re: Checking Kids Out of School for Vacation

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The last 3 weeks of school consists of watching movies and field trips just to pass the time, because the curriculum year is already over.

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Last 3 weeks is different than the week right after Thanksgiving. Why because teachers now have to cram stuff in for grades since the week for Christmas holidays the school has all sorts of activities and students leave for vacation, so getting in grades is a pain in the arse.

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So, what would you do if a teacher said no, I'll not excuse this missed work and your child will be given all zeros?

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Name a school that does this anymore NO one receives 0's, not even for suspension anymore.

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The reason for my opinion is because I saw this very scenario happen last year.

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I'm gonna call BS and bet there was more to the story, but go for it.

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The reason for my opinion is because I saw this very scenario happen last year. The principals had to be involved and it turned into something stupid at a middle school. The kid turned out ok, but the teacher left after the year because his feelings were hurt over a kids vacation. And the bad part was that the teacher was told before hand how the Dad works pipelines and is gone for months at a time without seeing his family. The teachers at the elementary school had no problem with it, but this one guy did. Moral of the story is that no one thinks twice when a kid gets the flu and misses a week, but all it takes is one in a 100 teacher decides that they know better about a family dynamic and causes a stink.

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The bolded part never happened.

Schools (and really, school systems) have policies about attendance. The family vacation is usually not an excused absence. If you keep your kid out of school for too many unexcused days, you could find yourself dealing with truancy issues, which can lead to legal issues for the parents.

Most schools and teachers will work with you if you let them know ahead of time. There are plenty of working parents who can't take their vacation at the same time as the kids' school holidays. However, if the school doesn't want to work with you, they're 100% in their right to enforce their policies. All schools (at least public) require the parents to sign off on those policies at the beginning of the year.

As a teacher myself, I have no issues with a kid missing school for a vacation especially if the parent communicates that it's the only time of year they can take off with their family. I will say that - at least at the high school level - it's extremely hard for kids to get caught up. Maybe you'd call me a dick and make posts on TD about my feelings being hurt, but I would not do very much one-on-one work to help a kid who missed school for a vacation. They would be expected to get caught up and be ready to move on with the class in a timely manner all on their own.