Calling all parents of school-aged kiddos!

[kubfish]

Reading through these posts and not to get to political but I think most will agree our school systems are really messed up.

We notified our school last week and.. if they would of said you cannot take your kids out I would of laughed at them. Seriously, will 5-10 days really affect your kids life as they get older? Well not in a negative way family time will always benefit your kids in the long run. This stuff about missing time is all about test scores and money from the govt.

 

[clareita]

As a former teacher and current parent of young children, I think you need a really compelling reason to take your kids out of school for more than a couple of days, and enjoying Disney without the crowds does not qualify. While Epcot can be a educational experience, don't kid yourselves that your kids are learning more at Disney than at school. If that is true, then your children are attending sub-standard schools.

As for the person who suggests that the inability to remember any specific lessons from 3rd grade proves that 3rd grade isn't that important...I won't even dignify it with a response.

 

[mary219]

"Kids need to be kids while they are still kids. Let’s not start shoving adult like behavior down their throats just yet."
:sohappy: absolutely!Too much pressure placed on kids now.

 

[OneLuckyMom]

All I can say is boy, I'm glad we do private school and don't have to deal with this mess! This is ALL about funding, and the fact that the public schools today don't want to lose the $$$ they get from various sources when your child is out for a day. This has absolutely nothing to do with the school boards being worried that your child is not going to learn something.

My daughter's school actually schedules many field trips for the kids over the course of the year - they feel kids learn while "playing" as well sitting at a desk. They also have no problems with parents taking kids out for family trips occassionally because they realize education is not all about memorizing things from books. But of course our school is considered "radical" these days - they also have PE, Art, Music and Spanish for all grades (the public schools in my area have completely eliminated all of those :hammer because they believe those things promote learning in other areas. And our test scores show they know what they are doing!!!

 

[Phonedave]

Don't ASK them, TELL them.

Just replying to you because yours is the shortest response to quote.

I'll give my views.

1) It is the parents RIGHT to remove their children from school if they want to for a vacation. You do not HAVE to tell the school anything.

2) Likewise it is the school boards RIGHT to set guidelines, and if a student does not meet those guidelines it is their RIGHT to fail / hold them back. As long as they apply these guidelines consistently and they are in accordance with state and federal laws, thems the breaks.

So, whats the sane common sense answer?

Look at your school districts guidelines. If you feel that you can remove your child from school and not risk having him or her left back (or suspended) then you have passed test #1

Second test, as a RESPONSIBLE PARENT, ask yourself if your child can afford to mis s school. Lets be realistic here people. Riding Test track is about as educational an experence as driving to the grocery store. Your kids are not going to be learning much if anything while on vacation at WDW. They don't want to do it, and chances are you will not want to do it either. They may watch some films about other countries, maybe visit some displays, but thats about it.

I took my kids out of private school when they were in K and 1st grade and I caught hell for it. The offical school policy was that they would not send work with the kids to do over vacation. The teachers, risking disciplinary action from the nuns in the office, snuck me the work so my kids could keep up.

Now my kids are in public school. They require a note/form when the kids will be absent. My ex plans on taking them out for a few days in December. For now thats OK, but as they get older and schedules (sports, scouts, classes, etc) get tighter I have the feeling that they will be going on "offical" vacations only. As it is, my 8 year old (then 7) was quite upset last winter because our long planned WDW trip happend to be on the same weekend that her Scout troop had their winter camp planned.

-dave

 

[OneLuckyMom]

Second test, as a RESPONSIBLE PARENT, ask yourself if your child can afford to mis s school. Lets be realistic here people. Riding Test track is about as educational an experence as driving to the grocery store. Your kids are not going to be learning much if anything while on vacation at WDW.

I think kids can pick up some things that do apply directly to their text-book learning. My daughter manages her own spending money at WDW - that relates directly back to many of the math lessons she's had in 1st and now 2nd grade, covering counting money, how much each coin is worth, and how to figure the change you get back after a purchase. She also clues into time much more carefully at WDW than in normal life - wanting to know how long this line is, does that mean we'll be done around lunchtime or will we have time for another ride first, etc. - again, that ties directly back to many lessons she's had in the 1st and 2nd grades.

But the "learning" a child needs to do is also bigger than just math, reading, science and history they learn at school. At WDW, they learn about managing themselves in a crowd, how to interact safely but respectfully with strangers, how to navigate an airport, how to balance healthy foods with the "treats" that are available everywhere at WDW, etc. - not anything you'll see in a textbook, but important life skills. Those have value too.

 

[Phonedave]

I think kids can pick up some things that do apply directly to their text-book learning. My daughter manages her own spending money at WDW - that relates directly back to many of the math lessons she's had in 1st and now 2nd grade, covering counting money, how much each coin is worth, and how to figure the change you get back after a purchase. She also clues into time much more carefully at WDW than in normal life - wanting to know how long this line is, does that mean we'll be done around lunchtime or will we have time for another ride first, etc. - again, that ties directly back to many lessons she's had in the 1st and 2nd grades.

But the "learning" a child needs to do is also bigger than just math, reading, science and history they learn at school. At WDW, they learn about managing themselves in a crowd, how to interact safely but respectfully with strangers, how to navigate an airport, how to balance healthy foods with the "treats" that are available everywhere at WDW, etc. - not anything you'll see in a textbook, but important life skills. Those have value too.

I agree that those skills have value, but they are not skills that can be learned only by pulling a child out of school. You can just as easily take your kids to the mall on the weekend and give them $5 each.

It's just my opinion, and others are different, and that does not make them wrong, but my kids have learned very little "extra" from WDW. About the only true in-depth learning experence that I can with any honesty vouch for is Rafiki's Planet Watch. My oldest is a budding vet (who wants to work at WDW) she has spent hours there talking to the vets and vet techs about the procedures they perform, how they treat the animals, what they feed them, etc. All the other stuff - counting money, managing time, managing themselves in crowds they do right here at home.

 

[Phonedave]

All I can say is boy, I'm glad we do private school and don't have to deal with this mess! This is ALL about funding, and the fact that the public schools today don't want to lose the $$$ they get from various sources when your child is out for a day. This has absolutely nothing to do with the school boards being worried that your child is not going to learn something.

My daughter's school actually schedules many field trips for the kids over the course of the year - they feel kids learn while "playing" as well sitting at a desk. They also have no problems with parents taking kids out for family trips occassionally because they realize education is not all about memorizing things from books. But of course our school is considered "radical" these days - they also have PE, Art, Music and Spanish for all grades (the public schools in my area have completely eliminated all of those :hammer because they believe those things promote learning in other areas. And our test scores show they know what they are doing!!!

Interesting, my daughters are now in public schools, after having been in private. I could not be happier. They now have real art, music, PE, and Spanish classes as opposed to the gloss over they were getting in private school. I guess it's all about where they are. After I was divorced, I moved to this town and currently pay more for an apartment than I would elsewhere, just so my kids can go to this school system.

-dave