Anyone know if there is a limit to absences in MCPS?

[Anonymous]

DC will be in second grade this upcoming year. We have a number of important family obligations in another state, and while I normally hate having my children miss school (DC missed only two days of school for both K and 1st grade combined), these events are important and we are planning to attend. DC is ahead academically so I'm not concerned about making up the work, but I do wonder if there are any issues other than making up the work--truancy issues or something. My guess is DC would end up missing approximately eight days of school total for these event, and the days missed would not be consecutive, as there are three events over the year. (And then of course there might be more "legitimate" absences if DC gets sick or something like that.) Thanks for any information.

[Anonymous]

Are you serious? You think that mcps will be concerned about a child missing 8 days of school in 2nd grade? No, there's no policy. Look at the immigrant kids who are gone for months but still are passed to the next grade.

[Anonymous]

I understand that making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) means that average attendance rate cannot be lower than 94%. With 180 school days, you can miss 10 days of school and still not be dragging the school's average down below AYP. Not that I'm advocating blowing off school, but if the trip is important then he can go.

[Anonymous]

In our school, there is a policy that if a child is absent 3 days or more you need to bring in a doctor's excuse to have it excused.

[Anonymous]

I thought there was a rule that if the absence is not "excused" which is bascially medical or death in the family, a teacher is not required to provide makeup work. That doesn't mean the teacher will not..but in theory they could give you a zero. This is not really much of a problem in the lower grades. I think it is used mainly to reduce the amount of work for high school teachers when a student takes a vacation during class time. Personally I think family events are important and am willing to sacrifice a bit of school time for it..

[Anonymous]

such as?

Personally, as a teacher, I often wonder just how important these events are. I think that you're sending a message to your child that it's just fine to miss instruction, especially since "DC is ahead academically."

A death is one thing. But weddings and family reunions, for example? not important enough in my opinion



quote=Anonymous]DC will be in second grade this upcoming year. We have a number of important family obligations in another state, and while I normally hate having my children miss school (DC missed only two days of school for both K and 1st grade combined), these events are important and we are planning to attend. DC is ahead academically so I'm not concerned about making up the work, but I do wonder if there are any issues other than making up the work--truancy issues or something. My guess is DC would end up missing approximately eight days of school total for these event, and the days missed would not be consecutive, as there are three events over the year. (And then of course there might be more "legitimate" absences if DC gets sick or something like that.) Thanks for any information.

[Anonymous]

I know of a family who took their second grader out to go on a 3 week cruse. Oh the home work the child had to make up.

[Anonymous]

A few years ago, my SIL (a teacher) took her kids out for a weeks vacation on a Disney Cruise.

She also took a bunch of days last year without pay for a vacation with friends- - it is incredible how this person can justify her behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC will be in second grade this upcoming year. We have a number of important family obligations in another state, and while I normally hate having my children miss school (DC missed only two days of school for both K and 1st grade combined), these events are important and we are planning to attend. DC is ahead academically so I'm not concerned about making up the work, but I do wonder if there are any issues other than making up the work--truancy issues or something. My guess is DC would end up missing approximately eight days of school total for these event, and the days missed would not be consecutive, as there are three events over the year. (And then of course there might be more "legitimate" absences if DC gets sick or something like that.) Thanks for any information.

What are these important events? Eight days is a lot to miss, given that you are not talking about illness or death. Assuming you are not talking death (which you don't plan for),
what kind of a message does this send your child?

From the MCPS point of view, these absences are not excused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:such as?

Personally, as a teacher, I often wonder just how important these events are. I think that you're sending a message to your child that it's just fine to miss instruction, especially since "DC is ahead academically."

A death is one thing. But weddings and family reunions, for example? not important enough in my opinion



quote=Anonymous]DC will be in second grade this upcoming year. We have a number of important family obligations in another state, and while I normally hate having my children miss school (DC missed only two days of school for both K and 1st grade combined), these events are important and we are planning to attend. DC is ahead academically so I'm not concerned about making up the work, but I do wonder if there are any issues other than making up the work--truancy issues or something. My guess is DC would end up missing approximately eight days of school total for these event, and the days missed would not be consecutive, as there are three events over the year. (And then of course there might be more "legitimate" absences if DC gets sick or something like that.) Thanks for any information.

Second grade teacher here and I hold the opposite view, in most cases. I think it is very important to participate in significant family events, especially when they involve older/elderly relatives. And especially when the kids are in second grade...yes, it just second grade, not an MBA program..and they aren't applying to college for another 8 years. Most kids will be just fine missing 8 days of school particularly if not consecutive. That said, there are exceptions (if they will be missing testing or some other significant school event and for some kinds of special needs, for example). They have plenty of time to learn to multiply and they will. The reality is if he/she misses something that will hold them back, the teacher WILL teach it to your child. It takes 15 minutes to teach something to 1 child that it may have taken 3 days to teach to the entire class. They just won't get the 'fun' activities, games, question/answer session, etc that the rest of the class got. The time with grandma and grandpa and great aunt Edna is very limited. Make memories while you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:such as?

Personally, as a teacher, I often wonder just how important these events are. I think that you're sending a message to your child that it's just fine to miss instruction, especially since "DC is ahead academically."

A death is one thing. But weddings and family reunions, for example? not important enough in my opinion



quote=Anonymous]DC will be in second grade this upcoming year. We have a number of important family obligations in another state, and while I normally hate having my children miss school (DC missed only two days of school for both K and 1st grade combined), these events are important and we are planning to attend. DC is ahead academically so I'm not concerned about making up the work, but I do wonder if there are any issues other than making up the work--truancy issues or something. My guess is DC would end up missing approximately eight days of school total for these event, and the days missed would not be consecutive, as there are three events over the year. (And then of course there might be more "legitimate" absences if DC gets sick or something like that.) Thanks for any information.

Personally, I think family events are extremely important. Many people don't live near their families. These types of events are a chance to get together to build family bonds that are very difficult to create and maintain when extended family members live far away. I know it is not the fault of the school. However, I feel that schools should be more flexible in this area given the high percentage of the workforce that moved here from out of state or from out of the country. I don't know how to reconcile this with the pressure that schools put on teachers but there really should be a way and it should be a priority. Otherwise, screw family and go all out for those test scores!

[Anonymous]

How about keeping your priorities straight?

If Aunt Edna is 80, little Joey won't remember her birthday at age 8. But he will benefit from his math lessons.

And to the other teacher, I don't believe you work in a school with a transient population. I've had kids come and go over the year - withdraw, only to return semester 2. It's not the most "efficient" way to teach these kids life-long skills. And it's close to impossible to help them catch up at that point.

On the flip side, in the wealthier schools, kids are pulled from class to travel b/c it's an opportunity they just can't pass up! That entitlement only hurts them later on. Each day in class, my kids learn valuable lessons. So missing a day does indeed affect my students' learning.

priorities . . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:such as?

Personally, as a teacher, I often wonder just how important these events are. I think that you're sending a message to your child that it's just fine to miss instruction, especially since "DC is ahead academically."

A death is one thing. But weddings and family reunions, for example? not important enough in my opinion



quote=Anonymous]DC will be in second grade this upcoming year. We have a number of important family obligations in another state, and while I normally hate having my children miss school (DC missed only two days of school for both K and 1st grade combined), these events are important and we are planning to attend. DC is ahead academically so I'm not concerned about making up the work, but I do wonder if there are any issues other than making up the work--truancy issues or something. My guess is DC would end up missing approximately eight days of school total for these event, and the days missed would not be consecutive, as there are three events over the year. (And then of course there might be more "legitimate" absences if DC gets sick or something like that.) Thanks for any information.

Personally, I think family events are extremely important. Many people don't live near their families. These types of events are a chance to get together to build family bonds that are very difficult to create and maintain when extended family members live far away. I know it is not the fault of the school. However, I feel that schools should be more flexible in this area given the high percentage of the workforce that moved here from out of state or from out of the country. I don't know how to reconcile this with the pressure that schools put on teachers but there really should be a way and it should be a priority. Otherwise, screw family and go all out for those test scores!