LCPS attendance policy revision

[Anonymous]

Really stinks for the families who have already booked their trips to visit family overseas in December, especially considering how short the break is this year. I wonder if there will be significant pushback.

Attendance Policy Revision to Reduce Absenteeism:
School attendance is a key issue in Loudoun County and around the country. In response, the Loudoun County School Board with guidance from the LCPS Department of Student Services and the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force has revised Policy 8140, Student Attendance Requirements and Procedures. This policy outlines what types of absences are categorized as excused or unexcused absences. Some revisions to this policy include:

Absences due to family trips or vacations are considered unexcused absences unless they are due to family emergencies or observations of religious holidays. Parents/guardians are advised to schedule such trips during school holidays.

[Anonymous]

This wasn’t already the policy? In APS, going on trips isn’t an excused absence.

[Anonymous]

Good! A vacation isn’t excused!

It only matters in HS where teachers don’t have to give makeup tests for unexcused absences (but most will anyway)

[Anonymous]

This is how it is in Fairfax too. Makes sense. It’s a huge burden to teachers to be catching kids up for week long trips to Disney or a cruise to Puerto Rico.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is how it is in Fairfax too. Makes sense. It’s a huge burden to teachers to be catching kids up for week long trips to Disney or a cruise to Puerto Rico.

And it slows down the whole class, too.

[Anonymous]

Excellent news!!

- LCPS Teacher

[Anonymous]

Boo hoo. “Push back” all you want but attendance is in literal crisis right now at all levels so they’re doing what they need to do to address it. I had a student come up to me the Friday before Thanksgiving break and say she was going to her family’s country Monday and could I give her the work for the next 8 weeks. I said no. She’s going to end up failing Q2 and having to revive her grade for Q3 and Q4 but she is not the only student who will be gone for 6+ weeks this year and teachers cannot just accommodate that or other frequent absences because people think school is optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boo hoo. “Push back” all you want but attendance is in literal crisis right now at all levels so they’re doing what they need to do to address it. I had a student come up to me the Friday before Thanksgiving break and say she was going to her family’s country Monday and could I give her the work for the next 8 weeks. I said no. She’s going to end up failing Q2 and having to revive her grade for Q3 and Q4 but she is not the only student who will be gone for 6+ weeks this year and teachers cannot just accommodate that or other frequent absences because people think school is optional.

High school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boo hoo. “Push back” all you want but attendance is in literal crisis right now at all levels so they’re doing what they need to do to address it. I had a student come up to me the Friday before Thanksgiving break and say she was going to her family’s country Monday and could I give her the work for the next 8 weeks. I said no. She’s going to end up failing Q2 and having to revive her grade for Q3 and Q4 but she is not the only student who will be gone for 6+ weeks this year and teachers cannot just accommodate that or other frequent absences because people think school is optional.

I don't disagree with you in general. However, this student was asking for the work. They weren't just skipping school. Clearly she did believe the work is important. I don't know why families "have" to visit their international family during the school year. I don't get to see my long distance family any time I want, and they're all in the US.

[Anonymous]

I was confused when this hit my inbox. What was the policy before? We've rarely pulled our kids for trips for more than a day or two, but when we have it's been unexcused. Teachers have been gracious enough to provide classwork but again, it's never been for more than a day or two and our kids are still in ES so sometimes there hasn't been work.

We definitely know families who visit relatives overseas for extended trips, so if the policy is that teachers are not required to provide work, that's completely understandable. My guess is these parents will indeed push back, unfortunately, and it will be a big pain.

[Anonymous]

I don't disagree with you in general. However, this student was asking for the work. They weren't just skipping school. Clearly she did believe the work is important. I don't know why families "have" to visit their international family during the school year. I don't get to see my long distance family any time I want, and they're all in the US.

There is no way I could pull together 8 weeks of work for a student who notified me the Friday before break. And in my experience, when I take the immense amount of time required to pull together work, it does not get completed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boo hoo. “Push back” all you want but attendance is in literal crisis right now at all levels so they’re doing what they need to do to address it. I had a student come up to me the Friday before Thanksgiving break and say she was going to her family’s country Monday and could I give her the work for the next 8 weeks. I said no. She’s going to end up failing Q2 and having to revive her grade for Q3 and Q4 but she is not the only student who will be gone for 6+ weeks this year and teachers cannot just accommodate that or other frequent absences because people think school is optional.

I don't disagree with you in general. However, this student was asking for the work. They weren't just skipping school. Clearly she did believe the work is important. I don't know why families "have" to visit their international family during the school year. I don't get to see my long distance family any time I want, and they're all in the US.

She asked for work that day . She was leaving Monday. How was I to give her 8 weeks of work that day. Further, a student can’t do 8 weeks of work without the instruction. It wouldn’t have gotten done even if I could’ve gotten it to her. School matters.

[Anonymous]

Fine. Well just the “flu” then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boo hoo. “Push back” all you want but attendance is in literal crisis right now at all levels so they’re doing what they need to do to address it. I had a student come up to me the Friday before Thanksgiving break and say she was going to her family’s country Monday and could I give her the work for the next 8 weeks. I said no. She’s going to end up failing Q2 and having to revive her grade for Q3 and Q4 but she is not the only student who will be gone for 6+ weeks this year and teachers cannot just accommodate that or other frequent absences because people think school is optional.

For over a year we were told that not only was school "optional" it was even PROHIBITED for several months. Every single parent and kid with kids 3rd grade and up lived that. As a teacher, were YOU fighting and advocating to re-open schools on March 14, 2020? If not then YOU are to blame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boo hoo. “Push back” all you want but attendance is in literal crisis right now at all levels so they’re doing what they need to do to address it. I had a student come up to me the Friday before Thanksgiving break and say she was going to her family’s country Monday and could I give her the work for the next 8 weeks. I said no. She’s going to end up failing Q2 and having to revive her grade for Q3 and Q4 but she is not the only student who will be gone for 6+ weeks this year and teachers cannot just accommodate that or other frequent absences because people think school is optional.

I don't disagree with you in general. However, this student was asking for the work. They weren't just skipping school. Clearly she did believe the work is important. I don't know why families "have" to visit their international family during the school year. I don't get to see my long distance family any time I want, and they're all in the US.

She asked for work that day . She was leaving Monday. How was I to give her 8 weeks of work that day. Further, a student can’t do 8 weeks of work without the instruction. It wouldn’t have gotten done even if I could’ve gotten it to her. School matters.

How much did it "matter" to you on March 14, 2020? Please link the news article where you, as a teacher, were publicly speaking out against the school closures.