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Are Parents Irresponsible for Taking Kids on Vacation?
emomsathome.com — Schools are now calling parents irresponsible for taking kids on vacation while school is in session. Is school funding playing a factor, where schools earn money for the number of days kids are in school? What's the motivation?
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- BHopkins, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1Since I work for a school district, I have a little insight. When a student goes on "vacation" they continue to be enrolled in school, teachers continue to mark the student absent. If that "vacation" lasts longer than two weeks, students are dropped from the school and unenrolled from the district. It looks bad, and affects funding, when a district has students that are absent on a regular basis. This arbitrary time, 2 weeks, is a happy medium. If you're taking your student out of school for longer than two weeks during the regular year, you most likely aren't concerned about their education. The one caveat is parents who request work for the duration of a vacation.
The article states, "I remember my school embracing it as a learning opportunity outside of the normal lessons found in the classroom." I don't know where the author resides, but in most low income districts (about 90% of districts in California), if students aren't in the classroom, they're not learning, plain and simple. If you want to argue with that, you're obviously a parent who does care, be proud and take your kids on vacations, get their home and be certain that your child's teacher cares as much as you do.
Dang that was long winded. - smithfly114, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2*****. Unless the vacation in question is riding on Dumbo at Disneyland, or some other mind numbing activity, vacations or traveling can can teach kids more about the real world and other cultures than a thousand days in a class room.
- MOJODEVO, on 11/01/2007, -1/+0The ENTIRE point of a "vacation" is to VACATE - mentally, emotionally, and physically, etc....Riding Dumbo sure does it for me and I'm 50 years old, self-employed and owe nothing to ANYBODY......much less to dumbass schools and other lame government DUMBOTS who care NOTHING about me and mine - only how much my existence is aiding their pathetic agenda.....
- smithfly114, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1WTF are you talking about?
- MOJODEVO, on 11/01/2007, -1/+0The ENTIRE point of a "vacation" is to VACATE - mentally, emotionally, and physically, etc....Riding Dumbo sure does it for me and I'm 50 years old, self-employed and owe nothing to ANYBODY......much less to dumbass schools and other lame government DUMBOTS who care NOTHING about me and mine - only how much my existence is aiding their pathetic agenda.....
- wrtrgrl, on 11/03/2007, -0/+5I think if parents can arrange for their children to complete their schoolwork, then there should be no problem. Why should the government get to dictate my life like that?
My kids are in a low-income school and they are not getting a great education. They learn far more about life - and real things they can use in life - from my husband and I. If we could afford it, we'd take them out and put them in private or homeschool. - Sueblimely, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2I have never hesitated in taking my children out of school for travel as I have considered it a valuable part of their education. I always requested to have work set for them to do when away, if necessary, as well as being aware of making the holiday an educational experience too. Two long overseas trips of about 7 weeks were planned at times in their school lives where being in school was not so vital. Two out of my three are now in their twenties, doing really well in life. My youngest child with learning disabilities caused by Fragile X Syndrome is a visual and hands on learner and the trips have taught him things he could not easily have learned in a classroom.
- flyingrose, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0Public schools lose money when students are not in attendance. This issue is primarily about school funding and not nearly as much about education. Personally, I am a big fan of home schooling when parents are sufficiently motivated and intelligent to do it well. I greatly admire and applaud those parents who undertake such a major commitment to teaching their children. In many ways, schools teach children to conform, be good little sheep, and to learn "I can't". Home schooling is even more important for exceptionally bright children.
- fmtune, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0If teachers in the UK can have a bloody Baker Day after the holidays have finished why not let parents take their children when it is cheaper, as a father of 4 it works out better
- sjbdallas, on 11/03/2007, -0/+1Occassionally, I manage to get a work related conference that happens to be in a good vacation spot (Orlando, San Diego, etc). They often are scheduled during slower vacation seasons which also happens to be the school year. If I can swing taking my family with me then I do it. Even if the kids have to miss a week of school. 2 weeks is a little extreme but one week can easily be made up or planned for in advance and the schools need to accept that.
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