DC Elementary Schools - any real consequences to unexcused absences?

[Anonymous]

We have family overseas and missed more than the threshold number of days last year.

We had to have a meeting with the school social worker. We may have also gotten a letter or two, and it's possible that the language was "condescending".

Honestly? I'm fine with all of this. I can live with a visit to the school social worker and a few letters. All of this infrastructure is to protect students in very vulnerable situations and if it means we never never have another case like Relisha Rudd, I'm fine with it. Protecting those vulnerable kids is worth an hour or two of inconvenience on my part.

[Anonymous]

If you see OOB excessive absences or readies is a way they can kick you back to your homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have family overseas and missed more than the threshold number of days last year.

We had to have a meeting with the school social worker. We may have also gotten a letter or two, and it's possible that the language was "condescending".

Honestly? I'm fine with all of this. I can live with a visit to the school social worker and a few letters. All of this infrastructure is to protect students in very vulnerable situations and if it means we never never have another case like Relisha Rudd, I'm fine with it. Protecting those vulnerable kids is worth an hour or two of inconvenience on my part.

Great perspective!

[Anonymous]

If I recall they're supposed to have the school social worker touch base with you after 10 days.

When my son was in PS-3 and had cold after cold after cold (first year in full time school) I kept him home without hesitation because I worked from home. Sometime in the spring we got a form letter from the school social worker about it, called her, and she was like "Oh yeah, sorry, those just go out. No big deal." We did start documenting each absence after that with a call and a paper letter to the office because it just felt weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I recall they're supposed to have the school social worker touch base with you after 10 days.

When my son was in PS-3 and had cold after cold after cold (first year in full time school) I kept him home without hesitation because I worked from home. Sometime in the spring we got a form letter from the school social worker about it, called her, and she was like "Oh yeah, sorry, those just go out. No big deal." We did start documenting each absence after that with a call and a paper letter to the office because it just felt weird.

The procedures have changed, as of this year.

1 day of unexcused absence -
Contact parent on the same day and each time a student has the equivalent of one day of unexcused absence, with daily follow-ups as necessary.18

3 days of unexcused cumulative absences -
Send 3-Day Unexcused Absence Letter to parent.

4 days of absences (excused or unexcused) -
Phone call home after four absences to discuss the student’s attendance.

5 days of unexcused cumulative absences -
Send 5-Day Unexcused Absence Letter to parent and refer student to Student Support Team (SST) for an attendance intervention conference to be held within five days of the referral. (Applicable to five unexcused absences within one term.) The SST will develop an action plan in partnership with the student and the student’s parent.

7 days of unexcused cumulative absences -
Send Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) warning letter to parent.

10 days of unexcused cumulative absences -
Student is considered chronically truant. Contact the District Child Family Services Agency (CFSA) for students aged 5-13. Refer student for follow-up attendance SST interventions for students aged 14 and older. The SST assigned to the student will notify school leader of action plan within two days of the referral.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have family overseas and missed more than the threshold number of days last year.

We had to have a meeting with the school social worker. We may have also gotten a letter or two, and it's possible that the language was "condescending".

Honestly? I'm fine with all of this. I can live with a visit to the school social worker and a few letters. All of this infrastructure is to protect students in very vulnerable situations and if it means we never never have another case like Relisha Rudd, I'm fine with it. Protecting those vulnerable kids is worth an hour or two of inconvenience on my part.

I completely agree with this with one exception. That letter was not "possibly condescending" it was very condescending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have family overseas and missed more than the threshold number of days last year.

We had to have a meeting with the school social worker. We may have also gotten a letter or two, and it's possible that the language was "condescending".

Honestly? I'm fine with all of this. I can live with a visit to the school social worker and a few letters. All of this infrastructure is to protect students in very vulnerable situations and if it means we never never have another case like Relisha Rudd, I'm fine with it. Protecting those vulnerable kids is worth an hour or two of inconvenience on my part.

I completely agree with this with one exception. That letter was not "possibly condescending" it was very condescending.

Your privilege is showing.

[Anonymous]

We are at day 6 and no contact.

Also illness in the family isn't an excused absent any longer. Funeral yes, but if you visit the dying relative nope.

I was sort of looking forward to my letter/meeting to rip them a new one about that.

[Anonymous]

Bumping this as my child will enter PreK3 next year. I'm trying to plan out or travel, but with aging grandparents and illness, I'm nervous about going above the threshold. Would love some feedback from current parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this as my child will enter PreK3 next year. I'm trying to plan out or travel, but with aging grandparents and illness, I'm nervous about going above the threshold. Would love some feedback from current parents.

Not sure if there's a difference for charters, but my son missed many days of his Pre-K 3 charter school due to travel overseas (to visit family) and we weren't questioned at all.

[Anonymous]

I think individual schools have some ability to code unexcused vs excused.

For example, my child had a special event organized by an extracurricular - think a special performance on an instrument for a big event at the Kennedy Center. The organization gave all parents a letter asking for an excused absence for the dress rehearsal, which caused an entire missed day. I sent it in, positive it would be coded as unexcused (since it didn't fit within their current very narrow framework of what is excused) and surprise, it was listed as an excused absence.

And if I had a sick family member and needed to pull my child out of school to visit that family member, I would not hesitate to send in a note saying please excuse absence due to illness.

[Anonymous]

It seems like a lot depends on the school, your history there and their willingness to work with you. But I would keep notes and copies of emails etc on any absence. And of course avoid them as much as possible. But if a child is sick and you have a doctors note there isn't really anything any school can do about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you see OOB excessive absences or readies is a way they can kick you back to your homeschool.

As of this school year you can not be kicked out due to absence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this as my child will enter PreK3 next year. I'm trying to plan out or travel, but with aging grandparents and illness, I'm nervous about going above the threshold. Would love some feedback from current parents.

Not sure if there's a difference for charters, but my son missed many days of his Pre-K 3 charter school due to travel overseas (to visit family) and we weren't questioned at all.

It isn’t about charter vs DCPS but PK3. It isn’t a compulsory grade so the policy doesn’t have to be enforced.

DCPS wants to encourage good habits from the beginning and after Relisha Rudd was murderes, it isn’t fooling around with this even for preschool. But you won’t wind up ok court over a PL4 or PK3 absence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you see OOB excessive absences or readies is a way they can kick you back to your homeschool.

As of this school year you can not be kicked out due to absence.

Where can I find this in writing and does it apply to all dcps and dcpcs?