Ok so about a month or so ago my 11 year old daughter auditioned and got chosen to sing at the Rodeo. We had to be there around 4pm and it's about an hour away from our house. We also had family coming in from out of town to watch her perform.(lol it was abig deal to us) So, we decided to go out to a late lunch before the show. Anyways, I picked up my 3 boys from elementary school about an hour and a half before their normal release time. They get out at three and I picked them up around 1:15 -1:30. So a couple days ago I get this letter from the boys school saying that they had missed 91 minutes of class time and this was a level 3 offense and that they would each get one day of ISS(in school suspension). I was shocked....this is the only time two of my boys have missed any school this year...my youngest did miss one other day with an ear infection with a Drs note. They all have good grades and didn't have any issues making up the work they missed and I chose to take them out early so why should they be punished. I called the school and there is appearently nothing I can do about this new rule. They will have to serve the ISS but I think as long as I am within the state guidelines I should have the right to take my kids out of school for an hour for whatever reason without them being punished. I just was just wondering if anyone else thinks this is a totally ridiculous rule or if I am against the majority?
So, after talking to the school again I found out that alot of people last year were picking their kids up from school 20-30 min early EVERYDAY to avoid the line to pick up their kids. I understand why that would be disruptive so that was the basis for the rule. I did let the teachers know ahead of time for those who asked and was never told about the rule at the time, nor is it in the handbook becasue it is no a district wide rule(my daughter did not receive Iss and I picked her up even earlier).I still don't understand why they are punishing for missed class with more missed class however and I couldn't get a good answer to that one. I was actually told by an employee of the school to next time say they are sick!!! My boys are going to serve their day in ISS and this probably won't be their last as I still think it was worth it for them to miss the 91 min and I am sure that sometime in the next 10 years they have in this school district it will happen again. :)
They said it's a "new rule"? We're all the parents advised about this in writing? When was this new rule implemented? Is a list of unexcused absences given to parents?
Seriously I cannot believe this! You need to fight this! It’s total BS!
Go all the way to the Superintendent if you have to!
Reading this reinforces why I want to home school.
I would be livid. My kids would not be serving ISS time. End of story. I would tell the school that too.
It is a ridiculous rule, complain and threaten to call the call the superintendent and a lawyer, it always works.
Fight it. This is ridiculous! What are they thinking? The kids were with you and it's not happening frequently. This was your decision to make and the boys should not be punished for it. Fight it to the top.
You know why this is a rule? Someone out there has taken advantage of the whole attendance policy and screwed it up for the one-timers like you. This sounds pretty severe so to me it seems like this is a problem for this community (the entitlement of taking kids out of school for every teeny tiny thing as opposed to sickness and special events)
Did you pre-arrange this absence? Did you write a note to release them? Maybe it was a procedural thing? Check that out first because if so, this is an easily remedied problem.
Don't skip straight ahead to the Superintendent - that's dumb. He/she won't be able to help you at all and will ask "Have you met with your building principal yet? What did he/she have to say?" and you'll waste more time going backward.
Instead, make an appointment with the principal (or whomever is in charge of the attendance issues) to discuss your concerns. Hopefully you will be able to resolve this issue at that level. If that doesn't work, THEN go to the next level which may be the Superintendent. Calmly and confidently build your case - let the principal know that this is the first time your kids have missed any school and it was for a very special, unique situation. After you have had a chance to state your case, LISTEN to his/her side. I know everyone suggests to go in there guns blazing, but really, that demeanor is not likely to gain any sort of empathy or understanding from who is in charge. You'll come off as an entitled brat who can do what she pleases when she pleases, and they'll see that as "Yep, that's why we have this policy...because everyone thinks they're entitled to pull their kids out of school for any and all reasons".
Personally, I think the punishment is exceptionally harsh. Honestly, there really shouldn't be any punishment other than an individual classroom teacher has the discretion to decide if they will let the kids make up missed work or not (that's the policy in our school if the absence is 'excused but not medical').
Definitely talk to the principal. Hopefully you'll get what you need there. If not, take it to the next level. Good luck - this seems extreme!
I'm not sure I understand the punishment. It's like they are saying we're so upset you missed 91 minutes of class time, now we will make sure you miss an additional entire day of class time. So in that sense, I think yes, the punishment IS crazy.
However, I guess I am against the majority here in that I do not think you should have taken them out early to attend a late lunch and an out of town event for your daughter. If you couldn't pick them up and still make it on time to the rodeo, you could have made other arrangements for them. If that was out of the question for you, at the very least, you should have spoken with the teachers in advance and been aware of the school policy.
My question is When a teacher misses a day of work, does she/he give the money back or come in and work on saturday. These schools are totally screwed up.
I agree with the others that this is ridiculous. I had my teen daughter out last week..she went in about 90 minutes (hey, maybe it was 91???) late to take her driving test, as the only times the testing station is open are her school hours (no weekends). No big deal. She made up the work.
ISS is so popular with schools these past bunch of years because schools don't get paid their government dollars when they do the old fashioned "stay at home" suspensions from my day and age. They only get paid if the kids are in the building. Just an FYI on that part.
Parents need to have some flexibility to remove their child for family functions or scheduling things besides Dr appts. This was a special event for your family. Families have events...they visit hurt or ailing relatives, before its too late or because its a 2 hour drive to the hospital the day of an accident. Relatives leave town or come home from the Military. Kids in Elite (or otherwise) sports or Arts programs have auditions and try outs and competitions occasionally that don't sync with school schedules or those long drive times get in the way, etc. As a parent, I want to be the one to decide if its important or special enough to pull my child out of school for 91 minutes or 5 days, etc.
Thats why I am the parent. Parent trumps school personnel every single time..to me anyway.
You are right, that is collassally STUPID! Sorry, so in punshiment for YOUR crimes, they miss an ENTIRE DAY"S curriculum?? That makes NO sense to me whatsoever!
Hi there~ When did this rule go into effect? I am from a surrounding area in TX and our schools don't (didn't rather since we no longer live in the area) have this rule. ??? I would be going over the principal's head and my kids would not be serving the ISS. There are enough things for kids to worry about while in school without having to worry about the teachers/principal breathing down their necks (more than necessary anyway).
Superintendent is the way to go. I'd also ask to see this rule in writing in addition to all of the others. Was this just made up on the fly? Something doesn't sound quite right.
I probably would have skipped the late lunch and picked the kids up from school around 230 just to make sure you got to the Rodeo on time. I actually think its wrong to keep kids home or get them out early for any reason other then illness, doctor appointments, and dentist appointments, and of course a rare family emergency.
UGH!! That would set me off!! If I want to take my kids out, I will take them out. They get attendance awards and great grades and other awards, so what is the deal?!?! I dont get it. I feel bad for your kids that the school is going to make them do that. It's ridiculous!! i took mental health days growing up sometimes because even kids nee a break!! The rule is crazy..not you!!
When you called the school who did you speak to? The secretary?
In your next phone call to the school, ask to speak to the supervisor of whom ever answers the phone. Proceed up ladder to the the Vice Principal, Principal and the Superintendent's office.
The President or any member of the School Board Members names and phone numbers are typically on a schools website . Or, call the school and request School Board information.
Perhaps you are in a school district where all things and people are perfect! (I doubt it!)
Wishing you No ISS!
A.
This sounds utterly ridiculous. Talk to the principal and if s/he is not helpful, send her an email reiterating your concerns and disappointment (in a diplomatic way) and cc it to the superintendent. Or, if the principal is not helpful, you can skip this step and just send a thoughtful (and again, diplomatic) letter directly to the superintendent and cc your principal and any others higher up the chain of command you think should be aware of this situation. I would state that you understand the purpose of the rule has the children's best interest at heart and you appreciate that, but.... Good luck. Your kids should not be punished for missing a little bit of school for a legitimate reason.
Yes, this is a crazy and damaging rule, while it promotes commitment to education, it is damaging if it hinders quality family time. There is much more to learning than sitting in a classroom. I am not a fan of seat time education requirements at all. If the school is giving you the brush off, I would go higher up in the district and fight this detrimental policy.
Good Luck
that's just ridiculous. they should'nt punish a child for a parents decisions especially if grades are good and attendance is good too. i had a school that was like that, i took my daughter out of school early because my brother was home from Iraq, the teacher knew he was coming therefore gave her the tests she had to take before i/we got there for her program, etc, the office said the only reason she didn't get in trouble was because teacher approved....
i would take that to the school board or higher if needed
I am so thankful my children are graduated and out of the public school system. If this rule were in effect when my kids went to school they would have been serving ISS constantly and I would have pulled them from the public school system and either home schooled them or placed them in a private school.
Hopefully this is some sort of administrative foul-up. If not, it is an outrageous usurpation of parental authority and responsibility. My children would not serve ISS time in this situation - either the school would reverse course or my children would be out of that school, period.
Yep- ridiculous! I know people that take their kids out for a week or so to VACATION. Of course they have to follow procedure and write how "educational" going to disney world is going to be - yeah right :) to get away with it. I also used to have my mom call me off for 1 day each year near the end if I had perfect attendance so far...so I could just have a day off :) Also, no repurcussions. I understand they are worried about truancy -- but really, 91 minutes and MOM picked them up! I would ask them to reconsider the policy and take it to whomever necessary.
It is ridiculous. Your the mother and you took then out for an hour and a half. I could understand if you weren't taking them to school for so many days or pulling them out so much that they missed large numbers of days (and in that case the district can file truancy charges against you). But, that's not the case. It was an hour and a half that you removed them for a "personal family function." It should've been excused. I would fight that.
Ridiculous! I would be ticked! The school would definitely be hearing from me on that one.
Wow. Love it - "91 minutes"! So what is the limit? 90 mins? I would be pissed. Your sons did nothing to deserve punishment. I would want to see the official policy and discuss it with the principal.
We kept our daughter home one day last spring so she could say good-bye to her big sister who was moving to CA. No problem from the school, whatsoever. They marked it as a vacation day.
It is a stupid rule, but I don't know what you can do about it other than phone the superintendent.
It's also stupid that my youngest daughter received a "tardy" when she was late to school because of a doctor's appointment. It was an excused absence. She wasn't tardy. Ugh.
I feel for you.
Yes this is crazy, and I would talk to someone higher up in the food chain before allowing them to be punished. You are the parent, and you have the right to pull your kids out of school for an hour if you see fit. My sons school is not like that, I can come take him whenever I need as long as he keeps up with his work.
What!!? That is so totally crazy! Mine could miss the whole day for something like that and my school would approve it. It is a family event in the school of life! As long as they make up the work then who cares? Next time I would just say that they were sick.
Would it help going to the school board meeting to complain?
That is insane. I don't know what else to say. That is just wrong wrong wrong.
Good luck.
I do think that sounds crazy, but I would take M R's suggestion in how to approach this. Honestly I let my daughter stay home from pre-k when she is sick, for doc appointments, and sometimes just because I want to spend the day together. I think that is my call as the mom--of course the teacher has every right to let my child make up work or not, but a suspension is taking it too far. We don't have any sort of policy like that, but my daughter is in private school and they tend to be more lenient with rules. The public schools unfortunately have to spend so much time covering their butts, sometimes what is important gets lost in the shuffle. Sorry you are dealing with this!
I get having kids make up work, stay in from lunch to finish up work etc. BUT to give them ISS is not acceptable. You shouldn't even have to justify your reason. People do it all the time....dentist, dr., funeral, vacation, what would they do to those kids?
You say you took him out before....did they do anything then? Sounds to me like they just don't know how to handle make up work.
I would complain to the superintendent.
Oh, I would be INFURIATED. I would be in the office talking to the principal. I can totally see if a kid had a problem with excessive absences...or if they skipped class. You picking them up early? No way should they be punished for that. I wouldn't let them serve the ISS.
next time they have to get out of school early have a principal or VP sign something that says they won't have to serve ISS. That is a very stupid rule. It should be for repeat offenders or something. Go and petition to have the rule changed or clarified.
This seems beyond silly to me. I was a great student but was sick quite a bit as a kid. If this had been in effect then, I'd have constantly been in ISS.
Schools want parents to be involved but only if we aren't...involved? I'd cal the superintendant.
Rules are meant to be changed go to the administration and get it changed for the sake of your kids
It is rediculous, but if the rule was in place ahead of time then be prepared for the consequences. That is what we teach our children right?
Totally ridiculous. Keep arguing your point.
Absolutely crazy! You just convinced me to keep my kids in private school or homeschool them.
It's one of those crazy rules... I took my kids out of school to marry their father (out of state) and they both received unexcused absence. I thought that was some bull... I guess I can be thankful they didn't get ISS; sorry!
Yes, it's a crazy rule. I understand too many pickups from school for non-health related absences, but there is a frequency issue here that should be considered here, every family has certain events such as this on rare occasion. In response to the one mom, yes, you are teaching kids to obey rules, but you are also teaching them about priorities and the ability to weigh and make exceptions, which is families special occasions.
Schools think they can do whatever the hell they want... letting rules slide for bullies and bully teachers and kids who can't read, and then punishing good kids over something so trivial and it makes me sick.
Your kids are only allowed to be out of school for "excused absences." Most districts do have a policy where, as long as a parent sends a note or signs the child out, then those are allowed -usually there is a limit though (2 per semester or something like that). This is due to our schools having to be the parent in so many cases. There are so many sorry parents out there who don't care if their kids are in school or skipping or who don't bother to see that their children get to school, that you have strict and often crazy rules like this. Your principal should look into things on a case by case basis if a parent complains, which I'm sure you have.
Schools are pretty strict about acceptable reasons for missing school and usually it's MD appts or illness. Period.
This rule is crazy! Sometimes kids have to be out of school for non-medical reasons. I picked my son up early a few weeks ago to go get grandma from the airport. She landed at the same time my son's school would have dismissed.
If the school makes them serve it, you should be in there with them. Not as punishment, but to know what goes on, who is in there, etc. I would make a huge stink!
I'm sure your signature is on something that states those rules. Texas is the only state I know of that does that. We dont have that prob in CA as far as I know.
My friends children missed a lot of school and only after she missed like 30 days of school did they do anything. I have never heard of that in my life and I maybe a confrontatinal person in refernce to my child but I would go down to the school and tell then what I think.
We live in Arlington, TX, but that is a new one on me. The few times we have had to pick my daughter up early, I have just made a note on her binder, and it was never a big deal. I have not taken her out of school for family reasons YET, but it is not something to which I am totally opposed. I will be on maternity leave this winter, so I might at some point take her out for a day. I know the schools rely on attendance for funding, BUT it is also my property taxes that help pay for the school, and, more importantly, it is MY kid. If I have what I think is a valid reason to take her out of school, I will take her out. As long as her work is covered, I don't see why it should be a problem.
It's beyond ridiculous, it's insanity. Check with your Board of Education on the rules for unexcused absences. However, if it's in the rules, no matter how utterly stupid they are you'll have to follow them.
Did you call the teachers or school and tell them in advance that the children would be gone? If so, I think this is ridiculous and I would be angry, too. If not, that could be the cause.
WOW! That is odd! What a wonderful opportunity and experience for your family to see your daughter and their sister sing for an audience. How cruel of the school! I still am so shocked! Unbelievable!! Sounds like something you hear on the local news...well I hope your day was not soured by the way the school treated your sons.
I think that ISS is a little too much punishment for missing class for an hour and a half. What are the attendance policies at this school and are these the same policies as in the district? Did you have to sign an acknowledgment at the beginning of the year? The 91 minutes seems arbitrary--what happens if they missed 90 minutes? On the other hand, attendance at school is important. If they don't have some kind of rules, a lot of parents will keep their kids out for all kinds of reasons or no reason at all. Schools get paid from the state based on attendance, but I believe most campuses take attendance around 10-10:30 in the morning. And if kids are not there, they miss things that may be covered in class. Do the kids get zeros for the day they have to spend in ISS? I hope not!
My question would be, do ISS's go on their permanent school records?
