Vacation during school year.

[indimom]

My kids get 10 days a year (excused or unexcused).
I've had years where we cut close to that line without taking a vacation.

In addition to that, now that my kids are in high school and taking dual credit courses at the community college, we have to work with their rules also.

DD's appendix ruptured in September. The high school let her make up everything and allowed an equal number of days to those she missed. The day she came back, that clock started ticking.
The community college was different. She missed a quiz and a test at the community college. By their guidelines, she was allowed to schedule a makeup test within 7 school days (and it didn't matter if she was still in the hospital on day 7, she would have to make it to the testing center and get the test in by the deadline, or take a 0 for that exam.) Luckily, she made it in by Day 6.
The quiz was forfeited. No makeup allowed. she missed it and had to take a 0.

So, at this point, there is no way I'd pull my kids out for anything less than a medical need. It's just too complicated.

 

[ShayBells]

Reading this I am so thankful I homeschool!!!

Reading this thread I wish I could homeschool lol

 

[aprilgail2]

My kids get 10 days a year (excused or unexcused).
I've had years where we cut close to that line without taking a vacation.

.

10? wow we would be in trouble every year! We get 30 before they have the option to leave them back a grade. We hit 36 one year but they promoted her anyway because she was "on or above grade level". The past few years she misses many days because she is on set doing something with acting but I do limit the amount of jobs she can take so she doesn't miss days together- one here or there not a week or two straight.

 

[indimom]

10? wow we would be in trouble every year! We get 30 before they have the option to leave them back a grade. We hit 36 one year but they promoted her anyway because she was "on or above grade level". The past few years she misses many days because she is on set doing something with acting but I do limit the amount of jobs she can take so she doesn't miss days together- one here or there not a week or two straight.

That's the stated policy. Now, I don't know anyone who has fought it, but I think you would win. Eventually. They just would make it difficult with lots of meetings and paperwork and annoyance in the meantime.

 

[Colleen27]

They built a high school here in the late 1970's that was year round, it went traditional a few years ago. And one school district went year round because houses were being built faster that they could build schools for all the kids, then the economy tanked, houses were foreclosed on, and the kids vanished. Some of those schools have gone back to traditional schedules.
Frankly, I don't care, other than we clearly need to have a longer school year if our kids are going to keep up with other countries

I don't even think that's necessary. If you look at global data, there are high-performing countries that spend more time on education and high-performing countries that spend less. Making better use of the time, spending less on testing and prep/more on actual education, moving to more balanced scheduling rather than the agrarian relic of a long summer vacation during which kids backslide educationally, etc. are all changes that are well-documented as having positive impact without adding a single hour to the average child's workload. And if we're really serious about keeping up we need to look at what we can/will do about non-educational factors that effect educational outcomes, because that's the glaring difference between us and every single country that out performs us - the lack of a social safety net, institutionalized support for families in the form of parental leave, early childhood programs, and other social efforts to ensure all kids - not just those whose parents are financially comfortable - get a good start in life.

But our culture just doesn't value education as highly as other priorities. Year-round schooling gets shot down here because "It would get the way of athletics". There's a proposal in our shrinking district to combine the two high schools - the savings on administration and larger student body would preserve/enhance the range of academic options available, but people are all up in arms about losing the football rivalry between the two schools and about the fact that consolidation of the schools would mean that fewer kids have the opportunity to play varsity sports (both schools are annual playoff contenders in the big team sports). It is more acceptable to lose AP and honors programs by remaining separate than to lose varsity football spots by combining.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I am so glad that Australian schools don't have this draconian attitude. DH and I have taken our kids out of school for up to 6 weeks at a time to travel overseas and never had a problem. The general attitude from the school (when I tell them, not ask them, about the time off) is "have a great time!" or "what a wonderful opportunity!" Sometimes they offer to give the kids work; sometimes they don't. It's never had any impact whatsoever on their grades one way or the other.

We try and incorporate the 2 week breaks held at various times of the year, so that the most they miss is 2-3 weeks either side, but it's not always possible to do that.

All this talk of children being automatically failed, making them repeat grades if they miss beyond a certain number of days, etc boggles my mind.

Last year DS1 was in grade 12, and missed about 3 weeks all up (plus the 2 weeks school holiday). He still managed to graduate top of his class and was already ahead of a lot of the work so being absent didn't make any difference.

During one trip (ironically during the 6 week Christmas holidays so therefore he didn't miss any school), we took a side trip to China. DS2 learnt more about their lifestyle in that short time than he did during the 2 month in-class stint the year before.



That is so far over the line, and a completely inappropriate invasion of privacy, that I have no words. I would never in a million years provide information like that to anyone so that a relative could get time off from school (or work). How much I spend on holidays is no one's business but mine and DH's.

But your example demonstrates the other side of the coin as well. Your child was able to miss 3 weeks & still outperform everyone else - many of whom I presume were there every single day. How would those other kids perform if they missed huge chunks of school? My guess is, not nearly as well.

The results of one top student thriving despite high absenteeism in no way proves the theory that no link exists between grades & attendance.

 

[Colleen27]

The results of one top student thriving despite high absenteeism in no way proves the theory that no link exists between grades & attendance.

To measure that, you'd have to somehow separate grades from achievement because the connection between absenteeism and grades is generally a forced connection (restrictions on what can be made up, for example). So while you might see a dip in grades at the time of a trip that may not correspond meaningfully to learning or long-term achievement.

Also, those connections are problematic because the methodology by which they've been established doesn't distinguish between involved parents taking their kids on vacation and uninvolved parents just not getting their kids off to school on a reliable basis. I suspect that you'd find the connection between attendance and grades much weaker if you controlled for other measures of importance of education within the family, or even for the basic socio-economic markers correlated with higher educational risk.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah, the public schools here started taking Presidents week and Thanksgiving week off about 10 years ago. Some schools with a large population of students who go to Mexico for Christmas now take 3 weeks at Christmas. Regional differences. Also seen
"Jersey Week" mentioned her for New Jersey teachers, they get a week off for conferences.

Jersey "Week" doesn't give New Jersey teachers a week off for anything. It's a two day conference, Thursday and Friday.

NJ schools are frequently closed on Election Day because many schools are used as polling places.

When Election Day and the Teachers' Conference occur in the same week (aka most years), parents often take children out of school for the remaining two days. But the Teachers don't get the week off.

Common misconception.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

To measure that, you'd have to somehow separate grades from achievement because the connection between absenteeism and grades is generally a forced connection (restrictions on what can be made up, for example). So while you might see a dip in grades at the time of a trip that may not correspond meaningfully to learning or long-term achievement.

Also, those connections are problematic because the methodology by which they've been established doesn't distinguish between involved parents taking their kids on vacation and uninvolved parents just not getting their kids off to school on a reliable basis. I suspect that you'd find the connection between attendance and grades much weaker if you controlled for other measures of importance of education within the family, or even for the basic socio-economic markers correlated with higher educational risk.

I don't disagree, but the problem is you cannot control those other measures. And even among similar demographics & situations, you wind up with a variety of results. There have been numerous cases listed here over the years on the Dis where posters talk about having different results even among their own children. One can hack the time off & still excel while the other cannot.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We are encouraged to not schedule vacation during state testing.

In our state, family vacations cannot be classified as legal absences from school. However, our district does not prevent vacations.

Student must make up missed work, although tests may not be able to be made up (depending on the teacher). Illegal absences of more than 3 days may result in a fine. Vacations should planned out in advance, and there's a form for "educational trips". I think of the trip is "educational", they don't count it against the 3 day illegal absence fine.

We have gone on "vacation" once during the school year. The marching band and chorus went to Walt Disney World, so our daughter was considered to be on a school trip since she was in the band. Our son came with us and marched with the band (he was in honor guard) but didn't go with the actual band since he wasn't an instrumentalist (and was a 6th grader at the time). The school didn't have a problem with it.

Also, technically I've picked up my son early from school to go to Baltimore for a baseball game. He came in late the next day. Neither of those days counted.

 

[Saimaeve]

We get a strongly worded letter saying that excessive absence will lead to prosecution for truancy or something. The letter doesn't state the actual number of days that's considered excessive, but it's automatically sent when a student misses 5 days. I called the school and they said that we were no where near the excessive amount

We've taken our daughter out twice for vacation. The first time was 2013 in the 1st grade. My husband was serving overseas and she was very sad that her dad would miss her birthday, so I took her to Disney World for a week. (And I really didnt want to plan a birthday party )

Her school was fine with it.

This year we took her out for a week and her school was more than fine with it. We asked for makeup work a few weeks ahead of time for her to do while on the trip and her teacher said not to even worry about it and to focus on time as a family.

Our daughter was performing extremely well and had no issues returning. Everything they covered while she was out were things she already knew.

Next year she will miss 1 or 2 days leading up to the school's fall break. But the school said they always see a decline in attendance those days and they do outdoor events anyway so she wouldn't miss instructional time.

 

[eliza61]

My kids went to private school up until high school. there school did not permit vacation absents.

If they were absent they received a zero for all assignments. Teachers were not allowed to accept assignments done on vacations nor give "makeup" assignments.

Absentees over 4 days without doctors notes or death in immediate family could led to being kicked out.

I did not know anyone who took vacations during the school year, I'm sure there were folks who did but don't know the outcome. I didn't know any teachers who took vacation during the school year either but then it's been a while. I don't remember any of my kids teachers being out at all.

I didn't have any problems with it. I figure it's like the dis, I'm paying to play in their world so I knew the rules before enrolling my kids.

 

[tvguy]

Jersey "Week" doesn't give New Jersey teachers a week off for anything. It's a two day conference, Thursday and Friday.

NJ schools are frequently closed on Election Day because many schools are used as polling places.

When Election Day and the Teachers' Conference occur in the same week (aka most years), parents often take children out of school for the remaining two days. But the Teachers don't get the week off.

Common misconception.

A few teachers have posted on the Cruise Line forum that they use the week for vacation, so some must not go to the conferences.

Schools are polling places here too, but they keep the school open.

 

[allison443]

Jersey "Week" doesn't give New Jersey teachers a week off for anything. It's a two day conference, Thursday and Friday.

NJ schools are frequently closed on Election Day because many schools are used as polling places.

When Election Day and the Teachers' Conference occur in the same week (aka most years), parents often take children out of school for the remaining two days. But the Teachers don't get the week off.

Common misconception.

It is the NJEA Convention (held in Atlantic City last year) and the teachers do not have to attend. So if they don't attend, they definitely do get the week off. I know a NJ teacher who goes to WDW that week every year.
Do you have a source that says it is mandatory attendance?

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

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!!

Wife of a high school teacher here. He gets 2 personal days per year and a handful of sick days. His personal days can NOT be attached to a school holiday in order to extend it. He typically winds up using his personal days in chunks to attend our kids' concerts/programs in elementary and middle school. His uncle passed away a year ago. He put in for a sub for the 2 hours he'd be gone for the funeral (at the church that is 6 blocks away from the school.) On the day of the funeral, no sub appeared. He called down to the office and was told that they couldn't get a sub after all. He missed the funeral.

We take our family vacations during school vacations.

Sorry, but I get a little huffy when people generalize and assume that teachers all take vacations whenever they want to. And I also have to say that for all of you that say your kids can just take the work with them on vacation, please be aware that that's extra work for your childs' teachers.

 

[JVL1018]

It is the NJEA Convention (held in Atlantic City last year) and the teachers do not have to attend. So if they don't attend, they definitely do get the week off. I know a NJ teacher who goes to WDW that week every year. Do you have a source that says it is mandatory attendance?

In my area(Bergen County), we definitely do not get a week off. We get the Thursday and Friday only.
Every 4 years, we *may* get Election Day off for the Presidential Election, sometimes we get a 4 hour session instead. But at no time in the past 40 years have we ever been closed for the week.

 

[DVC-Don]

When our kids were still in school our district ruled vacation absences "illegal absences" and would not give out homework in advance and would not allow missed tests to made up. Most of the kids teachers would give the missed homework upon their return and give them a week to get in it. Nothing was ever done about the "illegal absences" other than noting the missed days on report cards. Both of our kids are now grown and both graduated college. Not a big deal.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It is the NJEA Convention (held in Atlantic City last year) and the teachers do not have to attend. So if they don't attend, they definitely do get the week off.

But it's not a week. The convention is two days (Nov 6 & 7 this past year).

 

[mindygirl5238]

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.

Umm, yes there is...the student. That is if they are given the material, work, etc. These schools that say, "Nope. No work for you. You went on vacation. You get no credit." are the ones who are holding back the student. Not the parents who want to go on vacation. Students are more than capable of learning the material outside of the classroom.

As one of the previous posters mentioned, how about we base things on achievement & not numbers? There is a HUGE difference in between a good (or even average) student missing a week to go on vacation & a student who is missing days because there may be problems at home or they are not getting the type of support they need to at home. I worked in the court system of 12 years, dealing with truancy on an almost daily basis. Although, you would have to miss a whole heck of a lot more than the "school minimum" before the social worker was at your door, I suppose there are districts where the minimum is enough to send the district's social worker. It seems to me that it would be better for everyone involved if that social worker was visiting homes where the absences might be an issue, not the ones where the family simply decided to hit up Star Wars Weekends, or go visit Grandma because she got sick.

 

[Funfire240]

For our district, they are allowed one family vacation per year. They also seem easy about teachers taking off as we have a cousin who is an elementary teacher and took off the 2nd week of school last year (which IMO is not good that early because the little ones are still adjusting at the beginning of the year but like I said, IMO). Her DD was in 1st grade that year as well.

We haven't pulled out yet but have considered (DD is in 1st grade). We also have an easy 1st week in November with having Election Day off and 2 days in the elementary grades off for conferences so we have considered vacation that week and then DD would only miss 2 days of school.