Would you let your eighth grader do this? (Update, first post)

[abdmom]

Another teacher who likes her job here.

If the teacher is going with her own students, she is NOT a private citizen. She has a position of authority over these kids. She has a responsibility to make sure any trips she goes on with those students are sanctioned by the administration.

IF the administration is OK with all of this, I would have serious issues with THEM.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

As long as I trusted the chaperones, sure. It's not like they do anything at the end anyway. As long as your child isn't missing any valuable school work, why not. To me this is the same as my child going with friends and friends' parents any day of the summer.

 

[lajones81]

Teacher should re-think....could get into serious trouble for that! (retired teacher here)

I agree! (Teacher, too!)

 

[hereyago]

Since they wouldn't be taking a bus, that means how ever many kids would be riding with the chaperones, correct? or unless their parents took them? Unless I really knew the chaperone, probably not. Would I take DD myself,yes.

 

[ThreeBeans]

Was there a particular reason they couldn't do it the day after school lets out for the year or something?

I understand 'senior skip day'....but they're just kids.

 

[michellev]

I don't understand why the teacher would have a day off next week. Are you in Ontario? I'm a teacher as well and we work right through until June 30th. As far as I know, teachers in Ontario do not get random days off during the school year.

The skip day thing doesn't bother me as much as the teacher attending/sanctioning the day.

 

[travelbug]

Was there a particular reason they couldn't do it the day after school lets out for the year or something?

That's my question too. Why the need to go when school is still in session? Could they go when school lets out?

Anyway, to answer the original question - no. If/when it becomes a school sanctioned activity, then it would get another look.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Teacher should re-think....could get into serious trouble for that! (retired teacher here)

I was thinking the same thing. It has the potential to blow up for all concerned.

No. Mine wouldn't go. They could go when school is out.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

Okay, so given the reaction to a bus driver stopping to let some eighth graders have some ice cream, I'm wondering what you all think of this scenario...

My son's eighth grade class is ditching school next week to go to a local water park. Six parents have agreed to drive and one teacher will also be going with them. This is NOT an approved, school arranged trip. There are no insurance forms or permissions, and they'll all be marked absent for the day.

The children organized it all themselves, figuring out how they are going to get there and who will be driving them, and how they'll be getting home.

Would you let your child do this?

This is a completely different scenario than the busdriver/DQ one for ME. In that situation, I didnt approve, because, as I said in that one if I have an expectation that my child is in school or on a bus route, that is where I want them unless I hear otherwise.

I would totally let my child go to the waterpark, as long as I was comfortable with the chaperones, and I felt like my kid was mature enought to behave themselves with what is most likely little supervision. Of course, I am one of those parents that lets my child miss school for a day of skiing or a weeks vacation, so missing a day of school, especially in the last week when not much is going on would not be a big deal for me.

Now, if I sent my kid to school and found out that the teacher brought them to a waterpark and I didnt know about it, that is a whole different story!!!!

 

[ThreeBeans]

I don't understand why the teacher would have a day off next week. Are you in Ontario? I'm a teacher as well and we work right through until June 30th. As far as I know, teachers in Ontario do not get random days off during the school year.

The skip day thing doesn't bother me as much as the teacher attending/sanctioning the day.

She's probably taking a personal day.

 

[hereyago]

I mean is the teacher about to retire and wants to go out with a bang, because what are the odds of the teacher taking a day off, and several kids not being there, even at the end of the year, kids talk.

 

[Magpie]

I don't understand why the teacher would have a day off next week. Are you in Ontario? I'm a teacher as well and we work right through until June 30th. As far as I know, teachers in Ontario do not get random days off during the school year.

The skip day thing doesn't bother me as much as the teacher attending/sanctioning the day.

I don't know... that's what a parent told me.

I have no idea how they organize teacher schedules in my town. But I assume teachers can book time off, if they want. She's obviously not hiding her plans for the day from the administration, either. They're all meeting AT school, and leaving from the school parking lot, shortly after classes have begun for the day.

A friend of mine (with adult children, plus one still in high school) just commented that they have to do it this way, because the school district doesn't allow any school trips that involve swimming for liability reasons. Thus the "unofficial" nature of the trip.


P.S. I should add that I had to send in a note to the office yesterday excusing my son from school for that day. All the children had to do that. If there's no note, they can't leave the school grounds.

 

[michellev]

She's probably taking a personal day.

In my school board there are no personal days. So I hope she isn't in my school board. lol

 

[golfgal]

Sure I would let my kids go. There is no "liability" issue here, this is NOT a school function. I don't think it is smart for the teacher to go for her own career but she would NOT be held liable if anything happened to anyone. She is just along for the ride just like the rest of the parents going. This is no different then a bunch of families planning a trip somewhere in the summer, they just happen to be pulling their kids out of school to do so. I think it would be a GREAT tradition for the school to start given the geographic situation of the high schools

 

[ThreeBeans]

In my school board there are no personal days. So I hope she isn't in my school board. lol

In our area most teachers and other public employees receive something like three personal days annually. They aren't sick days, and they aren't vacation days. They're supposed to cover those random situations that aren't either illness or vacation, but you still need time off for (your kid's day care provider is ill, your car broke down, you want to spend a day doing a Flash Mob )

 

[michellev]

I don't know... that's what a parent told me.

I have no idea how they organize teacher schedules in my town. But I assume teachers can book time off, if they want. She's obviously not hiding her plans for the day from the administration, either. They're all meeting AT school, and leaving from the school parking lot, shortly after classes have begun for the day.

A friend of mine (with adult children, plus one still in high school) just commented that they have to do it this way, because the school district doesn't allow any school trips that involve swimming for liability reasons. Thus the "unofficial" nature of the trip.

Huh, maybe it's "unofficially sanctioned" by the school then. As I just said, personal days would be unusual in Ontario. We can call in sick, but being caught out and about would be a big no-no if you called in sick.

 

[Magpie]

In my school board there are no personal days. So I hope she isn't in my school board. lol

Wow, that's rough!

Based on the number of times my children have reported having substitutes, I suspect we have a generous personal leave allowance for teachers in our school board. (I'm not in the GTA.)

 

[goodeats]

During finals or something equally important - definitely not. But generally those last few days are such a waste of time. If I could go as a chaperone, or personally knew the chaperones, then I would say yes. I think perfect attendance is an overrated accomplishment.

Of course I let DD lick the spoon when I made brownies the other day so maybe I'm a bad mom!

 

[morethananyonex]

Can I combine the two scenarios for my story?

When I was in grade 7 (even younger then grade 8 *GASP*), our teacher told us to bring money the next day if we wanted ice cream, because we were going to go to Dairy Queen as a class. This was not an official field trip, no permission slips, etc. All of us 12/13 year olds WALKED to Dairy Queen (about 10 minutes away) on our own, and met as a class once we were there.

No one played in traffic (that I know of), injured themselves or others, or caused any mischief in general (again that I know of ). No horrified posts on the DISboards, and no firing of the teacher, and magically, we all survived. Can I also add, this was less than 10 years ago?

Regardless, I really want DQ now.

 

[michellev]

In our area most teachers and other public employees receive something like three personal days annually. They aren't sick days, and they aren't vacation days. They're supposed to cover those random situations that aren't either illness or vacation, but you still need time off for (your kid's day care provider is ill, your car broke down, you want to spend a day doing a Flash Mob )

Is this in Ontario? I'm only going by my school board (north of Toronto). We get Personal Illness Days, Family Days (max 3), Moving Day, etc. No personal days (or Flash Mob days ). I know a couple of teachers who have taken extra long weekends for personal reasons (travel, etc) and they have to be approved by the superintendant and are unpaid. In my board, this siituation would cause a huge ruckus. lol