Pressuring kids to ignore doctor's orders and come to school sick

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AP was my child's Assistant Principal who we were dealing with. My child is NOT taking any AP courses.

My child is an A/B student who knew the material in all of her classes but was facing serious academic repercussions if she missed the exams. I'm sure she could have performed better if she wasn't sick but she could pass even if she was taking the test with a fever. We gave the school the doctor's note but they didn't care she was contagious. The school doesn't care for the well being of others so my child did the best she could with the circumstances she was given.

It would help if MCPS had a consistent policy that school administration has to follow when children are sick and provide medical documentation, but the fact is that the school administration has broad discretion on how they handle individual situations. The result for my child would have been unjustly punitive so my child took her exams while she was sick.

Too bad your daughter doesn't attend Churchill. She would have been exempted from taking her finals.

I hear exemptions are more the norm than not at Churchill . . .

love the enabling from parents with "means"

So . . . uh - tell me again WHO'S bullying whom?

[Anonymous]

People who knowingly send their kids with the flu should be charged with reckless endangerment!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It would help if MCPS had a consistent policy that school administration has to follow when children are sick and provide medical documentation, but the fact is that the school administration has broad discretion on how they handle individual situations. The result for my child would have been unjustly punitive so my child took her exams while she was sick.

MCPS has a consistent policy: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikara.pdf

4. Teachers are responsible for the following:
c) Allowing makeup work, regardless of the reason for the student’s absence. Teachers may assign an equivalent, but different task or assessment to students when they return from any absence. For unlawful absences, teachers may deny credit for missed assignments or assessments in accordance with the process approved by the principal and the leadership team;

And illness of the student is a lawful/excused absence: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jeara.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We overpay MCPS pensions and pet programs enough. They don't need to even TRY to bully involved parents into sending their sick children to exams.
I'm sorry they forgot who they are working for and who pays their astronomical bills. Beyond unnecessary. Especially with all their freebie days off and admin days.

You're a moron.

We ALL pay taxes, honey bunny.

ALL of us. Teachers are not exempt.

Take it to the BOE if you're pissed.

Actually we don't all vote ourselves our pensions and retiree health benefits nor our job's budget with other people money (and yes, a sliver is from teachers, essentially paying themselves).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We overpay MCPS pensions and pet programs enough. They don't need to even TRY to bully involved parents into sending their sick children to exams.
I'm sorry they forgot who they are working for and who pays their astronomical bills. Beyond unnecessary. Especially with all their freebie days off and admin days.

You're a moron.

We ALL pay taxes, honey bunny.

ALL of us. Teachers are not exempt.

Take it to the BOE if you're pissed.

Actually we don't all vote ourselves our pensions and retiree health benefits nor our job's budget with other people money (and yes, a sliver is from teachers, essentially paying themselves).

So is the new standard that if something might benefit you personally, you're not allowed to vote on it? That would be interesting.

In any case, teachers also don't vote themselves their own pensions, retiree health benefits, or budget. Teachers make up a very, very, very small part of the electorate. If you don't like what the Board of Education does, then you should work to get Board of Education members voted out of office.

I am not a teacher.

[Anonymous]

In socialist MoCo, ha, good luck! Better to just move out and watch the unsustainable budget death spiral from DC or VA.

[Anonymous]

OP,
What BS! My HS kid has been suffering from debilitating allergies and headaches for more than a year. DC has had to miss many morning classes because was not in a fit state to go to the classes. We have given DC a note everyday and driven late to school. The school and the teachers have accommodated DC completely.

[Anonymous]

Should kids have to suffer because the school refuses to abide by the doctor's note? No. But has anyone tried to have the school honor your child's rights that they publish in the hand book? Not so easy especially when the head office passes you through voice mail hell and endless layers of bureaucracy when you have a legitimate and urgent complaint.

The Principal's rationale of who gets exemptions and who has to come in is her discretion. In a sense, she has the power to practice medicine, disagree with the doctor's diagnosis, and has no repercussions if things go wrong for the student or heaven forbid the rest of the school if a contagious illness is spread. Who is going to stop her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Should kids have to suffer because the school refuses to abide by the doctor's note? No. But has anyone tried to have the school honor your child's rights that they publish in the hand book? Not so easy especially when the head office passes you through voice mail hell and endless layers of bureaucracy when you have a legitimate and urgent complaint.

The Principal's rationale of who gets exemptions and who has to come in is her discretion. In a sense, she has the power to practice medicine, disagree with the doctor's diagnosis, and has no repercussions if things go wrong for the student or heaven forbid the rest of the school if a contagious illness is spread. Who is going to stop her?

No, the principal doesn't. The principal has to abide by the MCPS regulation, which is very clear in this case. Illness is an excused absence, and the principal may require a physician's certificate for chronic or extended absences due to illness. If the principal does not abide by the MCPS regulation, then you complain to the principal's bosses and all the way up to the Board of Education.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jeara.pdf

[Anonymous]

It happens. I had to take my AP exams with mono. I was pretty high off the codeine for the pain too. No consessions were made.

[Anonymous]

It happens. I complained to the cluster supervisor, Dr. Garran, and even Dr. Starr's office. My child was failed for missed despite the MCPS regulations . Does the Board of Ed care? Not in the slightest. There are no protections for children who have medical issues. Principals can choose to do anything under the sun and the head office and the Board of Education will cover their butts. That is how the real MCPS operates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It happens. I had to take my AP exams with mono. I was pretty high off the codeine for the pain too. No consessions were made.

AP exams are offered once a year, same exam across the country, same day, special testing agency (AP). Sorry you were left with two bad choices - skip or just take it while under pain (illness or accident?).

Nonetheless, very different and not-applicable situation than MCPS January elementary school tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It happens. I had to take my AP exams with mono. I was pretty high off the codeine for the pain too. No consessions were made.

AP exams are offered once a year, same exam across the country, same day, special testing agency (AP). Sorry you were left with two bad choices - skip or just take it while under pain (illness or accident?).

Nonetheless, very different and not-applicable situation than MCPS January elementary school tests.

Actually, makeup AP exams ARE given for students who are sick on exam day. I don't know what the procedure is for this. I guess one could ask the person in charge of administering the AP at high school.