schools seem tougher this year

[Ms. Diz]

Aarrggggh! Moderator, can we end this one?
How about a seperate forum called "School Bashing" for parents who want to blame schools for their kids failures and leave this forum for actual Theme Park questions?!

 

[lfeikert]

Oh and another thing . . .

I'm appalled that someone would suggest that a parent should try to get their doctor to write a note in order to cover for a vacation. What does that teach you children??

Plus, if your kid is younger, you'd get caught anyway. What kid can go to WDW for a week and not mention it to his friends or teacher at school? I had a student several years ago who missed a day of school. He came back the next day and handed me a note from his mom saying he missed because of a sore throat. As he walked away he turned to me and said, "I went to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas yesterday. It was a really cool movie. Mom even bought me popcorn." I bet his mom would have died if she'd known he said that!

 

[dismom9761]

I was reading this post because I am taking my DD6 out of school for 4 days in Sept.I do agree it depends on the child.My DD will have no trouble missing 4 days in 1st grade but my boys would not be able to miss 4 days.One has to work very hard to keep up with his class and the other is in 4th grade and in the gifted program.He would be swamped.Our district has really cracked down on unexcused abscences also.I talked to her teacher to make sure she would be able to make up the work and went to the school and made copies for her to make it as easy as possible to get the work ahead of time.BTW I would have taken her in the summer but my father was very ill and the price was too good to pass up.

 

[Brer boy]

eeyoresmountainpals,
Your original post said school ended June 7 when you defended the "not three months". Latest post said May 22. That's your three months: May 22 until Aug. 11.
????

 

[angel's momma]

Our school policy actually got easier this year.
It's always been that family vacations are excused (no educational requirement). We live in a small rural area where farmers don't usually take vacations during the summer.

The change this year is when make up work is due. It used to be due the day the student returns. Now, they don't even get the work until they return, then have the number of days missed to get the work completed. (If the student misses 3 days, work is due 3 days after returning to school).

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

lfeikert ~ I agree with you that many teachers refer to their students as their children or kids. And when they've taught my children and they know my children then that is their right. I feel that they've earned that right and I'm glad to have teachers like that in my children's lives. It sounds as though you are one of those types of teachers.

This has all gotten very testy and I'd like to say one thing before this thread ends up being closed by a moderator....

There have been some great posts on here from teachers with some great points. I understand you have a rough job. My kids have had both good and bad teachers. I'm sure their teachers all think they have dealt with good and bad parents. (I've probably been considered both ) All I'm asking is that if you are a teacher or an administrator you look at individual cases before "policy." In my case, my kids are good students and a few days out of school shouldn't hurt them or cause too much excess work for the teacher. (I volunteer in the classroom so maybe the extra work I'm putting on the teachers for this will even out.)

 

[DizWacko]

Pixiedust ... I totally agree with you. Some parents want their cake and eat it too ... they want the rules EXCEPT when it affects their kids or their plans. .. THANK YOU for being a teacher, you definitely dont get enough credit for what you do

 

[YCFAN]

What he meant about the school year not ending until June 7 is that they extend the regular year (May 22) for days canceled because of school.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Brer boy ~

I apologize for not making that clearer. The school calendar started out last August with the last day of school being 5/22/05. But because of all the snow days through-out the school year, above and beyond the number of days that were incorporated into the calendar, they had to keep changing the date for the end of school. We go through this every year. They actually ended up going to school through 6/7.

 

[laceemouse]

Anyone who has a short summer break has breaks spread out throughout the school year, like fall breaks and stuff, and has EVEN LESS reason to take their kids out during the school year for vacation. There are lots of factors here, the age of the child, the rules in your district, whether or not the parent has flexibility in vaction time, if the child is doing well or not, and of course, how difficult the district is academically. We live in a very highly rated, competitive district. A kid who misses a week in junior high or high school misses A LOT and it is impossible to make up classroom instruction, group projects, ect. Most of the kids are studious and DO NOT want to miss. School is more important than vactioning when it is not as hot, less crowded, cheaper, ect. Period. Anyway, we have just decided to start homeschooling, for many reasons not having anything to do with vacation. To assume that a home education is inferior is incorrect. In fact, statistics show just the opposite. We can choose our own curriculum, move as fast or slow as we need to, and have lots of one on one insturuction. We have bought a fantastic home curriculum. We aren't just watching tv all day, we are living in the real world......Way to go PIXIEDUST!!!! Stick to your guns and make those kids learn something!

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Anyone who has a short summer break has breaks spread out throughout the school year, like fall breaks and stuff, and has EVEN LESS reason to take their kids out during the school year for vacation.

Not necessarily. We don't get any fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter/spring breaks are the same as elsewhere, but our days are eaten up by snow days. And those aren't days that we can plan on for a trip.

(BTW - I agree with your comment about home-schooling. When done correctly it's definitely not "inferior." We have given it some serious consideration.)

 

[micksterlee]

I didn t start this thread to bash education or teachers I just wondered if other people were seeing the same situations.As I stated earlier if the school had stuck to last years schedule my DD would have missed 1 day instead of three and it would have been the day before Christmas break which is a do nothing day anyway for them.My DD has always been an A honor role student and I won t do anything to jeapordize this.As far as the band teacher goes I think he tells kids they will get a bad grade for missing a concert because there are a lot of parents that don t bother to take their kids to the concert.She was in the 7th grade honor band and district band last year so I don t think it will make much difference. This is the first and last time I have booked in December I did it so my DS and grandson that we haven t seen in 5 years could meet us there from Seattle.

 

[disneymom225]

I think it's all an intimidation tactic because the schools don't get paid when your child isn't in class. JMHO....

Just tried to post this--so if double--sorry.
What do you mean schools don't get paid if kids aren't in class. If a student is registered, the tax dollars fund the education. Maybe schools want kids there so they don't miss learning time? Just a thought! Also--sad to say but some parents keep kids home to be babysitters for younger siblings or just b/c they don't feel like taking the kids to school. The policy has to be in place so schools can deal with those situations. That said, if parents talk to the teachers for a special circumstances--the teachers understand. But, if the concert is already scheduled and the policy stated-well, the consequences have to be dealt with. Personally, I don't have a problem w/ parents pulling their kids for a day or two--I plan on doing in w/ my DD when she is in school. I just had an issue w/ the statement about schools not getting paid!

 

[Downrivermama]

My DD is going in the 2nd grade and I would not take her out of school for a vacation no matter how "educational" it would be. She got a perfect attendance award at the end of 1st grade and was so proud. I fact the couple of times the school called me that she was ill when I got there she wouldn't leave! I think it is more important for my kid to be in school. I tell her that as a kid her job is to be the best student she can be and to learn all she can.

Her school has a week off in Oct and Feb so when I get the new schedule for the upcoming year, we make plans. I would never go by the previous years calendar to make plans. Example last year the Oct break was the 1st week of Oct, this year it's the 3rd week.

I can see the argument on both sides, but I would have to err on the side of making sure my child got the best educational opportunity, even if I had to change plans. I am active in the school and have seen the good, bad, ugly and selfish parents, so it depends on the message you want to send to your child.

The message I want my child to learn is you have to play by the rules. Unfortunately there are alot of people out there who think they don't have to.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Ok going against popular standpoint, but I'm actually kinda glad that schools are cracking down. Now I hated the policy when I was in high school (and yes we had it 10 unexcused absenses for the year) but I'm about to be a biology teacher and seeing all the stuff we cover and how detailed it is in one week would be very hard to make up, esp since they would also have to make up every other subject as well.

And as for missing tests and concerts I think that is extremely valid. I intend on having a similar policy. Unless there is a death in the immediate family or you have a drs note, if you miss a test it's a 0. It's not fair to give tests on different days b/c then some kids get the advantage of kjnowing test questions before taking the exam. Also to give two separate tests its hard to determine that they are at the same difficulty level. As for concerts. Kids prepare all quarter/half/trimester/year for those things. If I was that teacher I would make it into a "final."

I'm glad you're not my kids teacher.

 

[photobob]

I haven't read all the comments on this thread just the original post. Not being able to make up work or tests for unexcused absences has always been standard operating procedures at our schools. That being said, exceptions are made. We've had teachers allow our children to take tests early when we've had to go out of town, but that's usually just one day, I've never taken my kids out of school to go to WDW. Wish I could though..

 

[pixiedust23]

I'm glad you're not my kids teacher.

Ok thats it. I'm sorry but what exactly does your saying that accomplish. I tried really hard to stay out of this, but that is extremely childish and immature. Moderators I really hope you close this thread soon. As the OP stated she did not intend for it to turn into this.

 

[boomhauer]

I for one, find it appalling that schools are so strict about kids missing a week of school for family vacations. Especially these days...

How many kids come from broken homes? Only 1 parent can have the kids on a school vacation, and it's not always possible to take vacation at this time.

I know, we don't have my step son for April vacation, but we do for February vacation. We want to take him to Disney World - No way am I going there during that week. It's not a vacation, it's a war zone.

I'll have a nice long talk with my step-son's principal about this when school starts up. School is very important, no doubt, but to say that the time families spend together isn't, just doesn't sit well with me.

I mean, sure school staff doesn't see the problem - They've got 2 months off in the summer!

 

[SnackyStacky]

This is nothing more than a debate now, and as such - it's closed.