Attendance pressure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh I should add as well. Some of the best teaching I do as a parent is when we travel. Language, geography, history are all supported by raising kids who are aware of being in a wider world. I don’t ask teachers to thank me for that when I return either.

Why would they thank us for parenting? Everything you listed is what we should do as parents. Teachers dont need to thank us for parenting by teaching our kids when we travel any more than they need to thank us for toilet-training our children, supplying toothbrushes to our children, or clothing our children. It is our JOB as parents.

Agreed— and providing work to a child who has been absent is their JOB as teachers. No special thanks needed.

Well, there’s absences and there’s absences. Sick? Definitely my job to provide work. Vacation? No, not really… but I’ll do it anyway.

And there’s “providing work” and there’s teaching. If you want me to say, “check online! It’s there,” then I provided work. If you want me to stay after to teach the lesson to your child because he was on vacation, then that’s additional teaching.

So you can withhold your thanks in a “I’m going to stick it to that teacher” kind of way. That’s fine. Meanwhile, my daughter was sick earlier this week. I sent an email to her teacher, she responded with support, and I thanked her for it. It took me about 3 seconds.

We are different people.

If the vacation is excused, yes, your job. I don’t see how that impact your quality of life so much that you keep fixating on it. It’s very easy to get an excused absence if that’s really going to make you much happier.

How do you get the vacation excused?

A PP a few pages back said she would get a doctor's excuse for mental health or something like that.

So lie or get someone to lie for you? And teachers are then obligated to help catch your kid up (but not be thanked for it).

None of the examples given were lies. Mental health is excused in fcps, college visits are excused, and kids are under the care of their pediatricians. Saying “my kid has flu” is a lie.

Again its never been needed because I don’t have this kind of power hungry teacher in my kids orbit (elementary school so maybe that’s why) but I wouldn’t let their problems become my problems.

DP. Love that simply suggesting a thank you for additional work is considered “power hungry”!

“Power hungry” was the people saying its not their job/they won’t provide makeup work so students shouldn’t travel or they should
be penalized (but teachers can).

Though, trying to be the hall monitor of what teachers deserve thanks for— as though some random internet stranger knows more about a kids teachers performance than the students parent does— has a certain red flag quality.

[Anonymous]

I was a teacher. I think most teachers would try to provide information on how to keep up while out of class. However, it appears that some people want the teacher to do hours and hours of prep for their kids. As a teacher, I was happy to do that for sick kids--but, it was quite rare for a child to miss more than a day or two.

This travel is a choice. So, do your best to help your kids keep up, but know, that your child is not in class and that class does not stop while your kid is away.

And, anyone who asks for an excuse from their doctor due to "mental health" is teaching their child to make excuses for their own behavior.

There are consequences for missing class. Maybe, you will luck out and the kids will miss very little. But, to expect things to come to a halt because of your plans is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher. I think most teachers would try to provide information on how to keep up while out of class. However, it appears that some people want the teacher to do hours and hours of prep for their kids. As a teacher, I was happy to do that for sick kids--but, it was quite rare for a child to miss more than a day or two.

This travel is a choice. So, do your best to help your kids keep up, but know, that your child is not in class and that class does not stop while your kid is away.

And, anyone who asks for an excuse from their doctor due to "mental health" is teaching their child to make excuses for their own behavior.

There are consequences for missing class. Maybe, you will luck out and the kids will miss very little. But, to expect things to come to a halt because of your plans is ridiculous.

Again, no one expects things to “come to a halt” while their child is out and they don’t expect “hours and hours” of prep from the teacher before they leave for vacation. All we want is the makeup work when we return without the attitude and without expecting a grand “Thank.” You are quite dramatic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher. I think most teachers would try to provide information on how to keep up while out of class. However, it appears that some people want the teacher to do hours and hours of prep for their kids. As a teacher, I was happy to do that for sick kids--but, it was quite rare for a child to miss more than a day or two.

This travel is a choice. So, do your best to help your kids keep up, but know, that your child is not in class and that class does not stop while your kid is away.

And, anyone who asks for an excuse from their doctor due to "mental health" is teaching their child to make excuses for their own behavior.

There are consequences for missing class. Maybe, you will luck out and the kids will miss very little. But, to expect things to come to a halt because of your plans is ridiculous.

Literally no one asked for any of the bolded.

As for getting notes, you can see it as teaching making excuses, I see it as teaching priorities and reinforcing what I teach them about not being responsible for others big feelings.

[Anonymous]

As for getting notes, you can see it as teaching making excuses, I see it as teaching priorities and reinforcing what I teach them about not being responsible for others big feelings.

Good. Then, you will accept that your child will learn that missing school has consequences, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As for getting notes, you can see it as teaching making excuses, I see it as teaching priorities and reinforcing what I teach them about not being responsible for others big feelings.

Good. Then, you will accept that your child will learn that missing school has consequences, too.

Their absence will be excused so I’m not sure what consequences you’re referring to. That they will have to do make up work, and some work while on a trip? Yes those are good lessons and part of building good habits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh I should add as well. Some of the best teaching I do as a parent is when we travel. Language, geography, history are all supported by raising kids who are aware of being in a wider world. I don’t ask teachers to thank me for that when I return either.

Why would they thank us for parenting? Everything you listed is what we should do as parents. Teachers dont need to thank us for parenting by teaching our kids when we travel any more than they need to thank us for toilet-training our children, supplying toothbrushes to our children, or clothing our children. It is our JOB as parents.

Agreed— and providing work to a child who has been absent is their JOB as teachers. No special thanks needed.

Well, there’s absences and there’s absences. Sick? Definitely my job to provide work. Vacation? No, not really… but I’ll do it anyway.

And there’s “providing work” and there’s teaching. If you want me to say, “check online! It’s there,” then I provided work. If you want me to stay after to teach the lesson to your child because he was on vacation, then that’s additional teaching.

So you can withhold your thanks in a “I’m going to stick it to that teacher” kind of way. That’s fine. Meanwhile, my daughter was sick earlier this week. I sent an email to her teacher, she responded with support, and I thanked her for it. It took me about 3 seconds.

We are different people.

If the vacation is excused, yes, your job. I don’t see how that impact your quality of life so much that you keep fixating on it. It’s very easy to get an excused absence if that’s really going to make you much happier.

How do you get the vacation excused?

As examples (I have never needed to do any of these things) while traveling in Europe visit universities your high schooler may be interested in attending. For short breaks in the winter I would call in the child as being out for mental health (excused in FCPS) and for a longer trip our pediatrician would provide the “Name is under my care and will return on Date” note.

LMFAO. I would be so embarrassed to ask my pediatrician to write a note implying my child is in a consumptive state in their personal care just go to Turks and Caicos omg. Some of you are shameless.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The messaging about the importance of attendance is getting more and more aggressive. And now also kind of racist.

"December Attendance
Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.

We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.

Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.

Two weeks to go! Let's finish strong. Winter break is December 22nd through January 2nd. School resumes on January 5th, 2026."

This letter is not aggressive and every part of it is true. When I taught in buildings where kids were going to their home countries over break, we had kids who missed 3-4 weeks of school on either side of the break. About 3-5% of our kids missed 40+ days of school each year. That makes learning impossible. And no, I'm not referring to kids with chronic health issues. If a kid misses one day before or after break and only missed 5-8 days over the course of the year, they'll be fine. But when we start talking more than 5% of the year, that's a problem. It's a problem particularly for kids who are below level. Fyi, I think teacher attendance is just as important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The messaging about the importance of attendance is getting more and more aggressive. And now also kind of racist.

"December Attendance
Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.

We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.

Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.

Two weeks to go! Let's finish strong. Winter break is December 22nd through January 2nd. School resumes on January 5th, 2026."

This letter is not aggressive and every part of it is true. When I taught in buildings where kids were going to their home countries over break, we had kids who missed 3-4 weeks of school on either side of the break. About 3-5% of our kids missed 40+ days of school each year. That makes learning impossible. And no, I'm not referring to kids with chronic health issues. If a kid misses one day before or after break and only missed 5-8 days over the course of the year, they'll be fine. But when we start talking more than 5% of the year, that's a problem. It's a problem particularly for kids who are below level. Fyi, I think teacher attendance is just as important.

Parents can take their kids out early on vacation just as lots of teachers are planning to be out next week too. Has the principal communicated to the teachers to ask them to think about teaching right up until break?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The messaging about the importance of attendance is getting more and more aggressive. And now also kind of racist.

"December Attendance
Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.

We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.

Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.

Two weeks to go! Let's finish strong. Winter break is December 22nd through January 2nd. School resumes on January 5th, 2026."

This letter is not aggressive and every part of it is true. When I taught in buildings where kids were going to their home countries over break, we had kids who missed 3-4 weeks of school on either side of the break. About 3-5% of our kids missed 40+ days of school each year. That makes learning impossible. And no, I'm not referring to kids with chronic health issues. If a kid misses one day before or after break and only missed 5-8 days over the course of the year, they'll be fine. But when we start talking more than 5% of the year, that's a problem. It's a problem particularly for kids who are below level. Fyi, I think teacher attendance is just as important.

Well the part that isn’t true is the statement “our teachers will be teaching” considering how many are out next week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The messaging about the importance of attendance is getting more and more aggressive. And now also kind of racist.

"December Attendance
Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.

We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.

Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.

Two weeks to go! Let's finish strong. Winter break is December 22nd through January 2nd. School resumes on January 5th, 2026."

This letter is not aggressive and every part of it is true. When I taught in buildings where kids were going to their home countries over break, we had kids who missed 3-4 weeks of school on either side of the break. About 3-5% of our kids missed 40+ days of school each year. That makes learning impossible. And no, I'm not referring to kids with chronic health issues. If a kid misses one day before or after break and only missed 5-8 days over the course of the year, they'll be fine. But when we start talking more than 5% of the year, that's a problem. It's a problem particularly for kids who are below level. Fyi, I think teacher attendance is just as important.

Well the part that isn’t true is the statement “our teachers will be teaching” considering how many are out next week.

+1 yup. One of my kids will be doing a series of self paced videos in class with a sub all next week since their teacher left on an overseas trip already. Should I expect a thank you from this teacher for supporting my child during this period?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The messaging about the importance of attendance is getting more and more aggressive. And now also kind of racist.

"December Attendance
Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.

We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.

Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.

Two weeks to go! Let's finish strong. Winter break is December 22nd through January 2nd. School resumes on January 5th, 2026."

This letter is not aggressive and every part of it is true. When I taught in buildings where kids were going to their home countries over break, we had kids who missed 3-4 weeks of school on either side of the break. About 3-5% of our kids missed 40+ days of school each year. That makes learning impossible. And no, I'm not referring to kids with chronic health issues. If a kid misses one day before or after break and only missed 5-8 days over the course of the year, they'll be fine. But when we start talking more than 5% of the year, that's a problem. It's a problem particularly for kids who are below level. Fyi, I think teacher attendance is just as important.

Well the part that isn’t true is the statement “our teachers will be teaching” considering how many are out next week.

+1 yup. One of my kids will be doing a series of self paced videos in class with a sub all next week since their teacher left on an overseas trip already. Should I expect a thank you from this teacher for supporting my child during this period?

I would hope so! It’s only eight letters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh I should add as well. Some of the best teaching I do as a parent is when we travel. Language, geography, history are all supported by raising kids who are aware of being in a wider world. I don’t ask teachers to thank me for that when I return either.

Why would they thank us for parenting? Everything you listed is what we should do as parents. Teachers dont need to thank us for parenting by teaching our kids when we travel any more than they need to thank us for toilet-training our children, supplying toothbrushes to our children, or clothing our children. It is our JOB as parents.

Agreed— and providing work to a child who has been absent is their JOB as teachers. No special thanks needed.

Well, there’s absences and there’s absences. Sick? Definitely my job to provide work. Vacation? No, not really… but I’ll do it anyway.

And there’s “providing work” and there’s teaching. If you want me to say, “check online! It’s there,” then I provided work. If you want me to stay after to teach the lesson to your child because he was on vacation, then that’s additional teaching.

So you can withhold your thanks in a “I’m going to stick it to that teacher” kind of way. That’s fine. Meanwhile, my daughter was sick earlier this week. I sent an email to her teacher, she responded with support, and I thanked her for it. It took me about 3 seconds.

We are different people.

If the vacation is excused, yes, your job. I don’t see how that impact your quality of life so much that you keep fixating on it. It’s very easy to get an excused absence if that’s really going to make you much happier.

How do you get the vacation excused?

A PP a few pages back said she would get a doctor's excuse for mental health or something like that.

So lie or get someone to lie for you? And teachers are then obligated to help catch your kid up (but not be thanked for it).

None of the examples given were lies. Mental health is excused in fcps, college visits are excused, and kids are under the care of their pediatricians. Saying “my kid has flu” is a lie.

Again its never been needed because I don’t have this kind of power hungry teacher in my kids orbit (elementary school so maybe that’s why) but I wouldn’t let their problems become my problems.

DP. Love that simply suggesting a thank you for additional work is considered “power hungry”!

“Power hungry” was the people saying its not their job/they won’t provide makeup work so students shouldn’t travel or they should
be penalized (but teachers can).

Though, trying to be the hall monitor of what teachers deserve thanks for— as though some random internet stranger knows more about a kids teachers performance than the students parent does— has a certain red flag quality.

Except that’s not what most of the teachers on this thread have been saying, including me. We’ve said we are happy to provide work regardless of reason (sickness, vacation).

If you trace this back, one poster (me) said that it would be nice to hear a quick “thank you” if you asked me for extra assistance in the form of individualized units or extra after-school help. (A real example? A request for an entire unit to be packaged up with daily targets and check-ins that align with the family’s vacation plans.) I never said I needed a “thank you” for anything within the context of my job, like throwing worksheets your kid’s way.

I was mocked and insulted by multiple posters for that suggestion. I learned that it’s my job to bend over backwards, and that if I don’t do it gleefully and gratefully that the family will lie about their destination to force me to do it.

So there we are. I’m the villain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh I should add as well. Some of the best teaching I do as a parent is when we travel. Language, geography, history are all supported by raising kids who are aware of being in a wider world. I don’t ask teachers to thank me for that when I return either.

Why would they thank us for parenting? Everything you listed is what we should do as parents. Teachers dont need to thank us for parenting by teaching our kids when we travel any more than they need to thank us for toilet-training our children, supplying toothbrushes to our children, or clothing our children. It is our JOB as parents.

Agreed— and providing work to a child who has been absent is their JOB as teachers. No special thanks needed.

Well, there’s absences and there’s absences. Sick? Definitely my job to provide work. Vacation? No, not really… but I’ll do it anyway.

And there’s “providing work” and there’s teaching. If you want me to say, “check online! It’s there,” then I provided work. If you want me to stay after to teach the lesson to your child because he was on vacation, then that’s additional teaching.

So you can withhold your thanks in a “I’m going to stick it to that teacher” kind of way. That’s fine. Meanwhile, my daughter was sick earlier this week. I sent an email to her teacher, she responded with support, and I thanked her for it. It took me about 3 seconds.

We are different people.

If the vacation is excused, yes, your job. I don’t see how that impact your quality of life so much that you keep fixating on it. It’s very easy to get an excused absence if that’s really going to make you much happier.

How do you get the vacation excused?

A PP a few pages back said she would get a doctor's excuse for mental health or something like that.

So lie or get someone to lie for you? And teachers are then obligated to help catch your kid up (but not be thanked for it).

None of the examples given were lies. Mental health is excused in fcps, college visits are excused, and kids are under the care of their pediatricians. Saying “my kid has flu” is a lie.

Again its never been needed because I don’t have this kind of power hungry teacher in my kids orbit (elementary school so maybe that’s why) but I wouldn’t let their problems become my problems.

DP. Love that simply suggesting a thank you for additional work is considered “power hungry”!

“Power hungry” was the people saying its not their job/they won’t provide makeup work so students shouldn’t travel or they should
be penalized (but teachers can).

Though, trying to be the hall monitor of what teachers deserve thanks for— as though some random internet stranger knows more about a kids teachers performance than the students parent does— has a certain red flag quality.

Except that’s not what most of the teachers on this thread have been saying, including me. We’ve said we are happy to provide work regardless of reason (sickness, vacation).

If you trace this back, one poster (me) said that it would be nice to hear a quick “thank you” if you asked me for extra assistance in the form of individualized units or extra after-school help. (A real example? A request for an entire unit to be packaged up with daily targets and check-ins that align with the family’s vacation plans.) I never said I needed a “thank you” for anything within the context of my job, like throwing worksheets your kid’s way.

I was mocked and insulted by multiple posters for that suggestion. I learned that it’s my job to bend over backwards, and that if I don’t do it gleefully and gratefully that the family will lie about their destination to force me to do it.

So there we are. I’m the villain.

Times have changed.
I taught Title I many years ago. I still have some of the thank you notes--actually somewhat illiterate--from moms. Gratitude expressed goes a long way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh I should add as well. Some of the best teaching I do as a parent is when we travel. Language, geography, history are all supported by raising kids who are aware of being in a wider world. I don’t ask teachers to thank me for that when I return either.

Why would they thank us for parenting? Everything you listed is what we should do as parents. Teachers dont need to thank us for parenting by teaching our kids when we travel any more than they need to thank us for toilet-training our children, supplying toothbrushes to our children, or clothing our children. It is our JOB as parents.

Agreed— and providing work to a child who has been absent is their JOB as teachers. No special thanks needed.

Well, there’s absences and there’s absences. Sick? Definitely my job to provide work. Vacation? No, not really… but I’ll do it anyway.

And there’s “providing work” and there’s teaching. If you want me to say, “check online! It’s there,” then I provided work. If you want me to stay after to teach the lesson to your child because he was on vacation, then that’s additional teaching.

So you can withhold your thanks in a “I’m going to stick it to that teacher” kind of way. That’s fine. Meanwhile, my daughter was sick earlier this week. I sent an email to her teacher, she responded with support, and I thanked her for it. It took me about 3 seconds.

We are different people.

If the vacation is excused, yes, your job. I don’t see how that impact your quality of life so much that you keep fixating on it. It’s very easy to get an excused absence if that’s really going to make you much happier.

How do you get the vacation excused?

A PP a few pages back said she would get a doctor's excuse for mental health or something like that.

So lie or get someone to lie for you? And teachers are then obligated to help catch your kid up (but not be thanked for it).

None of the examples given were lies. Mental health is excused in fcps, college visits are excused, and kids are under the care of their pediatricians. Saying “my kid has flu” is a lie.

Again its never been needed because I don’t have this kind of power hungry teacher in my kids orbit (elementary school so maybe that’s why) but I wouldn’t let their problems become my problems.

DP. Love that simply suggesting a thank you for additional work is considered “power hungry”!

“Power hungry” was the people saying its not their job/they won’t provide makeup work so students shouldn’t travel or they should
be penalized (but teachers can).

Though, trying to be the hall monitor of what teachers deserve thanks for— as though some random internet stranger knows more about a kids teachers performance than the students parent does— has a certain red flag quality.

Except that’s not what most of the teachers on this thread have been saying, including me. We’ve said we are happy to provide work regardless of reason (sickness, vacation).

If you trace this back, one poster (me) said that it would be nice to hear a quick “thank you” if you asked me for extra assistance in the form of individualized units or extra after-school help. (A real example? A request for an entire unit to be packaged up with daily targets and check-ins that align with the family’s vacation plans.) I never said I needed a “thank you” for anything within the context of my job, like throwing worksheets your kid’s way.

I was mocked and insulted by multiple posters for that suggestion. I learned that it’s my job to bend over backwards, and that if I don’t do it gleefully and gratefully that the family will lie about their destination to force me to do it.

So there we are. I’m the villain.

Times have changed.
I taught Title I many years ago. I still have some of the thank you notes--actually somewhat illiterate--from moms. Gratitude expressed goes a long way.

So the full week of teacher appreciation every year, requests for brand specific items for your classroom, holiday gifts and end of year gifts are insufficient thanks? Isn’t this getting a hit much in demands?