Absence for 2 weeks - what to do about MCPS school work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have him stay with the friends and hire a driver to take him to/from school.

What is this emergency that isn't death that would require both spouses? It is something to do with visas/immigration?

Correct. Our lawyer has just flagged an impending issue. I'm thankful it's not a death in the family, but this is a major blow too.

No sympathy

Why? You realize that visa rules and regulations are terrifically complex and that hard-working people find themselves in limbo all the time. It can be devastating for families and should not raise near-xenophobic sentiments like the one you're expressing.

Same for the poster who disparaged a PP whose mother had died and whose son got points taken off for being absent for a week - that actually should not have happened, because there is an attendance code specifically for "death in the close family". Which a grandparent is.

While I agree with you, MCPS does not. They define immediate family as the student's parent or sibling (and I guess, child). Grandparent is not in their definition.

This is the link the MCPS...it just says immediate family- no definition.

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jeara.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PARCC needs to be passed before high school graduation but could be taken when offered next year. (For students who do not pass PARCC, they take again next year.) I think there may also be makeup dates for PARCC, though not sure.

I'm with the other posters about trying to keep kids at home while you go, BUT I would say that during PARCC administration time, not much tends to go on in MS because the whole schedule is disrupted by the testing. Wouldn't be that fun to have to take PARCC in high school a year after taking Algebra, but not a huge deal, either. Honestly, if I needed to do this, I'd leave while PARCC is being administered so the kid doesn't lose much real instructional time.

There are make-up dates. OP hasn't said when the trip will/may be, just that they'd be back prior to end of school year. The school will absolutely try to get the kid to take PARCC during make-up time. Our MS is May 6-18 for the main testing. I think the make-up window begins May 21 and goes for 2 weeks. The son will then lose instructional time during his PARCC make-up time.

[Anonymous]

We did this at the beginning of the year. email or call the counselor and ask them how to handle it .
It is up to each individual teacher's discretion as to whether or not to give the work ,to grade the work. all of our kids teachers were very flexible and allowed our kids to go with work and then turn it in upon their return. However since the trip was a voluntary,that time did count against their unexcused absence tally.

[Anonymous]

OP here with an update.


Thank you for your advice, everyone!

We contacted the school and DS will be given as much material to study as they can collect in a hurry, and he will be able to make up missed work.

[Anonymous]

That's good news, OP. I'm glad to read it.

[Anonymous]

Wow there were a lot of chicken littles on this forum advising OP that these absences would be unexcused. MCPS strikes a tough tone on the official documents, but really everything is case by case. Glad it worked out.

[Anonymous]

MCPS has no attendence policy and if you look up articles about students missing class more than attending class and passing it is corroborated. Admin pressures teachers to give high grades, make up on everything, and inflation. Even if your student only showed up for a week he can get graded work from a friend's text message picture of it, copy it, and turn in a couple of assignments easy A. The B's and C's will go to the students who shows up and struggled to get better. A's will be for the best( and the students who's parents complain the most and threaten lawsuits). The unemployment line is for teachers who try to stand up to the corrupt chaos of "education"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has no attendence policy and if you look up articles about students missing class more than attending class and passing it is corroborated. Admin pressures teachers to give high grades, make up on everything, and inflation. Even if your student only showed up for a week he can get graded work from a friend's text message picture of it, copy it, and turn in a couple of assignments easy A. The B's and C's will go to the students who shows up and struggled to get better. A's will be for the best( and the students who's parents complain the most and threaten lawsuits). The unemployment line is for teachers who try to stand up to the corrupt chaos of "education"

Cool story, bro. OP’s kid has already missed the two weeks and lived through it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t go this in MS or HS. Hire a sitter for drop off and pick ups.

This. He can stay with the friends. Hire a sitter to transport him to and from school.

Some of the middles allow work to be made up during travel. It’s all in how you spin it. Dying grandparent overseas is one we hear a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here.

To answer another PP's remarks, this is not a voluntary trip or a vacation or work-related. It will be an emergency, when it happens.

So I guess the question is, what constitutes an excused absence for MCPS?

There is a big sign hanging on the window of the attendance office of our MCPS JS that says “family emergencies are NOT excused absences”. The way it would be ha does in our school is that any assignments that were due, tests taken, etc., would be a 0 grade. Also, there may be some rule of a letter grade dropped after so many unexcused absences. So grades take a real hit.

Sorry that you have an emergency.

That is pretty shitty. I guess it is not quite as bad, though, as the big sign in the front office of my kid's old school in TX announcing that family FUNERALS are not excused absences

I get that attendance is important but come on!

Family funerals aren’t excused in MCPS either unless the deceased was the parent, sibling, or child (!) of the student. Foster and step are allowed, but not grandparent, which is weird.

[Anonymous]

Too many people here who do not know the actual rules:
-it's either 3 weeks or 6 before MCPS un-enrolls you (can't remember, but it isn't 2 weeks)
-just write a note that it is for religous reasons to the school counselor, their AP and copy the Principal
-it's in the schools interest that your child learn (in all classes) not that they screw over your child

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many people here who do not know the actual rules:
-it's either 3 weeks or 6 before MCPS un-enrolls you (can't remember, but it isn't 2 weeks)
-just write a note that it is for religous reasons to the school counselor, their AP and copy the Principal
-it's in the schools interest that your child learn (in all classes) not that they screw over your child

It is 15 school days.

[Anonymous]

Withdraw him, take him with you, then reenroll when you return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here.

To answer another PP's remarks, this is not a voluntary trip or a vacation or work-related. It will be an emergency, when it happens.

So I guess the question is, what constitutes an excused absence for MCPS?

There is a big sign hanging on the window of the attendance office of our MCPS JS that says “family emergencies are NOT excused absences”. The way it would be ha does in our school is that any assignments that were due, tests taken, etc., would be a 0 grade. Also, there may be some rule of a letter grade dropped after so many unexcused absences. So grades take a real hit.

Sorry that you have an emergency.

That is pretty shitty. I guess it is not quite as bad, though, as the big sign in the front office of my kid's old school in TX announcing that family FUNERALS are not excused absences

I get that attendance is important but come on!

Family funerals aren’t excused in MCPS either unless the deceased was the parent, sibling, or child (!) of the student. Foster and step are allowed, but not grandparent, which is weird.

I was told grandparents were allowed but great grandparents were not excused!?