Pulling kids out of school for a WDW trip

[ENJDisneyFan]

The teachers have families they want to go home to and should not have to do extra work making up packets, making up new tests, and taking time out of their lives to catch a student up that went on vacation by choice.

I'm kinda torn on this one. While I understand what you're saying, kids can be absent for a whole variety of reasons, and part of the job of the teacher is to help them make up the work. I don't expect my kid's teachers to "bend over backwards" or spend extra time tutoring them, but I do expect them to make reasonable accommodations for absences. I can pretty much guarantee that my straight A students are less work for the teachers over the course of the year than the kids with perfect attendance who have learning disabilities, behavioral problems, etc.

 

[Trinity88]

My experience will probably be unpopular, but here goes. We've pulled our kids out of school, for a week, once every 2 years, for years now. We just did it in December with my grade 10, grade 8, and grade 3 kids. Yep, high school and middle school aged. My grade 10 DD is doing exams now and is doing great. No issues from missing that week. She caught up with the help of friends and work posted online (all her classes use online quite a bit). My grade 8 DD actually had a bit more work to catch up on, but she did and she's doing great as well. I have no regrets. Now, I do believe that is the last time we can do this for my grade 10 DD. Grade 11/12 are critical to University/College and I won't take the chance. I know that we can travel in the summer or on school breaks. But I don't want to. lol

Just my experience, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. But I'd have absolutely no guilt over taking a kindie out for a trip.

ETA - I never expect the teacher to do extra work to catch the kids up. That isn't their job and they shouldn't have to work extra so we can take a trip.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Teacher perspective:

If you ask for, and I take the time, to put together work, please do it. It takes a lot of time for a teacher to make those.

Your child WILL miss instruction that may not be able to be covered in a packet. . (The higher the grade, the more this applies.) Please don’t come back and blame me when your child doesn’t do well on a test because they missed instruction.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

They're your kids, not the school's. Take them when you want. As long as they are not being educationally neglected, you shouldn't feel guilty about keeping your kids with you. I hate how schools act like they own your children, and its all for money.

 

[mco65]

My experience will probably be unpopular, but here goes. We've pulled our kids out of school, for a week, once every 2 years, for years now. We just did it in December with my grade 10, grade 8, and grade 3 kids. Yep, high school and middle school aged. My grade 10 DD is doing exams now and is doing great. No issues from missing that week. She caught up with the help of friends and work posted online (all her classes use online quite a bit). My grade 8 DD actually had a bit more work to catch up on, but she did and she's doing great as well. I have no regrets. Now, I do believe that is the last time we can do this for my grade 10 DD. Grade 11/12 are critical to University/College and I won't take the chance. I know that we can travel in the summer or on school breaks. But I don't want to. lol

Just my experience, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. But I'd have absolutely no guilt over taking a kindie out for a trip.

ETA - I never expect the teacher to do extra work to catch the kids up. That isn't their job and they shouldn't have to work extra so we can take a trip.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do this. With our twins in HS, we wont take 'em out for a week but we will take 'em out for a day or 2... I don't think they will remember that exam they took in 10th grade when they are 30, but they might remember that vacation we took when they were 16... just maybe.

 

[Hrhpd]

I'm kinda torn on this one. While I understand what you're saying, kids can be absent for a whole variety of reasons, and part of the job of the teacher is to help them make up the work. I don't expect my kid's teachers to "bend over backwards" or spend extra time tutoring them, but I do expect them to make reasonable accommodations for absences. I can pretty much guarantee that my straight A students are less work for the teachers over the course of the year than the kids with perfect attendance who have learning disabilities, behavioral problems, etc.

This only applies to actual vacations. Illnesses, family problems, etc would be happily accommodated. The district has large pockets of wealthy families, many expats. It was getting ridiculous to try to accommodate parent's demands for their month long European tours or taking the extra 6 weeks over winter break to go "home." Teachers were spending more time putting together packets or trying to catch students up than they were teaching the new material. Other parents started complaining and the policy for vacations was born.

 

[Hrhpd]

They're your kids, not the school's. Take them when you want. As long as they are not being educationally neglected, you shouldn't feel guilty about keeping your kids with you. I hate how schools act like they own your children, and its all for money.

The schools don't think they own the kids. They have a set time that they teach material and this is well known. At least in our district, if you make a conscious choice not to be there during teaching time, the school does not feel obligated to cause the teachers extra work to accommodate your vacation. Thus the no work packets, no makeups allowed, and everything during the missed period gets a 0 policy.

They are your kids and you get to make the decisions. Our district is not forbidding you to take your children out of school at all. That is a choice parents are certainly allowed to make. However, the school provides a service and is not obligated to provide extra services for the choice. Choices are fine but many come with consequences.

It is pretty entitled to think "I want family time with my child, but then I want the teacher to give up his/her family time to bring my kid up to speed because of my choices."

 

[siren0119]

Thank you so much. We are actually in Mass & I didn't realize it was a requirement to send home the notice! May I ask what part of Mass you are in? We are in the western part of the state.

It;s a state law (I'm in southeastern MA) that more than 5 unexcused absences constitutes truancy. They send home a notice, and if absences continue they have to report the DCYF. My next door apartment neighbors didnt come back from Christmas vacation for a week and a half after school had started again - starting on day 6, a police officer came by almost every night for a wellness check until they were actually able to speak to someone who lived there, because the mom never contacted the school to let them know what was going on. She just decided to keep the kids at her mom's house in Michigan until she felt like coming home.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I've always taken my kids out of school for vacations whenever I've felt like it & will continue to do so.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

The schools don't think they own the kids. They have a set time that they teach material and this is well known. At least in our district, if you make a conscious choice not to be there during teaching time, the school does not feel obligated to cause the teachers extra work to accommodate your vacation. Thus the no work packets, no makeups allowed, and everything during the missed period gets a 0 policy.

They are your kids and you get to make the decisions. Our district is not forbidding you to take your children out of school at all. That is a choice parents are certainly allowed to make. However, the school provides a service and is not obligated to provide extra services for the choice. Choices are fine but many come with consequences.

It is pretty entitled to think "I want family time with my child, but then I want the teacher to give up his/her family time to bring my kid up to speed because of my choices."

I never said the teacher needed to spend their time bringing the kid up to speed. Most school work is easily taught at home and the child can be caught up in a couple of weekends. Not allowing the kid to turn in the same homework/make up tests that the other kids are allowed and giving them 0's is unfair. It is really hard to recover from a 0, and if the parent is willing to help them do the work then they should be allowed to try.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

It;s a state law (I'm in southeastern MA) that more than 5 unexcused absences constitutes truancy. They send home a notice, and if absences continue they have to report the DCYF. My next door apartment neighbors didnt come back from Christmas vacation for a week and a half after school had started again - starting on day 6, a police officer came by almost every night for a wellness check until they were actually able to speak to someone who lived there, because the mom never contacted the school to let them know what was going on. She just decided to keep the kids at her mom's house in Michigan until she felt like coming home.

They are her kids, she has every right to keep them when she wants.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

They're your kids, not the school's. Take them when you want. As long as they are not being educationally neglected, you shouldn't feel guilty about keeping your kids with you. I hate how schools act like they own your children, and its all for money.

Wow! I can very much assure you it’s not “all for the money.” Most teachers very much want to see your child succeed. I’m sorry it sounds like you have not had that experience.

 

[ramee]

I think you should do what’s best for your family. When I was growing up, we went to school. Vacations were planned around the school year.

I think it’s a small percentage of people who regularly pull their kids for vacations, as I don’t remember classmates being in that situation either.

It wasn’t until my interest in learning all things Disney started (2 years ago, age 31, first visit), that I realized people do this. My kid started kindergarten this year and I want to go to Flower and garden but not during Easter. So I’ve thought about her missing school but it probably won’t happen for various reasons.

A lot of people go to Disney. But there are millions more who don’t. I only feel like going to Disney, and multiple times in a year, is a way of life and “normal” when I read this DIS.

 

[siren0119]

They are her kids, she has every right to keep them when she wants.

To an extent, I don't disagree...HOWEVER she didn't communicate with the school that they would be missing school. Strike one there. And while as a parent I do have the right to make decisions regarding my children, in the state of MA children are legally obligated to be in school and parents can face legal consequences if they are keeping their kids out of school for an extended period of time on unexcused absences (I'm not sure what the time frame is but after 5 unexcused absences the school sends a truancy notice home. if the unexcused absences continue, DCYF/Child & Family Services gets involved and the state can step in).

I maybe wasn't clear - she lived in the apartment across from us with her kids, was visiting her family in Michigan. She kept the kids out of school almost two weeks beyond when school started up after christmas break, with zero communication to the school about what was going on. We as parents have rights, sure, but we also have obligations to meet.

 

[Slick519]

We have taken our daughter out of school for vacations every other year since she was in 4th grade. She is now in 8th and she’ll be missing 4 days of school for our trip in February. Her school also has a policy requiring signatures from all teachers 2 weeks prior and to limit family travel to 5 days total per year. I do sometimes feel guilty taking her out and and will not likely do it when she gets to high school. That being said, luckily she is a good student and has been able to catch up pretty well. Appreciate everyone’s input on this subject.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not allowing the kid to turn in the same homework/make up tests that the other kids are allowed and giving them 0's is unfair.

TOTALLY disagree. Take some personal responsibility. You want to take your kids out of school? Go right ahead, no one's stopping you. Just know what the possible ramifications are. I'm assuming what constitutes an "unexcused absence" and what the penalties for one are listed in the student handbook. If not, it behooves the parents/students to ask before deciding to skip school (for whatever reason). How is that "not fair"? Don't like the rules the school puts out? Send them to private school or home school them.

 

[MrsDuck]

I think it's ok to take a kid out of school for certain things including Disney. I've gone out on a Friday to catch free dining for the whole trip during fall break back in the day. But let us not pretend that the determining factor of whether family is important or not is not whether the kids are taken out of school to go to Disney. Nor is it essential to the importance of family to even go to Disney.

I think you're grossly over-analyzing what I wrote.

 

[LSUmiss]

I think it's ok to take a kid out of school for certain things including Disney. I've gone out on a Friday to catch free dining for the whole trip during fall break back in the day. But let us not pretend that the determining factor of whether family is important or not is not whether the kids are taken out of school to go to Disney. Nor is it essential to the importance of family to even go to Disney.

I don’t think anyone thinks that. The only reason we are specifically discussing a Disney trip is b/c that is the situation the OP presented. Many of us are simply saying that, to us, sometimes there are more important things than school or work & we don’t feel guilty about missing either for those things we value more.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I don’t think anyone thinks that. The only reason we are specifically discussing a Disney trip is b/c that is the situation the OP presented. Many of us are simply saying that, to us, sometimes there are more important things than school or work & we don’t feel guilty about missing either for those things we value more.

If someone doesn't feel guilty, there isn't a need for a grandiose ruse is there? And why suggest such if someone isn't thinking it?

I didn't feel the least bit guilty. No need for a grandiose ruse from me. I pulled mine out the Friday before break to save a lot of money. See. No need for a grandiose ruse. No need to soothe a guilty conscience. Why do people feel the need for pretenses such as Family is most important or my personal favorite, we're going for the "educational experience".

 

[LSUmiss]

If someone doesn't feel guilty, there isn't a need for a grandiose ruse is there? And why post it if they don't think it?

Perhaps the OP felt guilty or concerned so that’s why she posted. The rest of us were telling her how we feel & why we don’t feel guilty. What’s grandiose about any of it?