School districts punishing parents for taking kids out for Disney!

[lori1043]

My dad has had cancer this year and is 70 and we want to take them when it's not too hot for them and they can both still enjoy it. We also all love Christmas and want to experience it Disney style.
Our school system has a policy in our handbook that teachers are not required to send work that will be missed while the child is on vacation. We put it in the child's desk and it has to be made up on return. When parents ask for work we copy the handbook and send them that quote. Rarely do they question this. If we're in the middle of a unit, I tell the students to continue where we are.

I am sorry to hear about your dad. Cancer does suck-been there. I hope he is healing completely! Enjoy the trip!
AND I like this policy at your school, makes sense! Why should a teacher have to go to allof that trouble if the kids will be pre-occupied anyway and not do it. As a homeschooler, I do make my children document something we learn on every vacation. Even if it is Disney, I will find SOMETHING to make it a bit educational-like use EPCOT-that place is crawling with education-and since it is hands on, they remember it more often than not. If not about EPCOT I will have them write about the trip when we get home. When we have been to NW Georgia to a cabin, there is TONS for them to learn digging in the dirt and finding rocks in streams,etc. And after our big WDW clelbration trip- we will start saving for Washington DC and Williamsburg for history. I STILL remember so much from that area when my parents brought me at 8 years old.

 

[Starr W.]

I'm currently a teacher who has had many children taken out for vacations during the school year. Unfortunately it's usually the ones who really can't afford to be out. For some they go only when the parents can get off. One student's dad runs a landscaping company so he can't go until November and before it starts snowing and he does plowing. I had a parent last week send in a note that they had a last minute unexpected chance to go to Disney. THe problem I had was that it was during mandatory state testing which I had told the mother of at conferences 2 weeks before and her response was she never knew it was MCAS time and there was nothing she could do as she'd laready bought the tickets.
I recently resigned from my teaching position effective at the end of the school year. We bought DVC so we can go when we want. I've talked to fellow teachers who said they didn't work when their kids were little and took them out up until 5th grade. We have an almost 7 year old in first grade and a 2 1/2 year old. I jokingly say that I'm going to be one of those bad parents and take my child out of school for a week. I've only gone to Disney during summer or once during April vacation and really want to be able to go when the rest of the world isn't there. We won't do this every year. We have other reasons for doing it this year. We're taking my parents who really love Disney.
My dad has had cancer this year and is 70 and we want to take them when it's not too hot for them and they can both still enjoy it. We also all love Christmas and want to experience it Disney style.
Our school system has a policy in our handbook that teachers are not required to send work that will be missed while the child is on vacation. We put it in the child's desk and it has to be made up on return. When parents ask for work we copy the handbook and send them that quote. Rarely do they question this. If we're in the middle of a unit, I tell the students to continue where we are.

Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give another angle on this situation.

Sorry to hear about your dad. Our district will not let you forget those testing dates! You get them in the registration packet, they are in every newsletter sent home. My 4th grader takes his 4/30, 5/1 & 5/2.

We're DVC owners also! SSR & VB. We took the boys out the 2 days before Thanksgiving break.

 

[SavvyMom]

I am a teacher and I think taking a child out of school for vacation is okay IF the parent takes responsibility for it. I'll explain. I had a student that missed 18 days in one semester. I spoke with her mom about how much she was missing. The mom said, "Send the work home" and I did. The work was done...all wrong. She handed the work to the child and told her to do it. Most children cannot learn money or two digit subtraction from a worksheet. That's why I'm there! So, if a parent is willing to work with the child and helps them learn the material, I'm okay with it. Should they be sent a bill? Only if you send a bill to the parents who don't send the child to school because "Her sister was sick" or "I work nights so I was tired" or "I didn't do laundry" or "The clock didn't wake me up" or... you get the picture (all real excuses).