I teach 8th graders. I had a student come up to me today and ask me to sign an extended absence form. FOR A THREE WEEK ABSENCE. (Kid then asked me, "Am I going to miss anything?" ) Reading between the lines, the family is taking the kid out of the country to go on vacation to visit extended family. This isn't uncommon, either.
All of us teachers are like :yikes: when we get these requests (or often we don't get the requests--the parents sometimes call in and lie and fake family emergencies to go on the trips, because they can get in trouble for truancy if it's just a vacation). I just can't even fathom it. My parents were the ones who would even schedule dentist appointments over spring break, and all doctors appointments in the summer to avoid missing school. No way in heck were we ever going to go on a vacation during school!
It sucks for me as a teacher too, because now I have to scramble to get this kid 3 weeks worth of work by tomorrow (when I don't even know what we're doing 3 days from now!) She's going to miss 1 and a half whole units of algebra.
ARGHHH. Okay, vent over.
Did you ever miss multiple days of school for a non-emergency?
- I had a kid show up the second week of school this year and tell me she "took the first week off" (read: family was on vacation).
- Last year, I had a student miss a week of school to go on a family cruise the week before spring break.
- I am often missing kids on a Monday because the family takes a 3 day weekend to go somewhere.
All of us teachers are like :yikes: when we get these requests (or often we don't get the requests--the parents sometimes call in and lie and fake family emergencies to go on the trips, because they can get in trouble for truancy if it's just a vacation). I just can't even fathom it. My parents were the ones who would even schedule dentist appointments over spring break, and all doctors appointments in the summer to avoid missing school. No way in heck were we ever going to go on a vacation during school!
It sucks for me as a teacher too, because now I have to scramble to get this kid 3 weeks worth of work by tomorrow (when I don't even know what we're doing 3 days from now!) She's going to miss 1 and a half whole units of algebra.
ARGHHH. Okay, vent over.
Did you ever miss multiple days of school for a non-emergency?