Teacher's advice on missing school

[AndreaA]

I think it's important to know what you're walking into when you sign your kid up for school, and if you agree to the terms then you have to accept the consequences of your actions.

But, that said, I couldn't see myself ever agreeing to those terms. It'd feel like I was surrendering entirely too much of our family's freedom of choice to the authority of the school.

It's my job to teach my kids. I turn to schools to assist me in that task. The school system is working for me and my child, not taking over the parental role. I'm still the ultimate authority on issues concerning my child. Pulling your child out for a week's vacation is not child abuse, and should not result in your rights being taken away.

In total agreement with all of this. I would be homeschooling so fast it would make their heads spin if threat of police intervention was ever part of any school absenteeism policy. And then I would be fighting to have such policies changed even after they no longer affected me. It is shocking to me that parents let it get to that point without questioning it.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I think it's important to know what you're walking into when you sign your kid up for school, and if you agree to the terms then you have to accept the consequences of your actions.

But, that said, I couldn't see myself ever agreeing to those terms. It'd feel like I was surrendering entirely too much of our family's freedom of choice to the authority of the school.

It's my job to teach my kids. I turn to schools to assist me in that task. The school system is working for me and my child, not taking over the parental role. I'm still the ultimate authority on issues concerning my child. Pulling your child out for a week's vacation is not child abuse, and should not result in your rights being taken away.

In total agreement with all of this. I would be homeschooling so fast it would make their heads spin if threat of police intervention was ever part of any school absenteeism policy. And then I would be fighting to have such policies changed even after they no longer affected me. It is shocking to me that parents let it get to that point without questioning it.

Well said.

 

[juliebug1997]

I work 2,500+ hours a year. Kids are in school 1,080 hours a year. Working around THEIR schedule is usually the easy part

I'm laughing because people think we get the summers off too. If I'm getting the summer off, then why am I spending $1500 of my own money to spend a week in Virginia with other Latin teachers? And, no, my district won't pay for it, but they'll pay for others to go to "Human Resources Conferences" and stay in Doubletree Hotels, while I stay in a college dorm.

We did this.

We are travelling in May this year, and our middle DD is in Grade 11. So at meet the teacher night we made sure each teacher knew she would be away. Oddly enough, the only teacher with any concerns was her phys ed teacher! Math teacher said "no worries, we cans catch up when she gets back" which is what the other two teachers said.

But the gym teacher was all concerned because it was a week they were in the weight room, so her participation marks would reflect poorly. So she has to put together a whole package of work for her to do when she gets back.

Lol....because spending a week walking all over Disney wasn't enough physical activity! Lol

In all honesty, as a teacher, if I say something like, "Well, we're going to do while you're gone is really important" that's all I can say. I'm not going to be able to convince anyone that we are learning something critical to Latin that they'll need over the next two, three, or four years and that staying in school is a better idea. And also, it just makes me look like a jerk. So, to not be a jerk and in order to not get phone calls from parents, I say, "Have fun! We'll talk when you get back."

Jumping back into this thread because I've done some research that I admittedly should have done long ago and am now freaking out, waiting to hear back from our daughter's principal. In January, our town adopted a new truancy policy stating that a child will be deemed truant when they have 4 unexcused absences in a month or 10 in a year. Vacation is NOT an excused absence and since our daughter will miss 5 days of school, all in May, she will be deemed truant. I think this means that we'll be asked to attend a meeting with the administration to discuss the reason(s) for the truancy and a formal letter will go into our daughter's file. I am hoping that, since the new policy was adopted in January and our trip has been booked since last fall, we may escape any penalty, but I'm not holding my breath. I wouldn't be surprised if we are told we should have canceled our trip when the new policy was made public. Our daughter has missed 5 days of school this year due to illness (over 2 separate occasions) so our trip brings her to 10 days absent total. I am FREAKING OUT about what the principal is going to tell me and what our repercussions may be.

If we're talking about one day, I seriously doubt they're going to be punishing you or your daughter. These policies have been put in place for the kids who miss 120 of 180 days of school and whose parents do nothing to try to get them to school. Fingers crossed that everything goes okay for you!

 

[tlh]

At ten days of a student being absent throughout the semester, they send it to the court system at our school. Now what the court system does after that not quite sure. Don't know if they specifically look at excused or unexcused or both. I guess though when you plan to miss three days not so big of a deal, but what happens when they get sick, family funeral, etc. that add to the days they have already missed? .... I personally don't care either way. It's your choice what you do not anyone else's, so do whatever you think is best for your child and family. I don't judge. I myself used two personal days this year of the three I get each year to have a longer anniversary trip.

 

[juliebug1997]

At ten days of a student being absent throughout the semester, they send it to the court system at our school. Now what the court system does after that not quite sure. Don't know if they specifically look at excused or unexcused or both. I guess though when you plan to miss three days not so big of a deal, but what happens when they get sick, family funeral, etc. that add to the days they have already missed? .... I personally don't care either way. It's your choice what you do not anyone else's, so do whatever you think is best for your child and family. I don't judge. I myself used two personal days this year of the three I get each year to have a longer anniversary trip.

In my district, if you have a doctor's note or are gone for a funeral, those are excused absences. If you wake up feeling a little sick and decide to stay home and just have your mom call in, that's unexcused and it counts against you. If you're gone for a school related activity or field trip, it doesn't count against you.

 

[china mom]

I had this thread on my mind this past Sunday as I sat down with my family for Easter dinner. We have had the kids skip a few days here and there for trips and have never had any teacher be anything but supportive. BUT, SIL who teaches the 5th grade (in another county)is ugly about it to us. She will post nasty messages on Facebook when we post about a trip.

This family dinner centered around my 5th grade son missing 3 days of school for a Universal Studios trip. She scolded us about it and made it clear that when she finds out that any of her students has missed school due to family vacation, she will refuse to accept make-up work, docking grades instead or other forms of negative ramifications.

Sister don't play

 

[dis261]

Anymore than 10 unexcused days in a year and you are considered truant in our school. My children(1st grade) missed for vacation(5 days)and illness and death in the family for a total of 12 days in a year and the next thing that happen was a phone call from my local police department saying they are truant and asking why they missed those days and had to make a appointment to meet with her, After meeting with her and having to show proof of a funeral and dates missed we had to sign papers saying it will not happen again and if it does we will have to pay fine up to $1500 and/or jail. They are very strict. Also the days my kids missed due to being with their great grandmother (was on hospice and the nurse told us that she a only days to live) so we spent the last few days with her at her bedside. The school considered those days unexcused and only the day of the funeral was excused.

 

[Tebrown96]

Must be a state rule. Let me know what they say!

Heard back from the principal. She actually said "no worries", but if our daughter ends up needing to miss any school due to illness between our vacation and the end of school, she'll need a doctor's note for each occurrence. Hopefully she stays healthy the rest of the year! Much relief here, that's for sure!

 

[nalajms]

but if our daughter ends up needing to miss any school due to illness between our vacation and the end of school, she'll need a doctor's note for each occurrence.

Good to know! I guess my son will only be staying home from school if he's about to fall over What a change from daycare