I have beef with my kids' school policy concerning absences. There is a new policy implemented just this year (the '07-'08 school year) that states that students have to be in school until 12:45 p.m. to be counted present for the day. Any student arriving after 12:45 pm will be counted absent for the whole day.
Okay. I can see the theory behind the policy. This is to encourage parents to get their kids to school and to increase the school's attendance records. I get it. However, my youngest daughter had a doctor's appointment last week for extensive testing. Due to her appointment, she didn't get to school until 11 am. I called the office because I had forgotten to get a note from the doc and wanted to see if it was okay to bring her in without the note and to bring the note in at a later date. The lady who answered the phone said that was fine but she was going to be counted absent for the whole day anyway. I didn't know how to answer. I wanted to say, "So, it's not worth my time to drop her off so that she can be educated for the four hours left in the instructional day?" School hours are from 8:10 am to 3:10 pm. Sometimes this school makes me feel like I'm inconveniencing them by bringing my kids to be taught there.
So, actually, I have two beefs: The policy itself and the way the school admin makes me feel. When I first read about the new policy at the beginning of the school year, I thought it was a little weird but now that I realize how it's going to affect us, especially since my daughter has another appointment this week and will be counted absent that day as well, it just makes me mad. Am I being unreasonable?
At the school here the cutoff time is 11:45. So if there is an appointment (and there always is) I try to make it so that he can either still get there in time to be in attendance or I make it for after the cutoff time. Those times when it just doesn't work out he gets to stay home.
ReplyDeleteHope those appointments went ok. We're in the midst of waiting to hear whether they will approve a 504 plan for us.
Wouldn't it be more practical to determine that sort of thing by how many hours a child is at school?
ReplyDeleteDana~~I do my best to schedule around the school, but with my situation and the number of appointments, it's not always possible. You'll have to let me know how the 504 plan goes.
ReplyDeleteLF~~That's what I think too. Also, if it's something important like a doctor's appointment, I think exceptions should be made.