Increase Absenteeism in Midle/Upper SES students not due to illness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

It clearly sent a message that in person education was not a priority and parents and students remember that. Kids who were in kindergarten when it started as still in elementary school so most kids in the school system remember the experience of a short google meet and then "go ask your parents what to do now".

My youngest kid was was in K when it started. Did half of first grade online before hybrid began. Is now a 6th grader on the all A honor roll because she isn’t a moron who somehow thinks school will never matter in her life because she had to do Google meets for a total of 6 months ever. Get it together!

Why you are choosing to spend your Sunday morning name-calling on the Internet is an interesting question.

You missed the point. Kids are missing school and still doing fine. They get good grades, go to good colleges l, and get good jobs. They don't need too be in school because instruction is so dumbed down for the least capable.

Some kids are fine missing school, many kids are not. Just because yours seems to be doing fine doesn’t mean that others are. But the parents of the kids missing a ton of days at lower SES schools are not posting on this board. Those schools with low test scores? I would guess that they have a higher percentage of kids missing more school. The kids don’t have the parental support at home to catch up and their missed days are not mental health days, they are plain skipping school because their parents are not paying attention and don’t value school.

The MC/UMC families who let kids miss school or are taking off for their kid to go on a cheaper cruise are more likely to support their kids recovering material that they miss. The burden is less on the kids and more on the teachers because parents expect that the teachers will catch the kids up. Parents call in that their kid is out with the flu so they can cruise and still require the teachers to make up material because it was an excused.

Take your vacation, I think it is a poor choice but you do you. Accept the unexcused absence on the record and

stop burdening the teachers with make up work so you can visit Disney at a better time of year

. That is all that I ask for. The vacation plus demanding the teachers work to catch your kid up is the entitlement that I find galling.

Sure, as long as there is a matching policy that teachers may not take vacations during the school year, contracts of violators immediately terminated. As long as my kid has a sub so a teacher can go to Disney in October, I won’t feel remotely bad for “all” the work a teacher has to do to catch my kid up from vacation in March.

[Anonymous]

I think the Covid impact will last until the kindergarten class in fall of 2022 graduates from high school. So, 8 or so more years. Then, we will see which changes are permanent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

It clearly sent a message that in person education was not a priority and parents and students remember that. Kids who were in kindergarten when it started as still in elementary school so most kids in the school system remember the experience of a short google meet and then "go ask your parents what to do now".

My youngest kid was was in K when it started. Did half of first grade online before hybrid began. Is now a 6th grader on the all A honor roll because she isn’t a moron who somehow thinks school will never matter in her life because she had to do Google meets for a total of 6 months ever. Get it together!

Why you are choosing to spend your Sunday morning name-calling on the Internet is an interesting question.

You missed the point. Kids are missing school and still doing fine. They get good grades, go to good colleges l, and get good jobs. They don't need too be in school because instruction is so dumbed down for the least capable.

Some kids are fine missing school, many kids are not. Just because yours seems to be doing fine doesn’t mean that others are. But the parents of the kids missing a ton of days at lower SES schools are not posting on this board. Those schools with low test scores? I would guess that they have a higher percentage of kids missing more school. The kids don’t have the parental support at home to catch up and their missed days are not mental health days, they are plain skipping school because their parents are not paying attention and don’t value school.

The MC/UMC families who let kids miss school or are taking off for their kid to go on a cheaper cruise are more likely to support their kids recovering material that they miss. The burden is less on the kids and more on the teachers because parents expect that the teachers will catch the kids up. Parents call in that their kid is out with the flu so they can cruise and still require the teachers to make up material because it was an excused.

Take your vacation, I think it is a poor choice but you do you. Accept the unexcused absence on the record and

stop burdening the teachers with make up work so you can visit Disney at a better time of year

. That is all that I ask for. The vacation plus demanding the teachers work to catch your kid up is the entitlement that I find galling.

Sure, as long as there is a matching policy that teachers may not take vacations during the school year, contracts of violators immediately terminated. As long as my kid has a sub so a teacher can go to Disney in October, I won’t feel remotely bad for “all” the work a teacher has to do to catch my kid up from vacation in March.

Teachers can use their PTO how they want, like any adult with PTO can. They prepare plans for a sub that allows for kids to learn while they are out. That is their job.

If you pull your kid for vacation, you are responsible for their work, not the teacher. Your choice for them to miss, you help them make up the work.

[Anonymous]

The whole "I have nothing going on in classes" is a complete lie. I don't know why parents accept this. The fact that they don't have a quiz or test means they are learning something new. I would much rather my student miss a testing day compared to a learning day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

It clearly sent a message that in person education was not a priority and parents and students remember that. Kids who were in kindergarten when it started as still in elementary school so most kids in the school system remember the experience of a short google meet and then "go ask your parents what to do now".

My youngest kid was was in K when it started. Did half of first grade online before hybrid began. Is now a 6th grader on the all A honor roll because she isn’t a moron who somehow thinks school will never matter in her life because she had to do Google meets for a total of 6 months ever. Get it together!

Why you are choosing to spend your Sunday morning name-calling on the Internet is an interesting question.

You missed the point. Kids are missing school and still doing fine. They get good grades, go to good colleges l, and get good jobs. They don't need too be in school because instruction is so dumbed down for the least capable.

Some kids are fine missing school, many kids are not. Just because yours seems to be doing fine doesn’t mean that others are. But the parents of the kids missing a ton of days at lower SES schools are not posting on this board. Those schools with low test scores? I would guess that they have a higher percentage of kids missing more school. The kids don’t have the parental support at home to catch up and their missed days are not mental health days, they are plain skipping school because their parents are not paying attention and don’t value school.

The MC/UMC families who let kids miss school or are taking off for their kid to go on a cheaper cruise are more likely to support their kids recovering material that they miss. The burden is less on the kids and more on the teachers because parents expect that the teachers will catch the kids up. Parents call in that their kid is out with the flu so they can cruise and still require the teachers to make up material because it was an excused.

Take your vacation, I think it is a poor choice but you do you. Accept the unexcused absence on the record and

stop burdening the teachers with make up work so you can visit Disney at a better time of year

. That is all that I ask for. The vacation plus demanding the teachers work to catch your kid up is the entitlement that I find galling.

Sure, as long as there is a matching policy that teachers may not take vacations during the school year, contracts of violators immediately terminated. As long as my kid has a sub so a teacher can go to Disney in October, I won’t feel remotely bad for “all” the work a teacher has to do to catch my kid up from vacation in March.

Teachers can use their PTO how they want, like any adult with PTO can. They prepare plans for a sub that allows for kids to learn while they are out. That is their job.

If you pull your kid for vacation, you are responsible for their work, not the teacher. Your choice for them to miss, you help them make up the work.

You can say this all you’d like, online warrior, I’ll send my kids with a note and you will be responsible for “the hard work” of catching them up. That’s the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

New to FCPS?

It was 2 full years, plus 2-3 years of recovery here.

Maybe not in your red state, but blue FCPS,was all in on covid school for years.

It was NOT one full year. March - June 2020 = 3 months. Many schools went back in for optional hybrid in February 2021- June 2021. Everyone in this entire state was back in person August 2021. Some families CHOSE to remain online but even then it was NOT in any realm two full years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not an FCPS calendar issue. It’s a problem all over. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-34.html

+1. Anyone who thinks this is limited to FCPS or due to the calendar hasn't been paying attention to the news. It's happening everywhere. Part of the problem is that teachers are strongly discouraged from failing students or letting anyone drop out. 30 years ago, the kids who didn't go to school failed and had to repeat the grade if they wanted a diploma. Some got moved to alternative schools where they were coached through the curriculum separate from their peers. Not attending school wasn't an option if you wanted to graduate. Tying funding to graduation rates was a big mistake because it created a horrible system where teachers aren't allowed to give students grades that actually reflect their mastery of the content and everyone is going to pass no matter what.

FCPS teacher here. This is it 100%. Grades cannot be tied to behavior, so absences don't matter. Kids are also allowed to make up work/complete retakes for everything. We also have a thing at our school (not sure if it's our school or all FCPS) where if a student stays after school with you, you record that time and it somehow counts toward their attendance. Kids also know that many of their assignments are online or in Schoology, so if they need to make up work, they don't necessarily need to be in class to do so. I've been teaching in FCPS for over 20 years. It's bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole "I have nothing going on in classes" is a complete lie. I don't know why parents accept this. The fact that they don't have a quiz or test means they are learning something new. I would much rather my student miss a testing day compared to a learning day

This skips over a hard truth - some kids learn faster and better than others. The 2nd day of a concept in math might be new to some kids and agonizingly boring to others. You can be mad that the kids who pick things up quicker skip school but the pattern continues. People at work get their stuff done and then surf the internet or walk around chatting (or do other things if working from home). That's just how life works.

There are things FCPS could do to address this but it would mean greater differentiation and accepting that not everyone should be able to take honors classes. They won't do that so things will keep going the way they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is a problem with complex causes. I think schools need to start asking for verification of doctors appointments. And enforcing an unexcused absence means you don’t get to make up the work. Parents caught lying? Enforce the rules.

My oldest doesn’t like to miss at all. Makes her too nervous she’s going to miss something. But my younger two are always happy to not be in school. We see a lot of parents checking kids out for a class to study for something else or miss a test they aren’t ready for. Also a ton of the pulling for vacations. All schools have to do is call those unexcused and give zeroes to fix the problem in high school.

What would this even mean? You’re gonna ask the kid whether they had diarrhea? Whether their parents assessed they needed a mental health day? You’re going to start making kids go to the doctor for things. The doctors do not want to see them for like common viruses. ?

No, if they are found to be on vacation when they say kids are sick. Unexcused absence. No makeups. Will stop all the vacationing during school days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is a problem with complex causes. I think schools need to start asking for verification of doctors appointments. And enforcing an unexcused absence means you don’t get to make up the work. Parents caught lying? Enforce the rules.

My oldest doesn’t like to miss at all. Makes her too nervous she’s going to miss something. But my younger two are always happy to not be in school. We see a lot of parents checking kids out for a class to study for something else or miss a test they aren’t ready for. Also a ton of the pulling for vacations. All schools have to do is call those unexcused and give zeroes to fix the problem in high school.

What would this even mean? You’re gonna ask the kid whether they had diarrhea? Whether their parents assessed they needed a mental health day? You’re going to start making kids go to the doctor for things. The doctors do not want to see them for like common viruses. ?

No, if they are found to be on vacation when they say kids are sick. Unexcused absence. No makeups. Will stop all the vacationing during school days.

What happens when a teacher calls in sick and then posts pictures from their long-weekend trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s the protracted school year. Shrinking summer limits the periods available to families to do what they need— doctor appointment appointments, visit aging family, etc.

Yes. Not enough time in the summer to do the things that need to be done. So why not take a vacation when it is a three day week because there is not enough time in the summer for high schoolers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole "I have nothing going on in classes" is a complete lie. I don't know why parents accept this. The fact that they don't have a quiz or test means they are learning something new. I would much rather my student miss a testing day compared to a learning day

This skips over a hard truth - some kids learn faster and better than others. The 2nd day of a concept in math might be new to some kids and agonizingly boring to others. You can be mad that the kids who pick things up quicker skip school but the pattern continues. People at work get their stuff done and then surf the internet or walk around chatting (or do other things if working from home). That's just how life works.

There are things FCPS could do to address this but it would mean greater differentiation and accepting that not everyone should be able to take honors classes. They won't do that so things will keep going the way they are.

Absolutely and if the kids who get it want to be on their device or playing a game, reading, whatever I am okay with that. But I need maybe 30 minutes to catch the other kids up. Not an entire period, so they missed an hour of class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is a problem with complex causes. I think schools need to start asking for verification of doctors appointments. And enforcing an unexcused absence means you don’t get to make up the work. Parents caught lying? Enforce the rules.

My oldest doesn’t like to miss at all. Makes her too nervous she’s going to miss something. But my younger two are always happy to not be in school. We see a lot of parents checking kids out for a class to study for something else or miss a test they aren’t ready for. Also a ton of the pulling for vacations. All schools have to do is call those unexcused and give zeroes to fix the problem in high school.

What would this even mean? You’re gonna ask the kid whether they had diarrhea? Whether their parents assessed they needed a mental health day? You’re going to start making kids go to the doctor for things. The doctors do not want to see them for like common viruses. ?

No, if they are found to be on vacation when they say kids are sick. Unexcused absence. No makeups. Will stop all the vacationing during school days.

Ok— sounds easy until:

1. vacation includes religious observance (excused)
2. Child is ill on vacation (excused)
3. Vacation is to provide mental health break to the child (excused)

Won’t stop a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

It clearly sent a message that in person education was not a priority and parents and students remember that. Kids who were in kindergarten when it started as still in elementary school so most kids in the school system remember the experience of a short google meet and then "go ask your parents what to do now".

4th graders are now freshman.
They remember. They were out do school for over a year (last group to go back for tow days only ☹️). It was awful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole "I have nothing going on in classes" is a complete lie. I don't know why parents accept this. The fact that they don't have a quiz or test means they are learning something new. I would much rather my student miss a testing day compared to a learning day

This skips over a hard truth - some kids learn faster and better than others. The 2nd day of a concept in math might be new to some kids and agonizingly boring to others. You can be mad that the kids who pick things up quicker skip school but the pattern continues. People at work get their stuff done and then surf the internet or walk around chatting (or do other things if working from home). That's just how life works.

There are things FCPS could do to address this but it would mean greater differentiation and accepting that not everyone should be able to take honors classes. They won't do that so things will keep going the way they are.

Yes. This is what it's like for my kids. We are a high SES family in a low SES high school. Both kids skip a TON of school. I gave up caring a few years ago. Kid #1 graduated 1st in his class and is currently at a T20 and barely went to school. His common experience was that he would show up on test day or a day when a project was due and half the class would not have their projects done so the teacher would give the entire class period so that those kids could finish, or postpone the test to another day and let the kids use the entire class period to study. Meanwhile, my kid is sitting with his thumb up his ass bored to death. Half the kids in his AP classes didn't belong there. And because FCPS does block scheduling, every wasted period is 90 agonizing minutes.

Not every kid who skips school is bound to fail. Some are ready for a higher level of challenge that is not readily available in every FCPS school. I support my kids to know how much school they need to go to in order to get the results they want from their education. So far, FCPS hasn't cared how much school they attend. Neither of my kids has ever been flagged by the school or any individual teacher for absenteeism.