Taking the kiddos out of school for a WDW trip...

[DisneyGal24]

Public school teacher here. I must say I would never punish a student for missing school to go on vacation. In fact I had a student who missed a week this year. Her parents requested work. I told the parents not to worry and we'd catch her up when she returned. If I wanted to pull my kids out and the school district gave me problems (my kids are in a different district from me) I would:
1) withdraw them from school to "homeschool"
2) go on vacation homework free and have a blast
3) re-enroll my children upon return and say "homeschooling" just didn't work out for us
I may get flamed for this but honestly schools are worried about two things: money and test scores. They get money each day a child's at school and they want high scores. True, if a child's not there then they aren't learning what they need. I see that everyday. However, If they are a good student it shouldn't matter!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Public school teacher here. I must say I would never punish a student for missing school to go on vacation. In fact I had a student who missed a week this year. Her parents requested work. I told the parents not to worry and we'd catch her up when she returned. If I wanted to pull my kids out and the school district gave me problems (my kids are in a different district from me) I would:
1) withdraw them from school to "homeschool"
2) go on vacation homework free and have a blast
3) re-enroll my children upon return and say "homeschooling" just didn't work out for us
I may get flamed for this but honestly schools are worried about two things: money and test scores. They get money each day a child's at school and they want high scores. True, if a child's not there then they aren't learning what they need. I see that everyday. However, If they are a good student it shouldn't matter!

On that last line, I think you'd agree though that you can't make different rules for different kids though, right?

 

[cattywampus]

On that last line, I think you'd agree though that you can't make different rules for different kids though, right?

He/She isn't suggesting a rule...just common sense.

Schools are too busy making one size fits all rules that require no thinking/judgement on anyone's part. Zero tolerance is a perfect example that drives me crazy. The people in charge of teaching kids how to think can't be expected to actually think.... swell.

Most parents are capable of working with a teacher to understand where their kids are academically. I don't want the schools trying to enforce one size fits all for the exceptions to that.

I agree almost all attendance policies are based on money and, secondarily, test scores. Actual student academic welfare is waaaaay down the list of motivating factors and it isn't the teachers making those policies.

Thank you Disneygal24 for your honest post.

 

[olwyngdh]

We took DD12 out for a half a week in K, her teachers response was "Bring me some chocolate from England in Epcot." The next week that she missed because of the swine flu that she picked up at Disney, the teacher sent work home for her. We did it again in 3rd grade and I made a journal for her to keep, all disney themed, with pages to fill out for every park, dinner, etc on what she learned, her favorite thing of the day, dining reviews, etc. Her teacher said it was WAY more than she needed, but one of the most fun projects she had ever seen, and showed it to all the other teachers. Based on the Journal, she gave my daughter a 100% for the week she missed. the last two trips I have been homeschooling, so I just scheduled her time off for the time we were gone--and she still found ways to make it educational. We spent a LOT of time designing and riding roller coasters for example because she is interested in engineering. I tend to hit "Bored now" faster than she does. The front half of Epcot is a full day park for her and she complains that she needs more time. We also spend a lot of time at Conservation Station at AK and I take a nap while she plies the vets with questions. I think she knows more about animal poop than any child should.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

He/She isn't suggesting a rule...just common sense.

Schools are too busy making one size fits all rules that require no thinking/judgement on anyone's part. Zero tolerance is a perfect example that drives me crazy. The people in charge of teaching kids how to think can't be expected to actually think.... swell.

Most parents are capable of working with a teacher to understand where their kids are academically. I don't want the schools trying to enforce one size fits all for the exceptions to that.

I agree almost all attendance policies are based on money and, secondarily, test scores. Actual student academic welfare is waaaaay down the list of motivating factors and it isn't the teachers making those policies.

Thank you Disneygal24 for your honest post.

But the point is we all understand that there has to be some sort of guideline & that if ALL the parents used common sense a little more, the school wouldn't need to come down hard on everyone with the one-size-fits-all rule.

 

[Bamagirl43]

You know, my kids rarely miss school. They are only out for illness, usually 3 - 4 days a year total. I did some investigating yesterday about what will happen when I take my two children out for 4 days next Dec.(never taken them out before). I learned we will most likely be called in for a conference about the importance of education.

I miss the old fashioned PTA or PTO where parents and teachers would work together and would not tolerate this kind of bs. PTA now means send me money, work at the fundraiser, volunteer to help and send me more money. The school doesn't care about my children, only getting money based on attendance. They are stressing me out, putting a damper on the fun and I think I will tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine. Maybe DD16 will not be feeling well during the all important "testing".

 

[cattywampus]

But the point is we all understand that there has to be some sort of guideline & that if ALL the parents used common sense a little more, the school wouldn't need to come down hard on everyone with the one-size-fits-all rule.

I will not allow lowest denominator rule making to affect my family decisions. Period.

If school officials are unable to discern one from the other, they have no business in the education field. Sheer laziness.

Bamagirl: I couldn't agree more and they could call me to a conference all they want. They better hope I don't show up because the "conference" topics would differ significantly from what they they think they will be.

School officials (not teachers) need to get their egos under check. They are not in control. I make all decisions for my child.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

My son is in 2nd grade. I pulled him out of school last year for our trip and I am pulling him out of school this year for our trip. He is very advanced for his age he rarely misses any school. Has only missed 1 day so far this year but it was bc he was in surgery and had a drs note so that is an excused absence. When I told the teacher she had no problem with it...we usually get take home work and he also does a vacation journal for extra credit.

Now when he gets to be in middle school we will most likely stop pulling him out for vacations but I am enjoying the time I have with him while he is still young enough to believe in the magic lol

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I will not allow lowest denominator rule making to affect my family decisions. Period.

If school officials are unable to discern one from the other, they have no business in the education field. Sheer laziness.

Bamagirl: I couldn't agree more and they could call me to a conference all they want. They better hope I don't show up because the "conference" topics would differ significantly from what they they think they will be.

School officials (not teachers) need to get their egos under check. They are not in control. I make all decisions for my child.

Walk a mile in their shoes before you make that judgement. That's all I'm saying.

 

[MandiC]

We pulled our girls out last year and would do it again. Their teachers said they didn't even skip a beat with their classwork.
I am all about the value of education (I am the mom who has summer bridge workbooks we do throughout the summer, summer school and I get workbooks throughout the school year for extra practice for the kids) but I think life experience is just as important, if not more.

 

[stitchfan75]

We will be driving down this road next November (2015). Our kids will be in 7th and 8th grade. We had initially planned a vacation that would have taken them out of school for 10 days. We quickly realized that would be crazy so we rearranged our dates so they are only out 8 (7 if we can get really cheap airfare and fly).
In the past we have taken our kids out of school for up to two weeks. That was for a medieval event we were on staff for and the kids wrote a journal plus did makeup work while we were on site.
Honestly the only thing keeping us from doing Connections Academy is the fact our kids have so many friends at school. I'm just about over the government telling me how I can raise my kids.
My issue is that going after a family that takes their kid on vacation yet doing nothing about the kid that is actually "missing" from school does nothing to solve the problem. The problem with education is not those kids that are accounted for, it's the ones that fall off the radar that they need to focus on.

 

[cattywampus]

Walk a mile in their shoes before you make that judgement. That's all I'm saying.

Oh, please. I get that the school system is challenging. That does not give them authority to tell me what I can and can't do with my child.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Oh, please. I get that the school system is challenging. That does not give them authority to tell me what I can and can't do with my child.

And comments like your last two only prove my point. Frankly, you come off more like "that parent" who was the REASON for the rule in the first place - not someone deserving of "special consideration" to get around it.

 

[DisneyGal24]

On that last line, I think you'd agree though that you can't make different rules for different kids though, right?

You're right. However, the rule should be if your child is an attendance problem or a struggling student then no absences for vacation. If a child has a good record of attendance and is on grade level then missing one week a year shouldn't be an issue.

 

[DisneyGal24]

Walk a mile in their shoes before you make that judgement. That's all I'm saying.

Many administrators are so far removed from the classroom that they "magically" forget what it was like to be in the trenches and work with kids daily. They forget those situations where exceptions need to be made and try to administrate with a one size fits all approach.

 

[cattywampus]

And comments like your last two only prove my point. Frankly, you come off more like "that parent" who was the REASON for the rule in the first place - not someone deserving of "special consideration" to get around it.

And you just proved my point. I don't need special permission -- it's my kid!

I'm guessing you are a school official. When challenged in any way, the threat of being labeled "that parent" comes out (which, by the way, I couldn't care less about, although I happen to have an excellent relationship with DS's teacher). You don't have to worry your pretty little head about my child's attendance or school performance. Rest assured he is in the upper percentile on both -- hence why his teacher has no problem with him missing this coming week.

My job is to advocate for my kid. When that advocacy is at odds with school officials, it makes me question their motivation. Again, I want to be clear, I am not talking about teachers. An awful lot of teachers agree with me and are glad "that parent" is willing to speak out where they can not.

 

[smylie1]

In NC, schools are charged with upholding the Compulsory Attendance Law. When you register your child in a public school, you are entering a contract to abide by all laws associated with attending a public school. As of 2005, it is a class 1 misdemeanor for children over the age of 7, and under the age of 16, to have an excessive number of unexcused absences. For us, 15 absences is when further steps to improve attendance are taken. But even then, court is only after parent/teacher conferences, and meetings with the county attendance counselor are held, and that is only for extreme cases. Of course there are always illnesses that keep kids home, so if they have doctor's notes, meetings are usually not even called. We are in our 11th week of school and we have one child who as missed 17 days. No parent written notes, no dr. notes, but the child does tell her teacher that mom let her have a day "off". I don't think people realize how many parents simply wouldn't bring their children to school unless there is a repercussion for not doing so. I didn't realize it until I took the data manager's position in an elementary school.

As far as it being your child, that is ABSOLUTELY right! Just like my children are mine, and I also take them out of school for a week at WDW, as well as saving my own vacation days so that I can take off as well. In my district, if there are no other attendance issues, you will get nothing but a "have a great time!" from us. You will probably receive the notification letter that we must send saying that your child has missed X number of days, but that's it. Anyway, the laws are there. The principal, the data manager, the teacher, and the school board didn't make them. The state did. We just get to be the lucky ones to try to enforce them, and get cursed at and threatened when we do.

You know the best thing though? As of right now, we are still a free country, and you DO NOT HAVE to register your children in public school. Homeschooling and private schools are always an option. A better option for some.

But yeah, we're taking DS out of school the week of January 25th - 31st!! Informed his teachers the first week of this school year. I'll get the letter informing me that he wasn't in school, and I'm perfectly fine with that!

 

[LovesTimone]

This year will be the first time we do this. DS is in first grade. My MIL is a first grsde teacher at a neighboring school and I was really dreading telling her. She never ever took her kids out of school for vacations. My parents did all the time. My MIL was awesome and told me exactly what to say to the school and the teacher. Our families have been through some really tough stuff the last couple of years, stuff that I would never wish on anyone and MIL reminded me that sometimes, a good solid week of family bonding and straight up fun is more important and educational than anything else.

Could not agree more.