Vacation during school year.

[ShayBells]

All of this makes me think. If it's illegal for a vacation. What is a vacation? Like last year my sister got married and she did it down in key west. I pulled my 5 year old out to go to the wedding. Say he was in high school. Would I have to miss my sisters wedding if I lived in the places where it's forbidden? Just out of curiosity??

 

[Darcy03231]

When my children were young there really wasn't any policy. That changed with NCLB (no child left behind). Attendance polices were created. It became that vacation was an unexcused absence. Your child was allowed 10 per year. More than 10 and they automatically had to repeat the grade. If out of school sick for more than three days you needed a doctor's note. Teachers were individually allowed to decide if they wanted to give/accept make-up work and no work was to be given ahead of time. If the teacher didn't want to, then your child got zeros for everything missed. If the teacher did agree to make-up work then the child had as many days he/she was out to get the make-up work back.

It became even more difficult for children once they hit middle and high school because our district went to semester block scheduling. Each class was 90 minutes, you had four per day, and you had it for the first two semesters. At the half year, you changed classes and had different classes for the next two semesters, again four per day, until the end of the year. A typical schedule would be to have English, Science, Foreign Language, Computer for the first half of the year and Math, History, Art/Gym (each one semester), and Health for the second half of the year.

This meant if you took your child out for a 5 day vacation, it was really like missing 10 days of school. It was very difficult for a child to make-up that kind of work, even if the teacher would accept it.

DD was out for a week with the Swine flu her senior year and the beginning of the second half. Because it was excused she was given make-up work. Luckily, she had always been a good student with no attendance issues so some of the teachers (who she had in prior years) gave her little to no work to make up. The ones that did, it took a good amount of time to catch up.

 

[Skippy918]

My mom was a teacher so we only went on vacations in the summer. She got sick days, and maybe 2 or 3 personal days and that's it. My cousin's district is the same way. When she got married, she was able to take a personal day but they ended up taking their honeymoon in the summer.
My kids district is pretty strict with attendance so I don't feel comfortable pulling them out of school. I have heard of people getting letters for absences even if the absences are excused. We will just budget for vacations in the summer.
I don't remember kids missing school for vacation when I was in school, but that was back when they had perfect attendance awards and I don't think they do that anymore. I remember a handful of people I graduated high school with had 4 year perfect attendance.

 

[NotUrsula]

Our schools will not approve it and will not give makeup work. They practically shout this policy from the rooftops so it's no surprise for anyone.

I was out for almost a month one year in elementary school because we went to Europe. There was some kind of family matter and we supposedly had to go. The school and my mother battled because I got caught up in all of my classes and passed the tests easily. They finally compromised by letting me go to summer school. I was not happy!

The simple way to deal with such a long absence is to withdraw the child entirely,, then re-enroll them when you get back. I know people who return to India for a month each January when the weather there is best, and that is what they tend to do with their kids; they formally withdraw them from school and say they will homeschool, then bring them back ane re-enroll a month later. The kids do some work while they are out, just to keep progressing, and often I'm told they end up ahead of the class on the subject matter.

 

[ICF]

Well that would depend on the parents job- where I work for the first 10 years or so you can not get a week off in the summer or a week the kids have off from school because we pick in seniority order and the senior people take all of their weeks around that- I always took 3 in summer , Thanksgiving week and Christmas Week once I had enough time to get all of those (took about 15 years!)

And depending on where you are that 180 days of school is JUST the time they spend in school- my daughter gets weeks and weeks worth of summer homework and projects- we are going away this summer for about 7 weeks and she is already working out a schedule of when she can get all the work done while we are on the road. The regular work she won't have a problem with but the projects and joint projects are going to be an issue.

Many schools also have 1-2 weeks in Mar/April for Spring break and a fall break that last at least a week as well...some schools out east (not here) have a week long break in Feb too. It's more than just Thanksgiving/Christmas -- and with a 10 week (in most cases) summer break -- most people can probably find time for a week or 2 of vacation from work during that time. Of course, given this is the Dis -- that is never the case.

As to summer projects -- that's not a thing here...thank God....or at least it has never been so far and my oldest is a Freshman.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

In my experience, it was much more rare than today, but it still happened even in the late 60s thru 1977 when I graduated HS. I never knew what kind of arrangements were made, if any, for making up assignments.

Younger DD's HS marching band was invited to perform at WDW. The band missed three school days, but it was considered excused. They still had to make up any work they missed, or do it in advance.

Oh, I'm sure it happened, I just don't remember it with anyone I knew. I do have a friend who took a week every year to go elk hunting when he was in school, but we didn't go to school together & I didn't know him then.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

That's not the same thing. Kids are there to learn and can fall behind. Teachers already know the material and can jump in at any time. That is assuming that a good substitute is brought in of course.

The teachers also give up pay to use those sick days here. They're allowed to accumulate them & be paid for them at retirement. Any they use now, they lose $$$ later.

 

[Gillyrose779]

The US has such strict attendance policies because federal funding is tied to attendance.

Bingo- I live in IL and we just had a bunch of days off b/c "it was too cold". Yes it was cold but I think it had more to do with keeping attendance up for federal funding.

 

[aprilgail2]

Many schools also have 1-2 weeks in Mar/April for Spring break and a fall break that last at least a week as well...some schools out east (not here) have a week long break in Feb too. It's more than just Thanksgiving/Christmas -- and with a 10 week (in most cases) summer break -- most people can probably find time for a week or 2 of vacation from work during that time. Of course, given this is the Dis -- that is never the case.

.

This is how my first 5 years at work went--- "ok you can have one of the first three weeks in Jan and either the first week of Nov or the first week of Dec--that is what is left for you to pick from" any weeks that included a break from school were taken by the senior people. After that I could maybe hit a week in May (but not memorial day week). Some jobs are flexible with what time off you can have but mine is strictly seniority and until you get some seniority you are at the bottom of the barrel for time off picks.

 

[nene0182]

Besides Christmas vacation (2 weeks) kids here do not get more then a 4 day weekend during the school year. This is also a large farming community which limits the time of year families can vacation. Most people I know take a yearly trip in Jan or Feb to escape the ND winter for a bit. We've personally taken our son out of school for 6 days the last 4 years and have not heard anything negative about it. In some cases he was given makeup work after the trip, one time it was before. This year he was in middle school and they just had him keep a detailed journal of our trip and it counted as full credit for all his classes.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

Our elementary and middle school don't have a specific policy. Once they get to high school it's 10 days per semester. After that they lose their grade, and just receive credit if they pass.

When I was in school my parents took us out for a week every year all the way through high school. I graduated in 1990. Our school gave us 2 days for every day you missed to turn in work. That's the same policy they have now. My kids go to the same school that I went to.

We take our kids out every other year for a week. We also take them for a day or two now and then. This year DS was in 9th grade, and I was pretty nervous about it, but it went fine. He caught up with no problems. He had most of his work done when we got home.

It's extremely common for kids in our district to take time off for vacation. I don't feel a bit guilty about it. Our school funding is based on student count days. We have them twice a year, and they let us know. Get your child to school on those days. They are pretty serious about it. We never miss count day.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My Question is, are the teacher's allowed to take vacation during the school year? You better believe they are it's in there union contract. I say if teachers are allowed so should the kids and have a great trip!!

I agree.

But yes teachers are permitted and are quick to point out it is "no different than any other job". To which I say that isn't sufficient reason to make it wrong or illegal for the parents to take their family vacations as they please just like the teachers feel entitled to do.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Ours strongly discourages school year vacations. The rule is no makeup work even if it's a test and they are not excused.

After 5 unexcused absences, the school social worker comes to your house. Happened to a neighbor who was in a rental house.
One more unexcused absence and she was told she would be taken to court. They moved out the next month - she said she didn't want to live in a school system that didn't believe in family vacations.

 

[kaytieeldr]

My Question is, are the teacher's allowed to take vacation during the school year? You better believe they are it's in there union contract. I say if teachers are allowed so should the kids and have a great trip!!

When a teacher is absent, the procedure is to get a substitute teacher to instruct the class, so teaching still gets done. Teacher vacation time word still need to be approved or denied. It's not automatic.

When a student is absent, there isn't any way for anyone to learn the information for that student.

 

[kaytieeldr]

School isn't jail. Kids are in school here 182 days - that's less than 1/2 the year. There have to be rules and limits or there would be mayhem - there are always parents/students pushing the envelope.

I don't know when your kids were in school or what grades you pulled them out of but my dd's hs classes are very fast paced. Missing more than 2 days in a row requires a lot of effort to make up.

Even just in this thread, at least one poster described abusing the absence policy, and at least one other is considering it.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

This is how my first 5 years at work went--- "ok you can have one of the first three weeks in Jan and either the first week of Nov or the first week of Dec--that is what is left for you to pick from" any weeks that included a break from school were taken by the senior people. After that I could maybe hit a week in May (but not memorial day week). Some jobs are flexible with what time off you can have but mine is strictly seniority and until you get some seniority you are at the bottom of the barrel for time off picks.

That's how it is for a friend of mine. Fortunately everywhere I've been, the senior employees got to pick ONE period off (week, 2 straight, whatever), then it moved down the line. They couldn't schedule their 2nd vacation until after everyone had a chance to pick their first. Even with a lot of people at 6 weeks of vacation, there were always some decent dates left for the newbies. Much more fair system IMO.

 

[disney1990]

I know it's always a spilt decision. Some people are against it and some people are for it,but I'm curious after reading a comment about checking with your child's school on policy.

Is there any school out there that forbids taking a child out of school for vacation? It seems harsh. What's the punishment, expulsion?

I know my kids catholic school kinda frowns upon it, but there is no punishment and no real rule.

We live in a County in Maryland. Students take are off for vacation are now allowed to make up any work, quizzes, or tests. They receive a zero for everything they have missed. Over the course of a week, that can really affect a students grade.

 

[Minnesota!]

My kids school is fine with vacations... We have done it before. However, my older son is now in 5th and I do not like taking him out for more than day or two now...too much is missed. He will be missing 3.5 days in March and I am sweating it a little! I think a school having a strict policy against it is ridiculous. Within reason, it should be the parents call...

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My kids school is fine with vacations... We have done it before. However, my older son is now in 5th and I do not like taking him out for more than day or two now...too much is missed. He will be missing 3.5 days in March and I am sweating it a little! I think a school having a strict policy against it is ridiculous. Within reason, it should be the parents call...

I think the problem with "within reason" is its too subjective. Everyone has a different opinion.

I think different schools have different situations too. Our district has 2 breaks that are a week or more - Christmas & Summer. Other places have 2-3 additional full week breaks. That would make scheduling "around" school much easier. And as such, one could justify the stricter attendance in the latter case easier than the former.



My personal opinion is that if you CAN schedule vacation around school, you really should. If those who really CAN'T schedule around school were the only ones who did pull their kids for vacation, the attendance issue wouldn't be that much of an issue IMO.

 

[bethy]

We have pulled our kids out of school every year for vacation for years. But next year our second daughter will be a fifth grader and she is going to a middle school where it will not be easy for her to catch up if she misses school. Part of it is the school, part of it is her personality and academic ability.

Sooo next year is our last hurrah and we are pulling her out for two weeks for an awesome vacation.

None of my kids have ever had their grades affected by doing this so far and we do live an area where it is extremely common for families to vacation multiple times per year, PLUS travel for sports and dance programs, etc. I figure that if their grades and test scores aren't affected, what can the school really say? And in our case even if their grades had been affected a teeny bit we would have still felt it was worth it for our family.

We have many, many personal, logistical and family reasons for doing this that I won't bother to outline here (or to the school).

Can't wait!

After next year, we will vacation far less frequently and our vacations will be far more modest - all the way through paying for the last kids college education.