Do you take your kids out of school?

[DisneyPrincess5]

What a great topic to discuss-many families face this issue.

I come from people that had strong careers in the school system we lived in so we couldn't go during non-break times because they were working and it was severely frowned upon to vacation whenever you please when you're given so much time off in the year and summers. Many years later, the system figured out that staff were taking long weekend trip sort of deals and began penalizing those who called out without doctors notes around holidays (the Tuesday or Wednesday after a Monday holiday, a few days before Good Friday, etc).

Anywhoo, because of this never happening in my childhood or my husbands, it became SO EXCITING as an adult to go whenever we wanted!!! We first would go in January, then May, then Fall. And what a treat this has been to not have to be there with half of America.

If/when we have kids one day, we will most surely miss having a stress-free pick of days. I hate the idea of taking them out of school, but It will stink to feel like we can only go when it's extremely crowded and or hot. We will have to see when the time comes.

 

[KordovaJD]

@HouCuseChickie, after explaining the gist of this topic to my wife she was equally disturbed as I. Her one response was "the school district works for me, my kids do not work for the school district."

 

[Donald Razorduck]

We recently went to DisneyWorld. Our city's s school system is a bit messed up. About half of our elementary schools are on a continuous learning calendar and my son attends one. It's great as they start about a month earlier and go a few weeks longer. Many of their "intersession" weeks, which are basically a week off with the option of paying for extra activities that week or for targeting kids that need a little more help. These weeks often fall in off season sweet spots like the middle of Sept or like our last trip, the second week of Feb. Here's the kicker, our daughter has moved on to middle school and none of our's offer the same schedule as the elementary . So, this time we had to pull our daughter out for the week.

The good news is that our middle school expects this due to many siblings having the same scenario as we have. Nothing major is planned those weeks and they are very helpful on allowing assignments be turned in early or just after the absence as long as there is a decent lead time.

The school district is moving a middle school to the continuous calendar next year where you can open enroll your kid into it but will lack bus service except for those that are actually within the normal attendance zone. But...my daughter will be at Jr. high and none of the three will offer it.
More and more people are pushing for a complete conversion but about a 30% group are hard core old scool and want the traditional long summer break.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

The last time we went (Jan 2013), we took our 1st grader out for 1 week (our other one turned 3 the first day of the trip).

The trip was THE gift from Santa so along with goodies for the trip there were a few worksheets Santa got from her teacher that she had to complete beforehand.

Santa also made a daily journal with instructions that she had to write a couple sentences each day about her favorite thing we did that day and there was a space so she could draw a picture - we turned it in to show the teacher and she LOVED it plus, it was the best keepsake from our trip!

We drove down from Wisconsin so I laminated a simple map of US with the states and capitals labeled and we traced our route as we went and learned about each state. We also tried to eat a meal or snack in each state that the state was famous for.

We went from 10 degrees to 85 degrees, the plains of Indiana to mountains to coastline (we visited Clearwater). They saw mountains and swam in the ocean - both for the first time.

Our girls learned SO much on the trip.

We want to go back in the next 2 years before our oldest hits middle school but we may go during a shortened week - MLK week they have Monday off and Friday off so they'd only miss 3 days.bwe'll probably do the journals again as well.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I am in Texas! The state law to which I'm referring was put in place in 2010.

I'm from Texas and if your child is out for more than 2 days without a doctor's excuse they will fail them, and even for the two days if you tell them you are taking them out for vacation on those two days it will be an unexcused absence and they will not be allowed to make up the work.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm from Texas and if your child is out for more than 2 days without a doctor's excuse they will fail them, and even for the two days if you tell them you are taking them out for vacation on those two days it will be an unexcused absence and they will not be allowed to make up the work.

Sounds like a brilliant argument for private / home schooling.

 

[kelknight84]

Sounds like a brilliant argument for private / home schooling.

A lot of these rules are from lawmakers who know nothing about education. Right now in Florida our job and pay are tied to how our students do on the state tests. If a student misses school and fails to learn the material then this costs good people their jobs or pay increases. I think a lot of parents on here are more than capable of making sure their kids makeup the work, but the majority of the world is not like this. 50% of my students come to school every day with NOTHING. They only use what I provide them out of pocket, they only complete work done during school hours, and they have absent rates in the 30+ day range or higher!

Taking kids out of school should be a case by case thing and not a blanket statement. For some yes it is worth it, for others no it's not. And at the end of the day you taking them out even has an effect on someone else's career and salary!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

A lot of these rules are from lawmakers who know nothing about education. Right now in Florida our job and pay are tied to how our students do on the state tests. If a student misses school and fails to learn the material then this costs good people their jobs or pay increases. I think a lot of parents on here are more than capable of making sure their kids makeup the work, but the majority of the world is not like this. 50% of my students come to school every day with NOTHING. They only use what I provide them out of pocket, they only complete work done during school hours, and they have absent rates in the 30+ day range or higher!

Taking kids out of school should be a case by case thing and not a blanket statement. For some yes it is worth it, for others no it's not. And at the end of the day you taking them out even has an effect on someone else's career and salary!

That's exactly my point. The entire premise of mandatory public education is built upon a series of "blanket statements" and "blanket policies" that I'll choose not to subject my children to. I have full respect for both educators and parents who believe that public education is best for their family, but I'm not ready to relinquish that much control to the State.

 

[Laura Kelly]

We'll be taking ours out of school (second grade) in late April of 2016. Obviously, he won't be taking super important high school exams or anything, haha! But we'll get his assignments before leaving and he'll have to do them on the flight.

 

[boopuff]

I worked for a district (upper-crust) that had an epidemic of parents pulling kids out at crazy times during the year. The response from the district? Teachers were not to provide work to take on the trip (why should they plan for one kid? when plans change daily) but the district didn't want teachers to have to do the "extra" planning so the kids who went on trips had to make up all the work upon return. The school set up a "work" table in the lunchroom because so many kids took off. After that policy went into affect the tide of absent kids slowed a bit. I took my kids to WDW when the oldest was in kindergarten and we went over a 3 day weekend (extending 2 additional days). Then I took them in high school we left the Monday before Thanksgiving through that crazy week!

 

[TheDrMeowMix]

Suggestion from a current high schooler; if the kids are in high school, the best time to take them out would be in the beginning of the year. Late September or early October is the best time, purely based around school work. If the kids are taking AP classes, the spring time will cause them to fail. Spring is when final cramming begins and it's an absolute mess if you miss any days. In the beginning of the year however, you do have to worry about how missing a week will affect their attendance record and you still need enough days in the event of a family emergency or illness.

Overall, try to avoid missing school if at all possible, some schools have off an entire week for Presidents Day, that's usually the best time to go. If you do go during the school year, set up a random college visit too. They don't count three days of your trip if you go and visit a college (Travel to, tour day, and travel from).

That's just my personal advice from what I've learned over the past year or two. Hopefully this helps out somebody.

 

[Bcakd]

Yes I did. My kids are spread in age so for almost 2 decades I took them out of school despite school board policy.
We went every fall for 2 weeks. I requested homework they did it before we left. We'd leave on a Monday and their last day was Thursday. As we packed and organized over Friday, Saturday, Sunday they did every bit of their homework over 3 days. They did it gleefully to be free of it for 2 weeks. Being an elected school board member it brought some extra heat from their teachers. Some were great and believed in family time some were as obnoxious as they could possibly be. By high school I just flat out lied (a different school district) and claimed a family issue. The issue was family matters.

I now have kids in their 20s. And my wisdom now is in the spectrum of K-12 a few weeks here and there it doesn't matter if the kids are raised to learn and do well in school. Both of my kids graduated college one with the highest honors from a top University. My husbands job did not allow for him to have time off at school break times. Family time matters as much as educational time no matter who tells you differently. I have no regrets, neither do my children.

I totally agree!!!! My child does very well in school, she's in AP classes, l work hard all week and my husband works nights. I think we deserve to go when it's not 500 degrees! Family time is very important, no matter if it's WDW or just a weekend away. We always go in April or September. I do believe it depends on the child and what they can and can't deal with....but I say GO!!

 

[KordovaJD]

So, @HouCuseChickie, to circle back to this issue briefly, I spoke with a good friend of mine on Saturday. We went to law school together, but he is now a Texas State Congressman.

There is currently bill in committee in the Senate which would de-criminalize truancy. It has a huge amount of support and will likely pass both the house and the senate. I cannot figure why my old boss, Gov. Abbott, would veto it.

Anyway, it looks like this problem will be taken care of soon. Law will likely not go into effect until Sept. 1, 2015 or 2016, but once the law is passed, they will no longer enforce the penalty. So, there you go. If/when I hear it has passed I will let you know.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So, @HouCuseChickie, to circle back to this issue briefly, I spoke with a good friend of mine on Saturday. We went to law school together, but he is now a Texas State Congressman.

There is currently bill in committee in the Senate which would de-criminalize truancy. It has a huge amount of support and will likely pass both the house and the senate. I cannot figure why my old boss, Gov. Abbott, would veto it.

Anyway, it looks like this problem will be taken care of soon. Law will likely not go into effect until Sept. 1, 2015 or 2016, but once the law is passed, they will no longer enforce the penalty. So, there you go. If/when I hear it has passed I will let you know.

That would be wonderful! Thank you for looking into this matter.

 

[aw14]

I am actually quite torn on this. I have taken my DD (12 years old) out of school but the contrast for me is I am a high school Vice Principal in charge of the entire student bodies attendance(1000 students) and it will really depend on district policy. Districts typically employ harsher attendance policies than their respective states. The state DOE offers minimums. The districts go above and beyond what the states require.

When I speak to parents I explain that I can excuse the absences if the trip is of educational value. However, the parents need to prove that it is.

 

[jimbojones]

My parents took me out of school on several occasions to go to WDW, perhaps I was a nerd(ok I definitely was/am a nerd) but even then it felt inappropriate to me. I would never take my kids out of school to go to WDW however. With 3 months of the year free I just don't see the point, I also place a very high value on education and want to send the message to my kids that their education is the highest priority. I would take them out to travel to someplace that offered some broader significance (cultural, historical, scientific or natural) but never to visit a theme park or similar destination. For example when I travel abroad for work I always take my kids as I feel that seeing the world trumps classroom learning.

My wife on the other hand could care less and has in the past suggested that we take them out for a few days for a WDW trip. On average my family is traveling for 4 weeks a year and all without missing school so I have convinced her that we can have our cake and eat it too.

 

[jimbojones]

When I speak to parents I explain that I can excuse the absences if the trip is of educational value. However, the parents need to prove that it is.

I teach as well as part of my job, I am fine with people not showing up but get annoyed when someone who does not show up wants the same credit as someone who did. I figure its fine to take the trip and don't hold travel absences against someone's character or anything like that, life is about trade offs after all. But don't expect that you will be given the same standing as the person who was in the classroom while you were in Orlando.

People like me who will 100% not take their kids out of school for WDW are the reason there is still a low season so its a win for those who feel differently!

 

[jaklgreen]

I teach as well as part of my job, I am fine with people not showing up but get annoyed when someone who does not show up wants the same credit as someone who did. I figure its fine to take the trip and don't hold travel absences against someone's character or anything like that, life is about trade offs after all. But don't expect that you will be given the same standing as the person who was in the classroom while you were in Orlando.

People like me who will 100% not take their kids out of school for WDW are the reason there is still a low season so its a win for those who feel differently!

I don't feel it is right to punish the kid because of the parent's decision. If the child is working to make up the work that they miss then they should be given a fair grade on what they did and not be punished for not being there. Some teachers act as if the child has a choice. We took our kids out of school one year for an out of state family wedding and the teacher yelled at my child saying if they missed school then they would get in big trouble. Needless to say I gave the principle and ear full. How dare these people treat children this way when the kids obviously have no choice in the matter. When we take time off of work for a trip then either someone covers for you or you make up the work. You are not punished for it.

 

[AnCsMommy]

This year we're pulling the kids out for six days, but they're in pre-k and kindergarten. Next year, once my oldest starts first grade, we'll probably try and schedule trips over Spring or Thanksgiving break, with maybe only one or two days of school missed.

We also plan on getting the school work for my oldest once we return and having it turned in ASAP. His school frowns on vacations, but we know that opportunities to travel will get fewer and further between as they advance through school and I go back to work.

 

[PugsNotDrugs]

As a student teacher I'd say this is, for the most part, a bad idea. We teach many things in "units" and those usually last around one week. Units build on top of each other, so if you miss one it's kind of a big deal. Parents whose children are doing well in school think there's no harm in taking them out for a week, but they don't see them struggle inside the classroom to keep up with everyone else. It asks a lot of them.