Taking The Kids Out of School

rileyspaw

New Member
I've noticed that many families plan their vacations at all times of the year not just in the summer when most kids are out of school. As a retired school teacher I was simply wondering if anyone has ever faced any negative feedback from their school district when asking to take your child out of school for an extended period of time?
 

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
There have been several threads about this, and it tends to be a heated issue after a while. I'm married to a teacher, so it's never really been an issue for us, but my feelings as a former teacher is that if the child is able to keep up the work that he or she misses (at least in the elementary grades), then spending a week away from school to vacation with the family is not a big deal. Not everyone sees it that way though...
 
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rileyspaw

New Member
Original Poster
Believe me. I sincerely didn't start it to start a heated arguement. I tend to agree with you. When it came right down to it our district decided it didn't have any right to tell the parents what they could or couldn't do about vacations. It threw the burden of making sure all missed work and tests was completed on the student and parents. The time frame was outlined in our handbook. By the way, mine was a HS situation and I taught 35 years!! My how time flies!
 
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Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
I feel if you know your child and he is doing very well in school, it is not an issue until perhaps high school. I have very good email communication with all of my teachers and speak to them well in advance to find out how they want to handle the work. Some "fluff" work they let my children miss and the core work I get notice of what it is in advance so that I can decide what to get done prior, during and when we get back. I feel education certainly is enhanced OUTSIDE of the classroom when a parent works to make it so. :king:

I even take them out sporadically one or two days each during the year to have a day alone with just myself and focus on their interests that are more of an educational focus...i.e. we do not spend the day playing video games...but rather museums, libraries,etc.

I know many people fearful of even TAKING a vacation from work, anxious to miss something or fall behind. I FEEL it is a sad comment on our societies values, our mental health NEEDS time away from stressors...and families need time to be together. Most European countries have so many built in holidays it makes my head spin and eyes green(er)!!! Leave the blackberry & laptop behind and recharge....for yourself and your family unit. I feel it makes everyone MORE productive. I usually try to leave on a wed thurs or fri and get back before the weekend to have a few days to do school work at home. Seems to work for us thus far. :animwink: The teachers say they are more than happy to send the extra work copies home with a neighbor child to help out. I tell them I am aware they cannot just whip a weeks worth of education into a neat little packet.....

Last year we went for the first time during presidents week and suffered the crowds. We like to go sometime in the weeks preceding that peak and have always had good weather, save a rainy day or two.

My father was a teacher and supports either theory and I know many retired teachers who say they never understood it when they were teaching but now in their wise 80's see that life is to be lived. Let's face it...not everyday is a supercharged educational experience in public schools...much time is wasted on busy work many days.

:sohappy: CELEBRATE FAMILIES!!!:sohappy:
 
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Nemo14

Well-Known Member
I think around here, though, the problem arises with a particular group of parents who think it's OK to send a cutesy note in on Friday saying that their little Joey will be missing school all of next week, so could you please send in all his make-up work today? It happens often here, and the parents get all indignant when they don't get what they've asked for immediately. We've had parents file complaints with the School Committee about it even. I'd love for some of them to just put in one day with my husband's job!
 
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In our case, with my husband being military and gone much of the time, we have to try and take a vacation whenever we can, which can mean during school time. The times we've had to take our children out of school for a trip, I've always done it with plenty of notice, explaining the situation and getting as much of their work ahead of time so that they can do it and come back to school prepared. I also am lucky to have children who are good students and actually enjoy school and learning so there has never been a problem with them doing their work or having dropped grades.
 
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kennygman

Active Member
I took my kids out of school for 2 days before Thanksgiving to visit relatives and 3 days in December to go to Disney. They never get sick either, btw. They just received their 9 week report card and semester grades as well. They both made straight A's. (Their allowance is based on grades, each person gets their age $7 for 7 years old for example for each A, and 1/2 their age for a B. For a C they owe me. We also take off for balktalking and not doing their chores.) for They sent along some work and they did it all on the flights. Our school is very understanding and believes that time with your family is just as important as "schoolwork." We usually go to Disney when the crowds are lower.
 
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Lil'mermaid

New Member
I've been taken out of school a few times for trips and I have had teachers be ok with and I had one that was insanely angry about it. One teacher asked that I keep a journal about what we did and saw. The angry teacher sent me with more work than the class was being given, and basically forced me to have to travel with all of my textbooks to be able to do all the work.

I'm going to miss a day of college classes for this trip in the spring, and I plan on talking to my professors the week before so they have time to tell me what I'm going to be missing and what I'll need to work on.
 
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Nemo14

Well-Known Member
I've been taken out of school a few times for trips and I have had teachers be ok with and I had one that was insanely angry about it. One teacher asked that I keep a journal about what we did and saw. The angry teacher sent me with more work than the class was being given, and basically forced me to have to travel with all of my textbooks to be able to do all the work.

I'm going to miss a day of college classes for this trip in the spring, and I plan on talking to my professors the week before so they have time to tell me what I'm going to be missing and what I'll need to work on.
Katie!!!! Hi!!!
 
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pinkrose

Well-Known Member
Here in Alabama, if you have 5 unexcused absences, then you have to appear in court. We did take our kids out of school the week after Thanksgiving to go to WDW, but we were able to get it approved because of a medical condition my daughter has. She can't go in the heat of the summer. If an absence is unexcused, then you will get zero's on all missed work and test. You will not be allowed to make them up.
 
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mhead

Active Member
Here in Alabama, if you have 5 unexcused absences, then you have to appear in court. We did take our kids out of school the week after Thanksgiving to go to WDW, but we were able to get it approved because of a medical condition my daughter has. She can't go in the heat of the summer. If an absence is unexcused, then you will get zero's on all missed work and test. You will not be allowed to make them up.

That is not completely true. I am a school administrator in Alabama and 5 absences only constitutes a notice be sent to whatever truancy prevention program is in place. The truancy office then decides if and when to send the parent to court. 20 days missed is grounds for denial of credit or grade retention - but all is up to the school principal.
 
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Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
Pinkrose...that certainly puts a damper on spontaneous trips!!! I know some districts have a terrible problem with attendence and graduation rates declining over the years. Sometimes such things are necessary like that I understand. I have a friend who absolutely wilts in heat as does her daughter...they just cannot function and get headaches. I think in my case it helps much that my teachers are all parents of elementary school age children....
 
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smk

Well-Known Member
I haven't had kids in grade school for several years but it would not have easy to take our kids out of school for a trip. It seems that around the scheduled times like fall break etc...our school always had parent teacher conferences etc...Also the kids played every sport under the sun and travel ball in a few sports, so vacations always were very well timed. More than a few vacations were spent at the national competitions for whatever sport was in season. Only once were we lucky enough to have the national competition be in WDW and then my husband couldn't get time off to go! I took the kids all by myself that year. High school was a whole different story, I would never have even asked to take extra days off. Too many questions to answer and way too many extra activities. Some days I wonder how we did all we did as a family. I sure know we were very busy so I understand going when you can and taking the work with you. Kids grow iup way too fast, go on vacations with them while they still want to go and you still want to be around them!
 
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pacochran

Active Member
We've gone to Disney 4 times now and have pulled the kids out of school each time (DS is in 4th and DD is in 6th) and we've never had an issue, though as someone earlier said once they get to high school we may re-evaluate. We also take into account that our kids are doing well in school and they can keep up. My sister-in-law is a 6th grade teacher and she doesn't see any problems with it either. We always notify the teachers & School in advance. Also offer to do any homework, generally though they wait to give us the make up homework when we are back from the vacation. We always make sure the kids do the makeup homework and turn it in.
 
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pinkrose

Well-Known Member
That is not completely true. I am a school administrator in Alabama and 5 absences only constitutes a notice be sent to whatever truancy prevention program is in place. The truancy office then decides if and when to send the parent to court. 20 days missed is grounds for denial of credit or grade retention - but all is up to the school principal.

In Shelby County, we were told that 5 missed unexcused and we'd get a notice to appear in court and told to have our kids in school. After 2 more unexcused, we'd have to go to court and legal action could be taken. *shrugs*
 
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PatsRule

New Member
I generally don't like doing it because I feel like I'm sending my kids the wrong message. Our problem is my wife is a teacher in a private school and gets two weeks in March. My kids get a week in February and a week in April. It's not ideal for a family vacation. To make matters worse, I work for a large University's endowment and summer is my busiest time. After taking separate vacations last year (I took the kids in Feb and came with my wife in March) we decided to pull them out for 4 days this March so we could all be together. We are explaining to the school system that we have a personal reason for doing this and that's just the way it is. My daughter graduates in another year so the family vacations are dwindling down to a few good years left.
 
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luv2ash

New Member
In our family, we feel a family vacation is so important for each and every one of us and as a whole. Fortunately, both my children exceed well in school (grade school). Now, we have told them that come middle school, this will probably not occur unless it HAD to (emergency trips for illnesses/death in the family). And truthfully, their teachers are all for it, but I think it is because they know they are good students and they know that their parents will help them with their missed work (I think that is an important factor, too). We prepped the teachers 4 weeks in advance (very important), and the teachers feel that it is just as equally important for us to have a family vacation, no matter what time of year it is. we leave Sunday:sohappy: , my DD was already given her assignments, adn she will start on them tonight! And trust me, she will have no choice as to when she will do them. My oldest is in 4th grade and we warned her of the impact that this would make this quarter, adn she has done an awesome job at doing well in school so we can all go and fun! We are quite proud of her! In fact, the teacher incorporated one of her assignments to be centered around the trip (writing a descriptive paragraph about the Grand Floridian, our hotel). Which she is so excited about doing and sharing with her classroom.

BOttom line: It really depends on the family and how well the children are doing in school.
 
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