Why such stress over taking kids out of school?

[mom2grace]

I understand the issue somewhat with high schoolers, so let's except that age.

But, why the big deal?! We will be taking DD out of school for a week in February (not over the holiday) for a Disney cruise. She goes to all day, everyday kindergarten at a Catholic school where we attend and are active. But, even if she went to a public school, I would have no qualms taking her out.

I asked DD's teacher this week how many days they can miss because she missed and I took her to the Dr. Her teacher said 40, yes FORTY days! (They don't know about the trip yet, it's DD and DS's Christmas present, and I guess DH & mine too!) The teacher said that being tardy is a bigger issue, which I also don't get, at least the child is there!

Now, when we take her out in 2nd grade for her brother's 5th birthday trip to WDW during the school year, I will speak to the teacher about getting work to do ahead, or while we are there, or afterward.

But, really, it's only a week, and some winters kids miss a whole week with cold/flu/whatever!

And, I expect my children to be great students, DH & I both have Master degrees, so it's not that we don't value education, we do. But, WE are the parents and we have final say about what happens with our kids!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

With younger kids it is usually not a problem to take them out for vacation, especially if they are good students and rarely miss due to illness. As they get older, say 8th through 12th grade it becomes harder for them to make up work in all those classes. Some school districts put limits on the number of days a student can miss and still recieve credit for the class. In my district high schoolers can only miss(excused or not)6 days of a class before they must go to school extra hours to make up the absence or repeat the class. After 10 unexcused absences a computer automatically reports the info to the DA who then "invites" the parents to a meeting. Illness, death in the family or ilness in the family requireing the help of the child are the only excused absences and unfortunaly the choice to excuse vacations based on the individuals grades and attendance has been removed from the schools.
ETA: Religous holidays are excused.

 

[mimif1]

In our district, five days of unexcused absences get a note from the district about the attendance policy. After 10, you also get the nice court visit. Jail time follows if your kid keeps missing. Three tardys counts as an unexcused absence. Also, the teacher doesn't have to let the child make up work from an unexcused absence. Most do, but I have heard of some that don't let the kids make up the work and make them take zeros. It's the make-up work that I'd be concerned with here. As long as the teacher allows the work to be make up, I'd go for it.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Don't you just love the Knox County Schools attendance policy?!? If you don't have a high schooler yet just wait till you learn about "time for time" and block scheduals.

 

[NARM Forever]

Personally, we are fortunate that we have a Board that does not frown (too much) on taking vacation during term time and a teacher who supports it. However, for many of my UK friends it is a BIG issue as so many people were doing it. Don't think that they've quite got around to the jailtime but they are certainly clamping down on it.

You, and for that matter I, might not think its a big issue, especially because we are only taking our kids out for a week and probably look for some educational aspects during the vacation. However, some authorities do think it matters and that will certainly cause people to stress about whether or not to do it.

My DS is in a special ed class and if his teacher was not supportive, I would certainly not take him out, as this may jeopadise his chances of another placement.

NARM

 

[Tissa]

We have a strict attendence policy around her but I decided for the first time last month to have them miss five days for our WDW trip. Well here we are back a few weeks later and they are both sick with colds and have missed three days. Way too stressful for me, I'll never take them out for more than one day again.

 

[minniebeth]

[ETA: Religous holidays are excused.[/QUOTE]


Isn't going to WDW a religious experience??!!
(JUST KIDDING!)

 

[liamsaunt]

My sister pulled my nephew for six days for our recent trip. The teacher and the school system was fine with it. In fact, she called my sister the day we got back to tell her that Liam talked more the day he returned than he had for the entire year so far!

 

[mom2grace]

In our district, five days of unexcused absences get a note from the district about the attendance policy. After 10, you also get the nice court visit. Jail time follows if your kid keeps missing.

Do they really follow through with this? Our state law is 40 days, and while schools (including ours) encourage regular attendance, I think that it would only take 1 parent to challenge a school system in our state to get other schools to back down if they tried to enforce by "law" something that is not yet unlawful.

And, I do understand that some parents just don't care and need the threat of "the law" to get them to get their kids to school.

Now, please don't get me wrong, my mom was a teacher my whole life, my DD has missed 2 days this year, both times she was sick enough that I took her to the dr., and we make all of our regular appointments after school hours.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Do they really follow through with this? Our state law is 40 days, and while schools (including ours) encourage regular attendance, I think that it would only take 1 parent to challenge a school system in our state to get other schools to back down if they tried to enforce by "law" something that is not yet unlawful.

And, I do understand that some parents just don't care and need the threat of "the law" to get them to get their kids to school.

Now, please don't get me wrong, my mom was a teacher my whole life, my DD has missed 2 days this year, both times she was sick enough that I took her to the dr., and we make all of our regular appointments after school hours.

Yes they really do follow through, it makes the evening news. Last year I think 2 parents actually were booked into the county jail for contributing to the deliquency of a minor. At the magic 10, you are required to attend a meeting with all the other lucky parents, where you are warned to keep your kids in school. If you don't go to the meeting or if your kids still miss class they will go looking for you.

 

[DisneyDotty]

In our district, vacation days are considered unexcused--thus, no work is given to the students before they leave, and make up work is at the teacher's discretion. This might make some parents stressed, but we knew the policy when we moved into the district. We're willing to accept the consequences--or we have the option of homeschooling/seeking another (albeit private) school.

Now speaking as a former high school teacher, there's a philosophy that make up work/handouts do not adequately compensate for what went on in the classroom. Thus, school time is important--and needs to be treated as such. And really--don't we as parents hope that our kids missed SOMETHING when they were absent from school? (I know that when we pulled our kids two days out of school last year just before Christmas break, they were able to make up the work within an hour of their return because of all the holiday parties/fluff videos etc. At some point I think--why don't they just give those days off and be done with it!?)

Although ideally it should be up to the parents to decide what's best for their own children, history has shown that parents don't always make the best decisions. Thus, we all have to deal with the policies/laws. If we don't like them, we need to change them or move ourselves to a district that is more in line with our philosophy. Or just accept the consequences of violating the policy. (A couple of unexcused absences on one's permanent record isn't really going to end the world as we know it. )

Off my soap box now...

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm waiting for someone to show me proof of a situation where a parent notified the school in writing in advance of the absence, asked for work and made sure it was done on time, and *still* got prosecuted over allowing the child to be absent.

It simply doesn't make any sense for a court to waste time prosecuting in situations like these when they have real neglect cases on the docket; cases where kids are unsupervised and may be in danger.

 

[PoohHappens]

My niece went to school in Texas and they were extremely strict. Any unexcused absence resuts in zeros and not much is excused. You have to have a physician note if you miss more than 2 days for being sick. If a family member dies you are allowed 1 day, if it is a parent you get a whopping 3 days. This really is true, not made up. My father, her grandfather died while she was in school. They lived 14 hours away driving. We checked the policy when we knew he was becoming so ill. It just happened that my father died right before her spring break so she sas able to grieve and attend the funerals and spend important time with the family. Her friends mother died that year and they expected her back at school 3 days later. I am sorry but this is crazy. Even if it is for a family vacation. Family is important and they are my children not the schools. I know many schools get funding based on attendence records and that is why some of the rules are so strict. Many private schools are more flexible with this. I do not think a family should make a habit of it and should not become a problem, but missing one week in the whole school year, I really am OK with that.

 

[scraptoons]

Here in Texas, you can be reported to Child Protection Services, fined, jailed, if your child exceeds 18 unexcused absenceses.

Taking kids out of school for a vacation is not excused.

So, we're normally perfect attendees. But we're missing 5 days.

If our kids are sick, I can get a doctor's note and the absence will be excused.

It is ridiculous, but supposedly there is a huge problem or else it wouldn't be so restrictive.

 

[agnes!]

IMO the recent stricter attendance policies have a lot to do with Federal funding for the schools(No Child Left Behind, etc).

agnes!

 

[crisi]

Minnesota and California both have their school funding tied to attendence, not just enrollment. So when kids miss days, the schools lose state money. Since schools often operate with shoestring margins, that can make it very difficult to operate.