You're missing the first word -- public. They are PUBLIC servants, here to serve the greater good of the public as a whole. There are times when focusing on an individual's needs will come at the expense of everyone else -- and when that happens, a decision has to be made. And there's absolutely a difference between giving extra help to a child because he spent a week at Disney World and helping a child because he spent a week in bed with the flu.

People seem to forget that what goes for one, goes for all. There are 20-30 kids in a class, depending on grade and district. If everyone took a week of school time off and expected the teacher to spend his or her extra time helping the child to catch up it could come at the expense of the actual new material that needs to be presented.

So, it is absolutely NOT a teacher's responsibility to ensure that every single child gets extra help and extra work so that they can spend a week in Disney World. It's great if they can help and most teachers will, but that responsibility falls squarely onto the parents.

And this is absolutely different from the approach of a customer-service focused business where your goal is to prevent every dollar from walking out the door.

I absolutely agree with this. Great post. And, you are right. Take my DD's class last year for example. For monetary reasons, some parents took their children out each of the two weeks leading up to April vacation and some took their children out the week after April vacation. Thankfully, the policy at her school is all children get their work upon their return. Had it not been that, the teacher would be preparing a packet for a few children two weeks before vacation, one week before vacation and one week after vacation. It just doesn't seem right to me that someone else would have to bust their butt and do extra work so I can take my kids on vacation.

Let me step on the soap box for just a minute... to give a short lesson on the Consitution (since we just passed Constitution Day on 9/17). Anyone from Maryland should be fully aware of how the State of MD stomps on it's citizens' constitutional rights every day. In MD, criminals and illegal aliens have rights... law abiding citizens do not.

A WDW vacation is not a documented religious holiday. But the school system has no right to interfere with my consititutional right to nurture and education my children as I see fit. The 1st, 9th, and 10th Amendments guarantee that. Please read the Consitution folks... Remember someone saying, "Give me liberty or give me death"?

The school system violates my consitutional rights by telling me my children have to be in school or my children and/or we the parents will be punished, and limiting the excuses for "lawful absence". Therefore, I give the school system the excuse they demand (religious holiday).

- It's not laughable. Read below for more details.

The 1st Amendment gives me the right to freely exercise my religious beliefs without limit to specific religions or organized religions. Spending this time with family is highly valued by me. The Constitution does not allow the government to restrict what I may consider a "religious holiday".

The school system in MD does not document illegal aliens. Teachers and employees of the school are prohibited from asking about citizenship or legal status. So, it's not laughable. It's the truth. And here's one example of how it is a problem. Parents break the law by being in the U.S. illegally. In our county, non-English speaking children (many of who are illegal) are given priority for pre-school services AHEAD of children with individualized education plans for disabilities. This is because the system needs these children to speak English better so they perform better on the tests in elementary school because school funding is dependent on those test scores. These parents don't pay taxes because they are not authorized to work. So, my taxes pay for all their education and services.
I'm also a teacher. And I value education. I don't mind my tax dollars being spent on helping children of parents who break the law. But I'll be damned if that same school system is going to violate my constitutional rights and punish my child by making his absence "an unlawful absence" when a LOT of school resources are spent helping illegal aliens instead of using those resources to spend more time teaching my son who is a LAWFUL citizen of this country.

Ok.... off the soap box.... everyone have a great trip! I know I'll be enjoying the low crowds next week!

So, since you don't mind your tax dollars being spent on helpling children of parents that don't break the law what about those children with parents who have commited assault & battery, murder, rape, DUI, etc? Or, is it just certain "laws" you are referring to? What part of your tax dollars pay for the schools? Around here, it is the property tax. That means renters do not pay property tax. So, should their children not have a right to an education? Around here, all children with an IEP get their services met in the public school. Not sure how you know that non-English speaking aliens receive IEP services before others. I think you are getting lawful and excused absences confused. A lot of school districts don't excuse vacation days regardless. Some excuse if you can come up with an educational letter. Lets face it, I can come up with an educational letter to take my children to the laundromat (colors, measurements, money etc). If you think the school system violates your rights and you could do a better job then maybe you should consider homeschooling. There you can make up your own school calendar.

So when Miss New Teacher missed an entire week of school to visit her fiance and the class had a substitute who apparently couldn't teach math and science, causing them to essentially miss an entire week of instruction in those two subjects, that warrants a pass because the ENTIRE class fell behind? I know that makes the parents feel sooooo much better. And yes, the kids had to bust their rear ends upon her return.

But if I had taken my DD out for a week of vacation and she returned to class having not fallen behind by one inch, THAT risks what exactly? Or if someone takes a child out who truly does fall somewhat behind, how does that really handicap the teacher's teaching efforts? Is the child hanging from the teacher's leg, sobbing, "Help me! Help me, please!"

No. The teacher is not mortally wounded. The child will continue forward and with any luck, the parents will learn to better assess whether or not their child is the type which can be out of school or not.

I still say a teacher missing a week of school has more impact ON THE CLASS than one student missing a week.

Personally, I would have a huge problem with this and I most certainly would have requested a meeting with the Principal. Do the teachers get x amount of days for vacation?

 

[EMom]

Personally, I would have a huge problem with this and I most certainly would have requested a meeting with the Principal. Do the teachers get x amount of days for vacation?

They get X number of days per year, depending on how many years of service they have. They are no asked WHY they are taking time off. If it's for illness, vacation, a family reunion, whatever......no questions asked. They are very upfront about where they're going. The kids always know. Ms. So and So is going to Vegas, Mr. XYZ is going to his brother's wedding, Miss Thing is going on vacation with her boyfriend, etc. It's not exactly a secret. I must admit, this plays a large part of why I don't give a rat's hiney as to what the school thinks if I take DD out for a vacation. As long as she can make up the work with no trouble, we'll keep doing it. If her teachers can take a week off to take their kids to WDW, we can too.

 

[ccgirl]

They get X number of days per year, depending on how many years of service they have. They are no asked WHY they are taking time off. If it's for illness, vacation, a family reunion, whatever......no questions asked. They are very upfront about where they're going. The kids always know. Ms. So and So is going to Vegas, Mr. XYZ is going to his brother's wedding, Miss Thing is going on vacation with her boyfriend, etc. It's not exactly a secret. I must admit, this plays a large part of why I don't give a rat's hiney as to what the school thinks if I take DD out for a vacation. As long as she can make up the work with no trouble, we'll keep doing it. If her teachers can take a week off to take their kids to WDW, we can too.

Gotcha. I believe around here they can only take 2 days in a row and cannot take days on either end of a school vacation period (but I may be wrong) so there are "rules" of how their days can be used.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

So, since you don't mind your tax dollars being spent on helpling children of parents that don't break the law what about those children with parents who have commited assault & battery, murder, rape, DUI, etc? Or, is it just certain "laws" you are referring to? What part of your tax dollars pay for the schools? Around here, it is the property tax. That means renters do not pay property tax. So, should their children not have a right to an education? Around here, all children with an IEP get their services met in the public school. Not sure how you know that non-English speaking aliens receive IEP services before others................

I don't mind my tax dollars being spent on any children to be educated despite their parents. But I don't need to be hassled by the school about a family vacation either.... Really 2 separate issues. What happens where I live is there are limited spaces available for public pre-school. Students with an IEP who could benefit from pre-school are bumped to the end of the list because non-English speaking children are given higher priority for those limited pre-school student admissions (not IEP services). The priority levels are not secret -- poor children #1, non-English speaking #2, children with IEP #3 (if any room left). To make sure my son got the pre-school services that would help him, he went to a private preschool at a huge cost (and a 2nd mortgage). Well worth it too. Unfortunately, the teaching that goes on in his kindergarten class is well below his ability. Time for another 2nd mortgage......

 

[EMom]

Gotcha. I believe around here they can only take 2 days in a row and cannot take days on either end of a school vacation period (but I may be wrong) so there are "rules" of how their days can be used.

I believe we had similar rules back when I was teaching. More than 2 days out and we had to have a doctor's excuse. We could take 2 personal days a year, but not connected to a school holiday or the last day of school. So of our 10 days off a year, only 2 could be for personal reasons and they could only be taken on certain days. Forget a vacation.

At DD's school, you can count on a large rate of teacher absence the day before or after a long weekend. I don't feel bad taking her out the week before Christmas (even though we're not doing it this year) because lots of teachers take off and since we have many international students, they take off as well. So precious little gets done. Sometimes we're halfway into January before we even know if the ones from Mexico are even going to return. All depends on whether or not they can get another visa.

Things have changed a lot since I was teaching.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Gotcha. I believe around here they can only take 2 days in a row and cannot take days on either end of a school vacation period (but I may be wrong) so there are "rules" of how their days can be used.

This is what I experienced in teaching as well. I only had 3 personal days for the year, and they couldn't be used in conjunction with school holidays (whether it be vacations like winter/spring, or a day off like Columbus Day or MLK day).

Also, we weren't allowed to use our sick days for anything but our own sicknesses (and dr's notes were required). So teachers with children were required to use personal days if their kids got sick and they needed to take them to the doctor.

I guess my main point is that while some schools may give absolute freedom to teachers to take vacation, not all schools do. The norm for one school may be something prohibited in a neighboring district. If there are policies parents disagree with, they should bring them up with the applicable school boards and address it.