Taking Kids Out Of School

[drewc]

We've taken our kids out a few times. This spring, we took a couple of days to go to Disneyland, and the kids got all their extra homework done on the plane ride (we live in NY).

We're taking them out in December for a WDW, which will be all new teachers.

So far, we've never had a problem with teachers resenting the time (kids are in Kindergarten and 1st grade), and they have been helpful about providing extra work and projects.

We'll call it quits when our oldest gets into 7th or 8th grade though. Then I think it is more difficult to catch up - at that level more concepts are being introduced, and there is less of the repetition that you have in elementary school.

Avoiding the school break is definitely worth in terms of having an enjoyable vacation.

 

[disneynutsss]

As long as they are not failing or in danger of failing I say take them out of school!! it is definitely worth it, and the kids can make up the work.

 

[suerob]

YES but it makes me a little nervous. In our state kids are only allowed ten abscences per year. Last year my daughter missed four days due to Disney trip, so we just hoped that she wouldn't get sick much and miss more than six days thoughout the year. She ended up only missing six days all year and none were sick days. We'd do it again but have chosen to go during summer this year so we can go longer.

 

[reeddi]

I agree with the last post. Before you say "I will take my kids out for as long and when I feel like it" (not actual saying just attitude)
You better know what your school district says. You may be dooming your kid to failure just to take a vacation. No vacation is worth that.
I do know in my system they are allow 5 days of "outside education time". So we never take them out for more than that.
I got lucky for our next vacation, in that our system has changed the schedule next year to have a week off in the Fall.
While I agree that they are our children I would never do anything to hurt them in school as that is more important in the long run.

 

[HenDuck]

We went to a preschool (yes, PRESCHOOL) meeting where the administrator told us that all the parents had to sign a contract stating that they would bring their 3 and 4 year olds to school everyday unless they are sick. She went on to specifically say, "So you know those trips to Disneyland you're planning, you'll have to do it during our breaks."

What the????

Well, to make a long story short, it basically boils down to the fact that the school is petrified to lose its funding which is based on standardized test scores (of preschoolers, mind you). So the school's position is that your child needs to be there everyday for testing and achievement purposes.

Yeah right, guess where my DS is NOT going to preschool???

Anyway, I plan on taking him on vacation with us, even during school days, until he's at least in the 3rd grade. So to that preschool!

 

[dizagain]

Wow, HenDuck...wise decision! I would've been outa there too!!!That's the craziest thing I've ever heard - and I'm a former Pre-K/present K teacher!

We took DD's -1st and 3rd Grade - out for four days last May and will most definitely do it same time next year as 3rd and 5th Graders. Teachers were fine with it and one gave TONS of work while the other did not. My girls were caught up on the trip. I choose early May because they are just about finished with lessons and state testing is over. I think it's great and I'll continue to pull them as long as they are willing. I feel my older DD will not like the idea of missing school once she hits competitive middle school, so we're enjoying one last harrah!

We are parents and we make choices for our children. DH cannot travel easily in the summer, and special family trips are so important to us!

 

[t-roy]

Do your schools have teacher work days? Sometimes these days fall together in our school year. When they do we utilize that time to go away. In October we usually have three twd together on Thu, Fri and Mon. The same week they had parent/teacher conferences Mon-Wed. Since this was pre-k the teacher had no problem having my conference early. I'm doing the same this year and will only have to take him out for three days.

Even though ds was in pre-K we kept a journal and drew pictures each night. When he got back to school the teacher shared these with the class and ds felt special all over again.
:thewave:

 

[DizneeCM]

We took our kids out for 5 school days when they were in first or second grade. It wasn't too much of a problem then. I've avoided taking them out for any trips since then - the work piles up too much (our district doesn't allow the teachers to give the work out ahead of time). Also, our district only allows 5 "educational trip" days per school year.

 

[CindyKansas]

Since 1997 we have taken DD out of school at certain times of the year to visit WDW. We did spend 3 weeks in Florida last June/July and I will never go back to Florida in the summer. Too hot and humid for me. We are taking DD (who is 15) out of school this fall, October 22-November 3rd. to visit. We have the Eastbound Repo cruise scheduled for August 2005 and she will miss the first 2 weeks of school. But, I have to believe, that she will be better off having seen the great sites that she will see. We were fortunate that 2 times when we visted WDW the space shuttle launched. We drove out to Cape Canaveral for the late night launch and it was awesome. You could feel the ground shake and the sky just lit up.

She missed 2 weeks of school this year due to illness and she was able to catch up in only a few days. I went out to the school on more than one occasion to pick up her homework and there was none. The teachers told me that she was a good enough student that she could catch up. I think it depends on the child.

 

[RLewis]

he-he - the evil teachers speak out! No taking your little kiddies out for some family fun - they're staying here with ME (and your little dog , too).

Relax, just pulling your school bell (my DW is a teacher)

BTW - wee-hagis said:"The timing of exams and testing is something that the parents would have to suss out." What in the world is "suss out"? I must have been out when they went over that (I was sick. Honest).

 

[wee-haggis]

Originally posted by RLewis
he-he - the evil teachers speak out! No taking your little kiddies out for some family fun - they're staying here with ME (and your little dog , too).

Relax, just pulling your school bell (my DW is a teacher)

BTW - wee-hagis said:"The timing of exams and testing is something that the parents would have to suss out." What in the world is "suss out"? I must have been out when they went over that (I was sick. Honest).

RLewis...see here:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=suss out
I guess you were absent that day!

 

[BoyLovesBuzz]

Its called truancy....its really not a matter of opinion.

 

[ChuckGA]

Its called truancy....its really not a matter of opinion.

That is correct but the punishment for truancy is definitely a matter of opinion. Some kids could go to school every day of the year and still not get even average grades. Other kids could go to school every 3rd day and still be a straight A student. The punishment should be commensurate with the impact on the child's education. "A" students will still have an A-level understanding of all the material even after a 5-day truancy to WDW.

Chuck

 

[bigbabyblues]

I would probably take DS out of school in mid-October, when the schools are already closed on a Thursday and a Friday for a local festival. I probably would take him out Wednesday too, fly down on Tuesday night, and have a 5-day trip.

Will have to see when he's older, but I'm mentally planning our next trip the year he's in kindergarten (2006).

Steph

 

[wee-haggis]

Definition of Truancy:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/t/t0384800.html

mmm....permission ?
I guess it is a matter of opinion as to whether they should have permission or not.(it depends on the school district rulings).
In our area (for example),the school does not dictate as to whether the child can leave school during the school year or not.
Thats up to the parents.

 

[magiroux]

I have taken my DD (8) out of school every year and am doing so in Dec for the 10 day DC. Although, because of some of the changes in the way our schools are tested and graded this is the last year that I will be doing this.

Our standardized test scores are calculated such that absenteeism of students are worked into the overall score. Our school scores very well in our district except when you work in the absenteeism, our school is almost failing. We have a very large Brazillian population in our school and during X-Mas it is not uncommon for the families to go back to Brazil and spend 2-4 weeks (I don't think they care for our New England winters) visiting.

The school administrators are trying to correct this with a few adjustments in the school schedule this year. For example: the day after Columbus Day is a Teacher Professional Day (teachers work but no school)and notouriously families would go to Disney because they would only be missing 3 days of school and could have a 10 day vacation. They moved that day. The other one was MLK, the day after was also a Professional Day and that was a great week to take the kids skiing for the week. It actually works out great for working parents that do not have access to day care (they figure the work week is a bust anyway). Also, we used to have 1/2 day, day b-4 Thanksgiving. Now we have the whole day off because attendance city wide that day is around 60%. That day just gets added onto the end of the year.

As I said we have always taken our DD out of school(usually the week b-4 X-Mas when we know there is not much learning going on in elementary school anyway) but I know that it is going to be frowned upon, if not made difficult for parents by administrators to do this any longer in our district. Basically thier job performance is being judged by these scores and I find it hard to believe they will continue to be so accomodating.