Taking Kids Out of School In Texas

[aprilgail2]

I wonder how my husband's student's parents would feel if he took a week off to go on vacation? How would you feel if your children's teacher took a week off to go on vacation, leaving your kids with a sub?

?

Obviously you live in a different area than I do because every year my daughters teachers take vacations during the school year- they get personal days they can hook together for a week off- my neighbor is a teacher and in Sept he went down south for his brothers wedding for a week...happens all the time here which is another reason I don't feel bad taking my daughter out for vacation!

 

[VillageMama]

I do not believe that it is a child's "job to go to school". I believe that it is a task of a child to become educated. How, where and when that happens are variable.

I also do not believe that it is the proper role of the government to require a child to be in a school building under penalty of law. That a parent could be taken to court because she chose to have her child in a different location than the school building is frightening to me.

My feelings are that government schools are there to provide a service to the families who choose to utilize them. If parents choose not to use the schools for some period of time... whether it's one week or forever... that is the parents' perogative.

I can understand that it might be disruptive to the school environment and challenging to the teacher to have children coming and going at the will of their parents. It might be inconsiderate... it might be annoying... it might be ill-advised... but it shouldn't be illegal.

 

[allison443]

I do not believe that it is a child's "job to go to school". I believe that it is a task of a child to become educated. How, where and when that happens are variable.

I also do not believe that it is the proper role of the government to require a child to be in a school building under penalty of law. That a parent could be taken to court because she chose to have her child in a different location than the school building is frightening to me.

My feelings are that government schools are there to provide a service to the families who choose to utilize them. If parents choose not to use the schools for some period of time... whether it's one week or forever... that is the parents' perogative.

I can understand that it might be disruptive to the school environment and challenging to the teacher to have children coming and going at the will of their parents. It might be inconsiderate... it might be annoying... it might be ill-advised... but it shouldn't be illegal.

Even though we might disagree with these laws, I still think it is the parent's responsibility to be aware of what a particular district requires. Then you have a few choices: follow the rule, fight to change the rule, arrange a different education for your child (by moving, using private school, or homeschooling), or break the rule and accept the consequences.
That's what stood out for me in the OP's post; none of the adults involved seemed to know the school's attendance policy before deciding to take the kids out for seven days.

 

[clori]

I'm in MA. I don't really know the official policy only saw some vague policy about not missing more than 7 days in any 6 month time period. Last year I think dd missed 7 days. Four were for vacation, two were sick days and one I was thinking of younger dd when I scheduled her checkup and just decided to keep dd out of school rather than reschedule. I never heard anything negative. DD then 3rd grade was just asked to keep a journal and make up a math midterm upon return from vacation.

This year dd is in 4th grade. Her teacher is taking classes to become a principal and more by the book. DD has missed 5 days and two tardies plus two dismissals. DD broke her arm two days before school started. She ended up in the hospital two days for one surgery and one day for a second surgery. The dismissals/tardies are all due to appts at the orthopedic clinic that are conveniently offered only during school hours. I have drs notes for all missed time.

Since the start of the school year we have had several automated calls about illnesses and staying home for 24 hours fever free without medications etc. I kept dd home two days when she went walked down the outside stairs to leave and got sick right there then ran a fever all day. The second morning she again was vomiting at 4:30 in the morning with a 102 temp. The teacher commented once about dd's attendance but also said dd easily makes up all missed work. I don't have a drs note for these two days. On dd's progress report the teacher remarked that dd needs to work on attendance. This year we don't have any vacation planned for school days but I can't imagine what the teacher would say.

 

[EMom]

The last time I checked, vacations were a luxury and something that a lot of people aren't able to do. My husband and I were talking about this last night and he mentioned that in his 18 years before going off to college he went on TWO vacations. One to Disney World at the age of 5, and one to Oklahoma to visit extended family when he was about 13....... Did my husband’s parents not love him? Is he a horrible or less of a person because of this? ABSOLUTLY NOT!

His family found plenty of entertaining this to do to keep everyone well adjusted! My husband has gone on to visit many amazing places (mostly for school and work) and is now professor at a university......

I wonder how my husband's student's parents would feel if he took a week off to go on vacation? How would you feel if your children's teacher took a week off to go on vacation, leaving your kids with a sub?

Also, how is it fair to your child's teacher to be asked to prepare a weeks worth of work for them?

Ummm......You mean how did I feel last year when DD's 3rd grade teacher took off a week for vacation? Well, I learned to deal with it but asked myself the question that I keep coming back to.......If the teachers in our district are allowed to use all their "days off" (there's no differentiation between personal and sick days) to go on vacation, then why should the school expect to hold my family to a higher standard? Last year, DD's first year teacher used every single day of her 10 days off and not one was for a sick day. I know because everyone knew. The teachers here make no effort to be secretive about the fact that they're vacationing, taking time off because family is coming to visit. etc. Our principal takes off every single time her son comes in or her grandchild comes to visit. If the PRINCIPAL can go missing without batting an eye, I don't think the school will collapse if we take a few days off for vacation either.

It's all about the money.

My father died when I was in high school. I'd love to have a few more family vacation memories, but we weren't able to afford many trips. Mainly, we drove to see relatives every once in a while. DH's father had medical problems and when DD was 10, was told he could die at any time. Life is too short. I lost my father at a young age and DH lived with the fear of losing his from an even earlier age. Thankfully, we have the money to go on vacations and God forbid anything should happen to any of us, we'll always have those memories. DD won't regret missing a few days of school years from now, but like me, she very well could regret missing opportunities for family time that we just can't make happen in the summer.

 

[brerrabbit]

I don't really have a strong opinion one way or another, but I known that at least here in Texas the law is what drives part of the restrictions. The state mandates the number of days of instruction each year and then says students missing more than 10 days cannot be promoted to the next grade level except in special circumstances. The law does not take into account a students grade, ability to learn or IQ. It says what it says and should a student miss more than 10 days and still be passing then that spurs a bunch of paperwork for the school staff to assure the student is passed. Now I realize that most times the student will be fine but since my wife is a records clerk at a Middle School I can also tell you that in 999 cases out of a 1,000 according to the parent the kid is always smart, doing fine in school and overall a wonderful student, however according to grades, tests, and student behavior about 950 times out of a 1,000 what the parents believe is wrong.

As far as missing school for extra curricular events like sports, FFA, and other events, students in Texas must be passing all classes as of the latest grading period and are limited to as I recall 3 days per semester or 6 a year.

There are no doubt students who can read the book and pass the test without ever attending class but that's more a function of the dumbing down of testing and class requirements than the brilliance of most students.

Again many students can do fine missing school and I have no problem with it but always remember the rules have to be for everyone and not everyone is your child. They have to legislate to the majority and in so doing create rules that cannot possibly fit every situation.

 

[Red Rover Cuties]

my senior year of highschoold a group of about three familes decided they were going to go to new orleans for mardi gras and would be out of school a total of six days, well the school would not allow it because of truency issues even though the parents were going with them and the students had not missed more than one day that year (we were allowed 7 each semester)! the parents decided that they were going anyways and "un-enrolled" (is that the right word?) their children from school for those days and then enrolled them back in school when they got back. as far as i know the school did not do anything and they graduated with me.............but it always seemed like alot of effort to me!

my son is only 18 months so this is nothing that i have to worry about right now, and he will most likely be attending a private school! but my MIL is a teacher and she uses her days for sure, for a WDW vacation i would let my son miss a few days!!

veronica

also in our school district they are asking that your child be fever free for 72 hours before returning to school so that could be a week right there, my DN missed a week due to swine flu, and my other DN missed a week and a half becuase she got swine flu right after having her tonsils removed, not sure how that affects this post but thought i would throw it in, i mean they can't hold them back if the school is asking that they stay at home right???

 

[Kath2003]

Ummm......You mean how did I feel last year when DD's 3rd grade teacher took off a week for vacation? Well, I learned to deal with it but asked myself the question that I keep coming back to.......If the teachers in our district are allowed to use all their "days off" (there's no differentiation between personal and sick days) to go on vacation, then why should the school expect to hold my family to a higher standard?

I gotta move over there - here we are expected to be in school EVERY DAY of the school year. My principal would look at me as if I were nuts if I told them was taking a 'personal day'

I would love not to pay double the price for flights, hotels etc. and go in school time, but my job is to be at school