absences coded incorrectly in the MCPS portal

[Anonymous]

My elementary school kid has been out for sickness a few days this year already, and even though I write the teacher before school on the day of the absence and say "my kid is out for illness XYZ," the absences are all appearing in the MCPS portal as Absent, excuse unknown. So each time (there's been 4 separate occasions where it's been wrong already), I email her and ask her to have it changed and a week or two later it gets fixed to absences due to illness.

What am I doing wrong here? I haven't monitored the MCPS portal in the past, because my kid wasn't absent so often, so it's possible that the coding errors were there in the past, but is there a more efficient way to make sure my kid's absences get coded appropriately?

[Anonymous]

Is the teacher the one who does the data input? Not at my school. The secretary does it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the teacher the one who does the data input? Not at my school. The secretary does it.

OP here. I have no idea. I just know that the data is coming out wrong in the MCPS portal. But I don't have the emails (or phone numbers) for anyone in the administrative office, so I'm not sure if I should be calling the general school line and saying my kid is out due to illness in addition to emailing the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the teacher the one who does the data input? Not at my school. The secretary does it.

OP here. I have no idea. I just know that the data is coming out wrong in the MCPS portal. But I don't have the emails (or phone numbers) for anyone in the administrative office, so I'm not sure if I should be calling the general school line and saying my kid is out due to illness in addition to emailing the teacher.

The school secretary is the one who inputs all this information. When my kids are going to be absent I email the teacher and CC the attendance secretary. Check the school website, it will tell you who the front staff is and who to contact. All MCPS schools, and I'm assuming MD schools, have a school website with this info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the teacher the one who does the data input? Not at my school. The secretary does it.

OP here. I have no idea. I just know that the data is coming out wrong in the MCPS portal. But I don't have the emails (or phone numbers) for anyone in the administrative office, so I'm not sure if I should be calling the general school line and saying my kid is out due to illness in addition to emailing the teacher.

Yes, you should also call the main office so the attendance secretary can record the absence.

[Anonymous]

Every school has an email directory. Email someone in the front office to figure out who should be cc-ed when you email about absences.

[Anonymous]

Unless the school contacts you about excessive absences, I wouldn't worry about it. It could be that the school secretary just inputs everything that way because the rationale doesn't really matter.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks. I called the school office, as there's definitely no email address on my kid's school's website marked "attendance secretary" and in fact, there is a person who serves that function. I assumed since the teacher is taking attendance of her kids, that she inputs the data but apparently not...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks. I called the school office, as there's definitely no email address on my kid's school's website marked "attendance secretary" and in fact, there is a person who serves that function. I assumed since the teacher is taking attendance of her kids, that she inputs the data but apparently not...

We aren't allowed to have anything to do with attendance in the database. I submit attendance daily to the secretary but that's where my responsibility ends. We just pass on absence notes to the secretary who codes them in the system.



-a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks. I called the school office, as there's definitely no email address on my kid's school's website marked "attendance secretary" and in fact, there is a person who serves that function. I assumed since the teacher is taking attendance of her kids, that she inputs the data but apparently not...

We aren't allowed to have anything to do with attendance in the database. I submit attendance daily to the secretary but that's where my responsibility ends. We just pass on absence notes to the secretary who codes them in the system.



-a teacher

Yes, but you note down the kids who are out sick (because parents told you they were out) and which ones just didn't show up, right? I've also had issues when my kid was marked absent when I had emailed the teacher he was sick and wasn't sure if it was the teacher's fault for not noting he was sick or the attendance secretary for incorrect data entry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks. I called the school office, as there's definitely no email address on my kid's school's website marked "attendance secretary" and in fact, there is a person who serves that function. I assumed since the teacher is taking attendance of her kids, that she inputs the data but apparently not...

We aren't allowed to have anything to do with attendance in the database. I submit attendance daily to the secretary but that's where my responsibility ends. We just pass on absence notes to the secretary who codes them in the system.



-a teacher

Yes, but you note down the kids who are out sick (because parents told you they were out) and which ones just didn't show up, right? I've also had issues when my kid was marked absent when I had emailed the teacher he was sick and wasn't sure if it was the teacher's fault for not noting he was sick or the attendance secretary for incorrect data entry.

Another teacher here. We can mark absent, tardy or present. There is no space to put the reason or make notes of any kind. That needs to go to the office. It’s a nice to know for that teacher but the teacher doesn’t do anything with that information. When I email my kid’s school about absences I email the attendance secretary and CC the teacher. Two birds, one stone.

[Anonymous]

Have worked at an ES and HS in MCPS.

ES the teachers send a folder to the attendance secretary who enters the data.

HS, teachers are supposed to enter absent or present every day (notice I said supposed to, doesn't mean they do), stays that way until attendance secretary gets a note. At that point, attendance secretary can change from absent to illness, excused absense, etc.

And/or, appeal can be made to an administrator (AP by grade in HS), in which case the AP will tell the attendance secretary to change the code.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have worked at an ES and HS in MCPS.

ES the teachers send a folder to the attendance secretary who enters the data.

HS, teachers are supposed to enter absent or present every day (notice I said supposed to, doesn't mean they do), stays that way until attendance secretary gets a note. At that point, attendance secretary can change from absent to illness, excused absense, etc.

And/or, appeal can be made to an administrator (AP by grade in HS), in which case the AP will tell the attendance secretary to change the code.

ES does attendance in the online grade book now. No folders go to the attendance secretary anymore. We can only mark absent, tardy or present. No space for notes or any other information. -ES teacher

[Anonymous]

This is the type of thing that MCPS should inform parents of during kindergarten orientation, but they don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the teacher the one who does the data input? Not at my school. The secretary does it.

OP here. I have no idea. I just know that the data is coming out wrong in the MCPS portal. But I don't have the emails (or phone numbers) for anyone in the administrative office, so I'm not sure if I should be calling the general school line and saying my kid is out due to illness in addition to emailing the teacher.

At every school I've been at you're supposed to call the attendance line, and then send your kid in with a handwritten note (or I guess a typed note with your signature) to give to the secretary who handles attendance.

Teachers have nothing to do with absence coding.