schools seem tougher this year

[pixiedust23]

Teachers threaten '0' and 'f' for missing things but when it comes down to it, it only makes them look bad to try to force the issue. Any good teacher would want a childs grade to reflect their ability and effort. If a parent pulls a child out of school for a few days, that is not the child making the choice. It would be small minded to punish the child. They try to persuade you not to take your child out with the threats but once it is a done deal most teachers and schools suddenly become much more flexable.

I'm not going to use insulting terms here but why would you as a parent pull your child out and risk him or her getting an F or a 0. I think parents should be teaching their children to follow policies and rules. And I think this is exactly why teachers and schoold need to be more strict when it comes down to enforcing their policies. Pick whatever policies you feel necessary whether it is to punish or not when it comes to unexcused absenses, but then stick by that decision. What are you teaching the students if you don't?

 

[YCFAN]

pixiedust23:..........and that is why we always go in JULY!! No it's not the greatest time to go (hot, crowds) but it's when my kids are out of school.

 

[dianna112198]

Hey, don't forget...going to Disney is an "educational" trip. I remember being in the same situation when I was in middle school and that's how I got my school's 'OK' to go (they were also very strict with missing school). Now, I am a teacher (well...almost....student teacher...but close enough ). Personally, I wouldn't mind if a student missed a few classes to go to Disney World (as long as their attendance is, otherwise, good and their parents let me know ahead of time) and I will tell you why. Believe it or not, Disney is a very educational place (especially Epcot!). There is so much a child can learn there. Most teachers are aware of that

 

[Brer boy]

Teacher? Yes.
Parent? Yes.
You qualify to post; proceed...
The number of bashing school policy posts is going to surpass the smoking posts soon. I hope everyone who pees and groans about school attendance policies are not from the same camp who complain that education is falling. One of the few ways to make everyone responsible for a child's success is to have that student in their seat everyday.
My favorite are the parents who get angry because their child's grade drops after missing school because of vacation. Sorry, it is really hard to duplicate three days of instruction.
I am sure there are many caring parents who truly try to make up the missed days. But there are nearly three months to go on vacation. Three months! The first couple months of school are crucial days of establishing the basic concepts...
If you think the vacation is more important than school, don't complain about the school thinking education is more important!

 

[pixiedust23]

pixiedust23:..........and that is why we always go in JULY!! No it's not the greatest time to go (hot, crowds) but it's when my kids are out of school.

Haha well I'm sure I'll be seeing you at some point then! I actually planned a last minute trip and I am leaving on Saturday and will return Tuesday in order to be back to school for my student teaching! I guess from now on all my vacations will be on major breaks, weekends, and in the summer. I've actually already started discussing a two week trip to Italy/Greece next summer. Not many jobs let you have two weeks off in a row except for being a teacher or a student!

 

[3xthecharm]

I respect your ideals pixiedust23. However, you must understand that it takes a great deal to head to the doctor for a note. My kids could be vomiting, feverish, having a hurt leg, or simply having a very heavy "lady's day"(this can be very upsetting at 11). I would not take them to the doctor for a note for any of these reasons. Most doctors don't even want to see them unless it is a prolonged illness. The kids come back sicker from the doctors than before they went.

Pixiedust23, professors do not deal with parents of students that often. The other people in your class don't have much experience in the classroom either.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

School just started here. My grandson and I were talking and I asked him how things were going and if the work was hard. He said that he had a page of greater or lesser math questions. You know, is 2 larger than 3. He is starting 7th grade.

When I volunteered at the school library for nearly two years because the kids were not able to check out books from the library and I wanted to help them catch up AND snag books for my grandson I was amazed to see a 3rd grade teacher who showed movies an average of 3 times a week instead of teaching. Granted, many of them were Disney movies but even this DW lover thinks that is NOT very educational.

Instead of just complaining I volunteer to tutor local children, who want to learn, how to read. It is amazing the parents who ask me to help (I work for free) and then do not remember to bring their kids to my house for their appointment. That being said some kids can easily afford a few days off school IMO and some cannot. Parents have to make that decision on a case by case basis and I would hope that the school would work with them in either case.

If you want easy move here.

Slightly Goofy

 

[mckim]

I think it is equally important that we WANT to spend time away for fun with our children. There are a lot of parents out there that don't spend any time with their kids. With hectic lives of hockey, soccer, volleyball, dr and dentist visits, etc, we don't always have much time together for a few days in a row. So, we definatley look forword to this. It just so happens that we could not afford the summer season this year, so we are going in October instead and pulling my kids out for 4 days, grades 9, 4 and K.

 

[eclectics]

I agree that school districts should not have the right to tell parents they are not "allowed" to take their kids out of class, BUT the parents then can't complain about their kids recieving F's and 0's for uncompleted work. You can't have it both ways! If you want to pull your kids out of school for a vacation (educational or not, it's still a vacation) then be prepared to accept the consequences. As to the "home schooling" poster, going to WDW shouldn't really be a factor in such an important decision in your child's life and future education, imho.

 

[3xthecharm]

Let's all remember that the OP indicated that the no makeup policy is brand new for this year.

 

[pixiedust23]

I respect your ideals pixiedust23. However, you must understand that it takes a great deal to head to the doctor for a note. My kids could be vomiting, feverish, having a hurt leg, or simply having a very heavy "lady's day"(this can be very upsetting at 11). I would not take them to the doctor for a note for any of these reasons. Most doctors don't even want to see them unless it is a prolonged illness. The kids come back sicker from the doctors than before they went.

Pixiedust23, professors do not deal with parents of students that often. The other people in your class don't have much experience in the classroom either.

I'm not saying you should take them all the time. But if they have a test that day it would probably be a good idea. Or just drop off the paper on your way to work or send it with a friend. This was the policy at my high school and it really did work out fine for all. 3xthecharm I respect your opinion on policies, but we all have different ideals. As for the time being this is mine, perhaps it will change as time goes on, perhaps it won't. But for right now, this is how I feel.

 

[Jackie H.]

pixiedust,

I have a question: you said that without a doctor's note the student would get a zero.

Do you go to the doctor everytime you are sick? Children get stomach virus that a doctor can do nothing about. So you are giving me these choices:

- take my child to the doctor knowing the doctor can't do anything about it and pay the medical fees (my out-of-pocket) plus the insurance amounts probably totalling $60-80 just to make you happy

- keeping my child home, which any competent parent would do and have my child suffer a zero grade through no fault of their own

- send my child to your class vomiting (with your attitude this would be my favorite choice and hope he/she hits you in the process but I wouldn't do it for my child's sake)

Your "policy" can only come from someone who hasn't spent a day in the real world.

 

[lfeikert]

I was going to stay out of this, but I just can't. I'll probably just repeat things that have already been said, but here goes:
(by the way--also a teacher AND parent)

The standards for students have become much tougher lately. Schools, teachers, and students are under tremendous pressure to get that "excellent" rating for good results on their state mandated tests. Therefore, they've had to become more strict in order to get SOME (not all) parents and students to take school seriously. Many parents complain (loudly) and want an explanation of why their child did not perform well on the tests. Sadly, that answer is often that the student didn't attend regularly or didn't turn in work regularly or just didn't care. There is NO SUBSTITUE for being in school and participating in the instruction.

That said, I've never gotten too upset when a student misses a week of school for a vacation. Hopefully, parents are smart enough to use discretion when doing this. If their child struggles in school then perhaps the vacation shouldn't be scheduled during the school year. If their child does well and school comes easily to them, then, by all means, go--just be sure to help your child make up what they've missed.

One final thought---As a teacher, you'll NEVER see me at WDW other than during the summer or holiday break, typically the busiest times I would never be allowed to take that many days for a vacation in the middle of the school year.

 

[Rachie0507]

I think it is equally important that we WANT to spend time away for fun with our children. There are a lot of parents out there that don't spend any time with their kids. With hectic lives of hockey, soccer, volleyball, dr and dentist visits, etc, we don't always have much time together for a few days in a row. So, we definatley look forword to this. It just so happens that we could not afford the summer season this year, so we are going in October instead and pulling my kids out for 4 days, grades 9, 4 and K.

I agree. My daughter is only in kindergarten but she will be missing 5 days of school this year for our trip and I don't feel guilty about it at all. Her memories of our vacation will last longer and be more meaningful to her than one week of school. It is my job as a parent to be teaching her at home as well as what she learns at school, so I'll step up our own lessons for the week before and the week after to make sure she is keeping up. That is my responsibility. I don't expect any problems from our district though, as I know many people do this around here. She doesn't start school for another two weeks so I don't have the handbook yet.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

I started reading through this thread because I, too, am in the situation that the OP is. We went on a trip last October with no problems. Kids made up work and all three (2 elementary, one high school) all ended up on A-B Honor Roll for the year. Like the OP, I also live in NC and the attendance policy that came home at the beginning of the year is much stricter than last year. We have a trip planned for October and had planned to take our boys out of school for 5 days. I don't anticipate any problem with the two in elementary school (grades 6 and 8) but the one in high school may be a problem. I've talked to his teacher briefly and will be sending in our note soon.

I've read through all these posts and this subject is getting heated. I don't want to get into a heated arguement about any of this, however, I do have two major points that I'd like to make:

Brer boy ~ You stated:

I am sure there are many caring parents who truly try to make up the missed days. But there are nearly three months to go on vacation. Three months! The first couple months of school are crucial days of establishing the basic concepts...

Not everyone has THREE months off to go on vacation. Our kids got out of school on 6/7 and went back for this year on 8/11. And what about parents who cannot coordinate time off from work during that time for a family vacation?

pixiedust23 ~ You said:

Nothing personal but it has nothing to do with power. I want my children to learn the most they can, in order to reach their fullest potential.

Excuse me, but I believe you should have said that you want your students to learn....

You said "my children..." These are not your children, they are your students. We are talking about my child, my children, your students. There is a big difference. And I want my child, my children to "learn the most that they can in order to reach their fullest potential" just as much as you say you do but that learning does not always have to be done in the classroom.

 

[DizWacko]

I cant believe some of the parents on this board. Atleast TRY and be honest, you are NOT going for one week to disneyworld in the middle of school year to teach your children. You are doing it to have fun/quality time with your family, and whether it be because you are saving money, or whatever other reason you have, dont blame the teachers!! If you dont like the policy, change the policy!!

Its not fair to teachers to have to make alternate arrangements for students to go to Disneyworld when you have 3 MONTHS to do this around the normal school year. What if all families did this spread throughout the semester? How much disruption do you think there would be?

 

[Brer boy]

Not everyone has THREE months off to go on vacation. Our kids got out of school on 6/7 and went back for this year on 8/11.

I stand corrected eeyoresmountainpals, if in NC you only get 64 days off for summer, than that is less than we do in WI. So you have over 200 days of required school?

 

[pixiedust23]

Honestly people I"m not going to sit here all day and have you be rude to me. There are a lot of educators who share simliar policies, and I know b/c I had them as teachers. And I'm sorry that you don't want to take your kids to the doctor, really I get it. But schools need to find some way of drawing the line and establishing what is and what is not an excused absense.

And in my real life experience as a student, I've seen kids do just about everything to get out of tests and paper deadlines. If you need more time come to me a few days before show me you've been working on it, I'll give you the extension.

And wow, no they are not my children. But all my relatives who are teachers and friends who are teachers call the kids they teach that.

You people are so ready to judge and blame everyone for everything. This is why people don't want to be teachers. They don't make a lot of money and they get yelled at all day.

Policy is policy DEAL WITH IT, don't take your agressions out on me. And don't blame the education system when your children aren't doing well, especially when you are trying to cheat the system. That's it I'm done here. I honestly hope that a moderator closes this thread because all it is a place to bash teachers, who work hard to teach their students.

 

[lfeikert]

[/QUOTE] Excuse me, but I believe you should have said that you want your students to learn....

You said "my children..." These are not your children, they are your students. We are talking about my child, my children, your students. There is a big difference. And I want my child, my children to "learn the most that they can in order to reach their fullest potential" just as much as you say you do but that learning does not always have to be done in the classroom.[/QUOTE]


I also don't want any flames over this. However, as a teacher, I often refer to my students as "my kids." I know they aren't "my kids" but I care for them that much and want the best experience for them. I would think you would want your children to have a teacher who cares for your child enough to refer to them in that way. I don't believe that the poster was intending to make it sound like she was "taking over" for parents. The fact is that teachers spend A LOT of time with the children in their classrooms. Just as children get attached to teachers, teachers get attached to their students. I cry on the last day of school every year because I'm going to miss "my kids" so much.

I don't know why that quote didn't show up in yellow--I was refering to what was said in the message before mine. Sorry!

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Brer boy ~

No, we are only required to go 180 days and the school calendar traditionally starts out with the last day of school being around the 22nd of May. However, we are in a very rural, mountainous area and have LOTS of snow days. I can remember two or three years ago our kids only went to school five days in January! There are snow days factored into the school schedule but we always go over the snow day allowance.

Which brings up another point - don't know about WI but here in NC we have snow days and then we also have limited route days where buses only travel paved roads. If you live on a limited route it's your responsibility to get your child to school. However, if you can't get your child to school your child is excused because you live on a limited route. We got our children to school on every limited route day last year, even though it would have been an excused absence. That should say something about our concerns for attendance.