DC Elementary Schools - any real consequences to unexcused absences?

[Anonymous]

Wow so your concern about educational neglect is parents taking their kids out of school to go to Grand Cayman? You are REALLY out of touch with the reason these rules exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools care but there’s not much they can do in DC except call for meetings and report the child as truant. In my old school district, they would reduce grades or consider retention for too many absences.

That happens here (now) for high school. Not elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless it is the same kid missing all those days, no

so let's pretend it is the same kid. let's pretend it is

5 days in November (2 the week of Thanksgiving - 3 the week after Thanksgiving)
5 days in December for a week early to Grand Cayman

At a high performing elementary school - do they do anything?

It is just a form letter that gets sent home?

It is spelled out here. https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/page_content/attachments/FINAL%20DCPS%20Attendance%20and%20Truancy%20Policy%2008-21-18.pdf

See page 5 and 6. Multiple notices go out once you get to 3 unexcused absences, and escalate from there.

We had 9 unexcused absences last year, in 2nd grade (4 before Christmas break and 5 at the end of school -- which was only three when we made the plans, before snow days were added on). We didn't get any calls, letters, or anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless it is the same kid missing all those days, no

so let's pretend it is the same kid. let's pretend it is

5 days in November (2 the week of Thanksgiving - 3 the week after Thanksgiving)
5 days in December for a week early to Grand Cayman

At a high performing elementary school - do they do anything?

It is just a form letter that gets sent home?

It is spelled out here. https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/page_content/attachments/FINAL%20DCPS%20Attendance%20and%20Truancy%20Policy%2008-21-18.pdf

See page 5 and 6. Multiple notices go out once you get to 3 unexcused absences, and escalate from there.

We had 9 unexcused absences last year, in 2nd grade (4 before Christmas break and 5 at the end of school -- which was only three when we made the plans, before snow days were added on). We didn't get any calls, letters, or anything else.

This policy went into effect during summer 2018.

[Anonymous]

Not in DC, but I asked a friend who works in the administration for a local public school and deals with these kinds of issues. I was thinking about taking a few extra days off around spring break and wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any negative consequences to DC.

Friend's answer, for our school district (I realize it could vary by district): if the teacher or the school admin are concerned about your child, this will be used as a reason to report or investigate further. It could flag the child for monitoring. If the teacher and support staff think your child is doing just fine, this in and of itself is not an issue. DC was doing great in all classes, teachers described him as happy and thriving, so we went ahead and took the days off. No issues.

[Anonymous]

When my child was in K she hit seven absences and they assigned a truancy officer to us, who would not get off my case.

FYI that we are UMC. (And the trips were not vacation-related. In fact, the last day that led to the truancy officer was because my child had a chance to meet with President Obama, who was still in office. Those pictures with him will last a lifetime, but for them I got over five condescending truancy lectures about the importance of education.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my child was in K she hit seven absences and they assigned a truancy officer to us, who would not get off my case.

FYI that we are UMC. (And the trips were not vacation-related. In fact, the last day that led to the truancy officer was because my child had a chance to meet with President Obama, who was still in office. Those pictures with him will last a lifetime, but for them I got over five condescending truancy lectures about the importance of education.)

I am actually glad that they don’t discriminate between UNC and poor people on this issue. Youbmade your choice - same one I would have. Listening to a lecture didn’t kill you.

Also 7 UNEXCUSED absences in one year is a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my child was in K she hit seven absences and they assigned a truancy officer to us, who would not get off my case.

FYI that we are UMC. (And the trips were not vacation-related. In fact, the last day that led to the truancy officer was because my child had a chance to meet with President Obama, who was still in office. Those pictures with him will last a lifetime, but for them I got over five condescending truancy lectures about the importance of education.)

I am actually glad that they don’t discriminate between UNC and poor people on this issue. Youbmade your choice - same one I would have. Listening to a lecture didn’t kill you.

Also 7 UNEXCUSED absences in one year is a lot.

My husband and I have four graduate degrees between us, most from Ivy League schools. Having someone incessantly lecture us about the importance of education is a poor use of resources, and threatening court action was simply insane.

And none of our absences were due to vacation. We were not at Disneyland, or even a wedding. It was absurd.

They were all legitimate absences, just not absences that fit inside DCPS’ narrow box.

[Anonymous]

^^^ p.s.: Our school principal knew of — and fully approved — the absences beforehand. But something, nevertheless, got triggered in the system. It was someone in DCPS central’s truancy office who got on our case. I think there was a social worker who called me, too. Anyway, this was a number of years ago.

FWIW: My kids have never been late to school once. And they’ve never once missed school for vacation. Never.

[Anonymous]

^^ revision: once three years ago they missed one day due to a weather-related transportation delay on our way back from vacation. Still, that’s a pretty good record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ p.s.: Our school principal knew of — and fully approved — the absences beforehand. But something, nevertheless, got triggered in the system. It was someone in DCPS central’s truancy office who got on our case. I think there was a social worker who called me, too. Anyway, this was a number of years ago.

FWIW: My kids have never been late to school once. And they’ve never once missed school for vacation. Never.

No one is above the law. Period. Can you not fathom how ridiculous it could be if they gave every parent with advanced degrees an automatic pass? That would be unfair and problematic on its face.

It isn’t as if children of educated parents are immune from neglect or abuse.

And DCPS’ “boxes” for excused absences is not narrow. Illness, funerals, religious observances, spending one with a deployed military parent, take your home to work day etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ p.s.: Our school principal knew of — and fully approved — the absences beforehand. But something, nevertheless, got triggered in the system. It was someone in DCPS central’s truancy office who got on our case. I think there was a social worker who called me, too. Anyway, this was a number of years ago.

FWIW: My kids have never been late to school once. And they’ve never once missed school for vacation. Never.

No one is above the law. Period. Can you not fathom how ridiculous it could be if they gave every parent with advanced degrees an automatic pass? That would be unfair and problematic on its face.

It isn’t as if children of educated parents are immune from neglect or abuse.

And DCPS’ “boxes” for excused absences is not narrow. Illness, funerals, religious observances, spending one with a deployed military parent, take your home to work day etc.

Exactly, what are they supposed to do analyze photos to see if they are legit or not. Rules for everyone no exceptions due to educational background, that's ludicrous. It's not that hard to write an absence letter it's when you don't that you get in trouble.

[Anonymous]

I never said truancy officers shouldn’t go after UPM educated families, just that the incessant lectures about the importance of education were annoying and and seemed particularly absurd.

Our situation was the equivalent of a military family on deployment.

[Anonymous]

UPM=UMC

Unsure if autocorrect did that???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my child was in K she hit seven absences and they assigned a truancy officer to us, who would not get off my case.

FYI that we are UMC. (And the trips were not vacation-related. In fact, the last day that led to the truancy officer was because my child had a chance to meet with President Obama, who was still in office. Those pictures with him will last a lifetime, but for them I got over five condescending truancy lectures about the importance of education.)

What does it look like to have a truancy officer assigned to you? Are you talking about robo-emails or were you called into 5 meetings for 7 absences? Because if feels like this story is off somehow especially if it was before this year.