Georgia mom arrested for her child going over the unexcused absence limit.

[IfIOnly]

And she's not the only one. 

 

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/22/mother-arrested-for-sons-unexcused-absences-from-school/21186438/

 

She's moving now. 

 

[IfIOnly]

Yeah, if you keep watching a video about the parents who took their child on a vacation who were chewed out by the school comes up followed by high school seniors who are being denied prom because of too many absences. 

[DragonFaerie]

[quote name="Sadie" post="6377561" timestamp="143261862

 

Schools drive me nuts. They are there as a service to families, not to be the boss of families.

 

 

 

I totally agree.

[Reflections]

It's about money.  In a lot of schools districts their money is tied to average daily student attendance.  

[gardenmom5]

I would just like to point something out

 

these were UNexcused absences.  not excused.  it's easy to do an excused absence.  call the school, say my kid is sick, and viola you're done.   while I do think arresting her was over the top, it's not like she bothered to call the school.

 

 

[IfIOnly]

Hm, I thought there needed to be a doctor's note for it to be excused. 

[Reflections]

I would just like to point something out

 

these were UNexcused absences.  not excused.  it's easy to do an excused absence.  call the school, say my kid is sick, and viola you're done.   while I do think arresting her was over the top, it's not like she bothered to call the school.

 

From the Screven County website pdf... 

 

Excuses Excuses for absences shall be furnished in writing, must be signed by the student’s parent or guardian and shall specifically state the dates and reasons for absences. Excuses written by parents will be accepted for up to (5) five absences total. Any absences thereafter will require additional documentation (as required by the principal or designee) or it will be UNEXCUSED

 

 

So, only 5 days of absences will be covered by a parent note, all other days will be unexcused or require a doctor's note.  She even says that their doctor is going to REissue his doctors note...

 

It about the money, money money....

 

 

ETA:  Oooops, forgot to post the link...

http://www.screven.k12.ga.us/Portals/Screven/District/docs/Compulsory%20Attendance.pdf

 

 

[Annie G]

I kind of have to side with the school on the policy. I do not agree with the shackles and such, (here it's a misdemeanor to allow your kid to be truant) but if you're going to send your kid to school, you need to play the game. Taking time off for a funeral, fine. Taking your kid out of school for his birthday, no.  Teachers have to provide packets of makeup work for the student and it's something they gladly do for a child who was sick, but if they just took off to go to the beach, it's annoying. 

 

Our niece is a teacher in Georgia- voted teacher of the year at her school multiple times- but it's tough to have a handful of kids who miss so many days because the parents don't make school a priority.  Her experience is that parents who let their kids miss multiple days are often parents who also don't make their kids do the homework or make up work or required nightly reading...and then get upset when the student doesn't have passing grades. 

 

I went to school in Georgia in the 1970's and our school had a 10 absence limit unless there was really good documentation. They didn't press charges, they automatically failed the student.  At the time it was a reasonable policy and was only enforced when it was clear the absences were truancy related. For instance, my grandfather in Pennsylvania died and I missed a week of school to travel to and attend the funeral. Earlier in the year I was out a week with bronchitis.  I hit my ten day limit but they looked at the reasons and I was fine- no penalty. 

 

 

[lovinmyboys]

I know teachers have a hard job, but here kids can only miss 5 days a year by parent excuse. Every other absence without a dr note is unexcused. It is the reason we homeschool. My ds was in k-1 and went to school already reading. Sorry, but when my dying granny comes to visit, I am pulling him out for the day. When his deployed father comes home for his 2 week leave, he is gonna miss a day. Some things really are more important than school (especially if the child is keeping up with or surpassing the class.). Also, that ds got the stomach bug twice. There was no reason to have to go to the dr for that and I am sure the school didn't want him there.

[Heatherwith4]

Inflexible attendance policies are one of my top reasons for homeschooling.

Growing up, I was sick a lot. We only had health insurance some of the time. My parents were constantly having to drag me to the doctor to get a note, because I was over the limit. It was not good for us financially. (Looking back, I think I was allergic to something in the school and had a bad immune system to boot.)

[Mandylubug]

We are in GA and kids were in PS here for a bit. I received a threat to refer us to cps for truancy one year when we had a horrible stomach bug and the flu all in same school year. That was even with drs notes. We were definitely harrassed. My kids did miss like 11 days that year but it was completely due to medical issues.

[nevergiveup]

Back in the day, I got called down for missing 34 days.  I had to help my mom on the farm.

I got a stern lecture about how I wasn't going to be able to get into college.

 

I only applied to one college (Purdue), applied late, and got accepted into their Engineering program.

I guess being on the honor roll helped.

[Annie G]

We are in GA and kids were in PS here for a bit. I received a threat to refer us to cps for truancy one year when we had a horrible stomach bug and the flu all in same school year. That was even with drs notes. We were definitely harrassed. My kids did miss like 11 days that year but it was completely due to medical issues.

 

That should not have happened. I would have been ticked!

[Mandylubug]

That should not have happened. I would have been ticked!

Looking back, I realize it was just the school, on school letterhead and not official warnings from DFACS but it really scared me. It had me calling the school scared each time. Perhaps, that was their goal?

[JFSinIL]

Ugh.

 

Schools here are trying to deny parents the right to take children out for anything - birthdays, theatre performances, holidays. It's ridiculous. When I was at school and my parents took me out for 14 days to travel around the state, the school said 'Sounds great! Keep a journal! Tell us about it when you get back!' My mum also used to take me out once in a while to go to ballet matinees, and the school had no problem at all.

 

It's also crazy that with dd, we needed a doctor's certificate for more than one day off. So I would have to drag sick dd to doctors, shedding germs all the way - not for diagnosis or medicine, because mostly it was a virus - and get a certificate to say 'yep, the kid has a virus and needs to stay for the next 2 days', instead of keeping sick dd at home, quiet, warm and comfortable and getting better quicker!

 

Schools drive me nuts. They are there as a service to families, not to be the boss of families.

 

And yeah, the ranting above is a good reminder of why I make a really rubbish school mom. I was always bugging them about stuff like this. It's good I got out :)

 

Here, and I imagine in all states, the school gets  state funding based on how many warm bodies are in the seats each day.  An absent student costs the school money.

 

[Annie G]

Looking back, I realize it was just the school, on school letterhead and not official warnings from DFACS but it really scared me. It had me calling the school scared each time. Perhaps, that was their goal?

 

I hope it was just a form letter sent out to anyone who exceeded the limit. In my case, that's what happened. They automatically sent one out, but as soon as my parents called the school they were reassured that my absences were fine. 

But it can be scary to get one of those letters! 

[Caroline]

Looking back, I realize it was just the school, on school letterhead and not official warnings from DFACS but it really scared me. It had me calling the school scared each time. Perhaps, that was their goal?

 

That is required by law in the state of Georgia. Complain to your legislator. Complain to the Governor. Perdue was the one who put that into place. Complain to President Bush because it was part of No Child Left Behind. Schools would just like to teach kids. It is the legislature and the governor who add these ridiculous things, not the schools.

[momacacia]

Yeah, bureaucracy, pretty much what stops me in my tracks when I think longingly about enrolling the kids in any school. I just don't think I would play well with the administrations. ;)

[Mandylubug]

That is required by law in the state of Georgia. Complain to your legislator. Complain to the Governor. Perdue was the one who put that into place. Complain to President Bush because it was part of No Child Left Behind. Schools would just like to teach kids. It is the legislature and the governor who add these ridiculous things, not the schools.

IF I was still active in the PS system with my kids, I would consider complaining. Since we homeschool full time now, I feel my place to complain isn't as justified. I should have complained, though!

[Okra]

I know this isn't going to go over very well because this is a homeschooling board, and  people are kind of JAWM.  But, in our public school, if a parent wants to go on a  long vacation, all they really have to do is okay that with the school.  If it is longer than the time "allowed", then the school takes said kid off their school rolls.  When they are back they are re-enrolled.  It is really not that big a deal, especially if the kid isn't too far behind.

 

I have seen this done multiple times in Elementary and Middle School.  It is a bit harder to do in high school.

[bettyandbob]

Hm, I thought there needed to be a doctor's note for it to be excused. 

 

 

In my district, mom or dad can excuse absences for illness up to 10 days. After that each sick absence must have a doctor note. We, personally ran into this because my dh is a softy on our dd and let her stay home whenever she felt "a little sick" one year. That was the year dd also learned that it's better to go to school sick anyway because there too much work to make up otherwise. That was eighth grade. She's in an accelerated program, hence the obscene amount of make up work. She has rarely missed more than a day since. 

 

We have taken a week of vacation and had it excused. Bunches of parents prearrange absences before holiday weekends and they are excused. I know people who have taken high schoolers out for a week or more and been excused (I wouldn't do that because I can't imagine the missed assignments)--it would definitely have to a big deal that would never be possible otherwise. 

 

Juniors and seniors are always excused for college visits. I've seen this abused. My niece was on a travel softball team--her coach would find a college on the way to a tournament and tell his players to say they visited Univ of X.

 

Maybe our district is mostly reasonable on this. 

 

Last year there was a child in Washington, DC whose parents were facing truancy because she was missing so much school for her piano performances, master classes and travelled related to such. The school there acknowledged that she always took work with her and turned it in on return and was not academically behind. That was definitely a case where flexibility was needed. 

 

Then there's a lot of gray. Some people do take their kids out unnecessarily. You can say as homeschoolers it's your right to decide how to spend your time. But when people take part in the system, they can't say it's their right to do whatever. They need to follow rules. If rules don't allow for the ski trip you want, you need to find another date.

 

Additionally, if your dc is not getting up and going to school daily the school is going to ask what's up. If they didn't and it turned out child abuse was involved the media would be all over the school for not saying anything. 

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I would just like to point something out

 

these were UNexcused absences.  not excused.  it's easy to do an excused absence.  call the school, say my kid is sick, and viola you're done.   while I do think arresting her was over the top, it's not like she bothered to call the school.

Actually in PA if I am not mistaken, after 3 absences a doctor's excuse is needed which is ridiculous IMHO. Therefore, it is not always so easy.

[Serenade]

It's about money.  In a lot of schools districts their money is tied to average daily student attendance.  

 

 

This is it exactly.  Many schools get their money based on each day that a child is seated at school.  

[swellmomma]

Here in the high school, I can't recall the exact number of absences allowed, but past that and the student is either denied the chance to be part of the convocation even if they have met all graduation requirements (they will still get their diploma from the gov't in the mail like everyone else, but not be in theceremony) or is expelled.  Back when I was in high school, the school treated us like adults in the sense that if we went to school we went, if we didn't we didn't.  If our skipping or absences made us miss out of work that would affect our grade (miss questions on the final, miss out on marks from homework or unit exams etc) then our mark was directly affected.  I didn't go to grade 12 chemistry for the full term, I hated the teacher.  The vice principal asked me after about the 2nd week of skipping that class if I was going to ever go, my answer was no, the school would not let me switch teachers so I would just teach myself the material.  He said, okay.  I wrote the provincial diploma exam and passed the course having never gone to class, never written a unit exam, never doing homework etc.  These days I would have been denied the chance to be at the grad ceremonies or kicked out.  And yet I passed the course, finished my graduation requirements and graduated.

Back when my kids were in public school in elementary they attended school in a different city than the one we lived in.  They got a ton of lates on their record for walking in as the bell went instead of before the bell.  We were having major issues with getting ds16 out the door so were behind by less then 60 seconds getting them there, but they were marked late.  Too many lates gets you in trouble as much as too many absences. My son spent the first 2 weeks of grade 1 in the hospital having and inpatient mental health assessment being done.  Later in the year he got the flu, his days home with the flu were recorded as unexcused because he had used up his limit with his hospitalization.    The whole thing is ridiculous.  And is one of the many reasons I am glad we homeschool.  

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I know this isn't going to go over very well because this is a homeschooling board, and  people are kind of JAWM.  But, in our public school, if a parent wants to go on a  long vacation, all they really have to do is okay that with the school.  If it is longer than the time "allowed", then the school takes said kid off their school rolls.  When they are back they are re-enrolled.  It is really not that big a deal, especially if the kid isn't too far behind.

 

I have seen this done multiple times in Elementary and Middle School.  It is a bit harder to do in high school.

The problem with unenrolling students is that in some areas there is a lot of school choice and if your kid is in a popular charter school or in an out of boundary public school, if they are unenrolled then most likely they will lose their spot. It is cray that a school would unenroll a student for an excused trip or what not.

[Mimm]

The whole excused absence nonsense is ridiculous.

 

 

The district's superintendent told the outlet, "It's important for these children to be in school and I think the courts recognize that."

 

What an ass. Some people can't handle any amount of power without abusing it.

[TrixieB]

Actually in PA if I am not mistaken, after 3 absences a doctor's excuse is needed which is ridiculous IMHO. Therefore, it is not always so easy.

 

Yep, doctor's note at $90 a pop till you meet your too-high deductible... I can see why parents would take the unexcused absence.

[Butter]

Hm, I thought there needed to be a doctor's note for it to be excused. 

 

No.  A parents' note that the child was sick is enough.  If it extends into several days, then a doctor's note can be required (since more often that means the family went on vacation and claimed the kid was sick).

 

To be fair, when you enroll your child in school in most places, you do sign something that acknowledges the absence rules AND the consequences.  In our district you agree to be fined if your child is out for 5+ days in a row without a doctor's note (it's very common to take kids out for a week's vacation and so that is where that comes from).  Depending on the school and your child's grades, often they will look the other way here, however, particularly if you talk to the teacher's first.

[Nemom]

I would just like to point something out

 

these were UNexcused absences. not excused. it's easy to do an excused absence. call the school, say my kid is sick, and viola you're done. while I do think arresting her was over the top, it's not like she bothered to call the school.

In the area where we live, an excused absence requires a note from a Physician. A parent calling in is considered an UNexcused absence. Ridiculous isn't it...

[Butter]

Then there's a lot of gray. Some people do take their kids out unnecessarily. You can say as homeschoolers it's your right to decide how to spend your time. But when people take part in the system, they can't say it's their right to do whatever. They need to follow rules. If rules don't allow for the ski trip you want, you need to find another date.

 

This.  It amazes me how many of my public schooling FB friends take their kids out for week-long vacations 1-2 times a year.  Their reason?  Lines are too long or it's too hot to go on vacation during the summer.  My feeling on it is if you are in the system, you follow the rules.  It's one thing if these are K-2nd or 3rd graders.  But, no.  These are people with middle and high schoolers.  Missing a full week of school is a big deal at that point.

[ktgrok]

I would just like to point something out

 

these were UNexcused absences.  not excused.  it's easy to do an excused absence.  call the school, say my kid is sick, and viola you're done.   while I do think arresting her was over the top, it's not like she bothered to call the school.

 

NOt true. In many places you need an actual doctor's note. At the very least in my area you have to print out and sign a form,and it has to be turned in within 48 hours of returning to school. If you forget, you cannot turn it in later. But at a different school it was only unexcused if you had an actual doctor's note. Even if it was just a virus that the doctor could do nothing about. 

[ktgrok]

We are in GA and kids were in PS here for a bit. I received a threat to refer us to cps for truancy one year when we had a horrible stomach bug and the flu all in same school year. That was even with drs notes. We were definitely harrassed. My kids did miss like 11 days that year but it was completely due to medical issues.

 

Same here. My son missed due to two bouts of flu, and we were approaching the 10 day limit. No, I didn't take him to the doctor every time he had a freaking cold, and was not going to do so. So I was getting letters from the schoolboard about it. 

[Night Elf]

I haven't read all the replies but another problem here in georgia is that attendance in school is tied to drivers licenses. If a student has 10 or more unexcused absences, they either cannot get a license for the year or their license can be revoked. I don't know how the DMV would know if a student has 10 unexcused absences though.

 

Here's something from the school system website:

A parent / guardian who violates the Compulsory Education Lawshall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject per violation to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction. Each day’s unexcused absence beyond five unexcused absences constitutes one violation.

 

A parent / guardian may be subject to Educational Neglect charges filed in Juvenile Court.

 

I got that from this link.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Some people here aren't reading the article. This isn't about taking a kid on vacation without arranging with the school, or about failing to make the phone call when he's sick. Those things might be policy in some places but not where the people in the article live.

 

In this woman's school district parents must provide a doctors note for every absence. She says her son has three unexcused sick days because she couldn't afford the copay to have a doctor verify to the school that he was sick. How this deserves shackles is beyond me.

 

Reading Mandylugbug's and ktgrok's posts -- is this a Georgia thing? Statewide and not just the district of the lady in the article?

[Mergath]

Some people here aren't reading the article. This isn't about taking a kid on vacation without arranging with the school, or about failing to make the phone call when he's sick. Those things might be policy in some places but not where the people in the article live.

 

In this woman's school district parents must provide a doctors note for every absence. She says her son has three unexcused sick days because she couldn't afford the copay to have a doctor verify to the school that he was sick. How this deserves shackles is beyond me.

 

Reading Mandylugbug's and ktgrok's posts -- is this a Georgia thing? Statewide and not just the district of the lady in the article?

 

That's ridiculous. If the state is going to require a doctor's note for every absence, then the state should provide a way for low-income families to go to the doctor when they have a sick kid so they don't have to choose between paying the rent and not going to jail. 

[bethben]

My friend decided to homeschool based on absences of her son. When her oldest was in Kindergarten, he had pretty bad asthma and related illnesses.  He was out of school a lot because he was sick.  They told her that her son would not be able to pass to the next grade due to too many sick days that she had no control over.  This is the same son that was well advanced past kindergarten work.  So, she decided she didn't want to play that game anymore and decided to homeschool at that point.

[zoobie]

It's definitely a money thing. A good friend here in GA had her DS in a public pre-K immersion program at a local school. It was his first time in a group child setting and caught every bug. She got harassed by the school with phone calls and letters. They threatened arrest and DFACS involvement. For pre-K! She didn't need to take her puking kid to the doctor even if she could afford to waste the money, and a phone call wasn't enough.

[Annie G]

Some people here aren't reading the article. This isn't about taking a kid on vacation without arranging with the school, or about failing to make the phone call when he's sick. Those things might be policy in some places but not where the people in the article live.

 

In this woman's school district parents must provide a doctors note for every absence. She says her son has three unexcused sick days because she couldn't afford the copay to have a doctor verify to the school that he was sick. How this deserves shackles is beyond me.

 

Reading Mandylugbug's and ktgrok's posts -- is this a Georgia thing? Statewide and not just the district of the lady in the article?

 

The county policy doesn't say that a doctor's note is required for every absence:

 

Excuses for absences shall be furnished in writing, must be signed by the student’s parent or guardian and shall specifically state the dates and reasons for absences. Excuses written by parents will be accepted for up to (5) five absences total. Any absences thereafter will require additional documentation (as required by the principal or designee) or it will be UNEXCUSED. 

 

According to that, the first absence after that five would be unexcused number one, right?  If they didn't apply it that way, the school is definitely wrong. 

[Amy in NH]

This.  It amazes me how many of my public schooling FB friends take their kids out for week-long vacations 1-2 times a year.  Their reason?  Lines are too long or it's too hot to go on vacation during the summer.  My feeling on it is if you are in the system, you follow the rules.  It's one thing if these are K-2nd or 3rd graders.  But, no.  These are people with middle and high schoolers.  Missing a full week of school is a big deal at that point.

 

Maybe the rules ought to change. 

 

Maybe delivery of education shouldn't require students to sit in classes, and attendance should be optional.

[Amy in NH]

I know of a family with a dd who is a straight-A student.  All through elementary school the family took a 7-10 day annual vacation with extended family during a school week, and it wasn't a problem; kiddo took the work with her.  She hit middle school and the new school administrators had a hissy fit.  If dd took the extended family vacation then she would get an academic failure, be held back the following year, and not allowed to progress to the next level of course material even though she still got straight-As (ie. couldn't move up to algebra despite having aced pre-algebra).  Family decided to homeschool as a result.  Where the school might have missed out on six days of adequacy funding for the vacation, now the school gets NO money for that child. 

[zoobie]

 

The county policy doesn't say that a doctor's note is required for every absence:

 

 

 

 

Excuses for absences shall be furnished in writing, must be signed by the student’s parent or guardian and shall specifically state the dates and reasons for absences. Excuses written by parents will be accepted for up to (5) five absences total. Any absences thereafter will require additional documentation (as required by the principal or designee) or it will be UNEXCUSED.

 

According to that, the first absence after that five would be unexcused number one, right? If they didn't apply it that way, the school is definitely wrong.

It's so easy to wrack them up if you follow the sick rules. Child wakes up feeling yucky. He stays home. Pukes at noon. It's a 24 hr bug, but you are supposed to wait 24 hrs after last vomit to send him to school. That's 3 days gone on one 24 hour virus. Two of those and you're over the limit and have to start going to the doctor for every sniffle.

[MotherGoose]

As a former social worker, I have seen the other side of this.  I know nothing about the particulars of this case, and I have no problem with parents taking their children on vacation or something like that.  But I saw parents use these things as excuses when really they were neglecting the child.  

[FaithManor]

I would just like to point something out

 

these were UNexcused absences.  not excused.  it's easy to do an excused absence.  call the school, say my kid is sick, and viola you're done.   while I do think arresting her was over the top, it's not like she bothered to call the school.

But in our area, it is difficult to get an excused absence. Even in the case of illness with a doctor's note, it is not uncommon for the principal to dispute the illness. They do not want to give anyone time off for any reason. Kids go to school sick all the time, and as for funerals, they no longer allow an absence for cousins, aunts, or uncles. The student can attend the funeral of a parent, grandparent, or sibling. Period. Often families delay funerals until the weekend even if costs them more to keep the body housed for the extra days so that the school aged children can attend.

 

I am not kidding you. They have completely and utterly trumped the authority of the parents in nearly every manner.

 

Now, it's not that way in every district, just ours. The one to the south of us that has two of our rocket team members enrolled in it has a very nice high school principal and the superintendent of the district is a reasonable human being. They are the first to congratulate our two rocketeers on their accomplishments, and waive their attendance for three days so they can attend the Finals. The would give us more time if we wanted it because they believe in what these boys are doing, are proud of them, feel they are a great representation of the school, and know that touring the historical sites in D.C. is actually educational. (The principal of our district has publicly said there is nothing educational about attending a Congressional Breakfast, meeting with senators and congressmen, seeing the House of Representatives in session, visiting the war memorials or the Smithsonian, etc)

 

I am so glad we can homeschool, and am very sorry for the parents and students in our school district. That place is downright oppressive!

[bettyandbob]

I don't see where in the article it says a doctor's note was required for each absence.

 

If that is district policy, that's ridiculous.

 

If it's not district policy, perhaps there's more facts we don't know. Something about this story is making me suspicious. Maybe the child missed an extraordinary amount of days the previous year and the district has a special attendance for her because of the previous record.

 

The fact is school districts are scrutinized regarding attendance in abuse cases. Looking at a completely different recent Washington DC case, a child had very sporadic attendance before her disappearance. Part of the investigation early on was to question the school district not acting on that child's very poor attendance.

 

 

[Butter]

Maybe the rules ought to change. 

 

Maybe delivery of education shouldn't require students to sit in classes, and attendance should be optional.

 

That would be homeschooling ;P

[FaithManor]

I do think that funding tied to average attendance makes schools scrutinize attendance records very closely. When I was a kid, the teacher would notice if you were out for more than three days and call your guardian. But it was never a truancy get their behind back in the seat kind of call. It was always a concern for the student, is he or she okay, can I do anything to help, would you like me to drive a packet of missed work and books to you while he recuperate, oh well the next time you go on vacation please send a note in advance so I won't worry, and hey, could Buford bring a map or some items from the trip to school and talk about them during social studies class, type phone call. It took something pretty bad to get the principal involved in any kind of stern action.

 

But, funding was by enrollment, not by head count on any given day. So there was no vested interest in getting uptight unless the number of absences became ridiculous or the student was in danger of failing for the year.

[zoobie]

I don't see where in the article it says a doctor's note was required for each absence.

 

If that is district policy, that's ridiculous.

 

If it's not district policy, perhaps there's more facts we don't know. Something about this story is making me suspicious. Maybe the child missed an extraordinary amount of days the previous year and the district has a special attendance for her because of the previous record.

 

The fact is school districts are scrutinized regarding attendance in abuse cases. Looking at a completely different recent Washington DC case, a child had very sporadic attendance before her disappearance. Part of the investigation early on was to question the school district not acting on that child's very poor attendance.

It's required for every absence after 5.

 

And as Faith said (though in Michigan), they can get crazy on funerals too. I was ranting on this to DH who reminded me of an assistant who moved because of this. Her child had been out a couple of days with whatever illness (and she's a single, working mom so definitely not missing for minor issues), then he got the flu. That pushed him over 5. She got nasty letters and calls. Then her grandmother (who raised her) died and she told his teacher they'd be gone 3-4 days. 8 hour drive there and back. There was a big ice storm and she got stuck in wherever she was VA. She called to tell the school so she wouldn't get in trouble. The principal called her back and said she would be arrested when she got back even if she brought him the next morning because the funeral wasn't excused. She was absolutely hysterical. She decided to withdraw him completely and move back home even though she had a good job here and no prospects in rural VA.

 

Our kids had the flu too but were in private school. It was January 2011 (sorry, 2011 not 2010). I think between ice/snow and flu (and ear infections and reinfection of flu), one of my kids was in class 5 days that month. We were so thankful not to be stuck dealing with the school system!

[prairiewindmomma]

Our school district has a similar policy, and I know several parents who have gotten the letters and been pulled into the judicial system......not arrested (although that happened a few years back), but put into a program in which their child is forced to do a diversion type of program and is assigned a social work student from the local university. I have very mixed feelings about the program as I've seen both sides of the coin.

 

If I ever sent my kids to public school, we'd have to have a 504 in place for asthma and really talk about the feasibility of us not being able to go to the dr every time my kids get sick. (With the asthma, it takes a longer time than normal to get over respiratory bugs.)

[MrsMommy]

Stories like this really frustrate me.

 

My younger son, who has autism, is in our public school system, because they can help him in ways that I can't. I do occasionally take him out for a special field trip the rest of us are going on, because he will learn something, and I don't want him to feel left out of all of our family activities. It's so hard to have one child in the public school, and still try to be a homeschooling family.

 

And the illness thing really makes me mad. I can't remember the last time I took any of our children to the doctor when they were sick. Stomach bug? The best place for them is at home, not in a car, where they may throw up, or in the doctor's office where they're just going to spread the germs. Same thing for a fever, upper respiratory thing, whatever. If it's not an illness that requires a prescription, I shouldn't have to waste the doctor's time and my money just to get a signed note to make some administrator happy, and the last time anyone in this house required antibiotics was YEARS ago.

 

That said, our district is actually really good about stuff like that. My son's teachers have always been really excited when he's gotten to go on field trips to cool places, and everyone is happy when I keep him home when he's sick. I feel bad for people who live in such controlling districts, even if they do make the decision to send their children to the public school. Parents should be able to make decisions and handle things without the school interfering or making ridiculous demands.

[elegantlion]

You know I hate those attendance policies. As a kid, I missed about 1-2 days per month for killer cramps. You don't need a doctor for that, you take ibuprofen and stay home on a heating pad. Plus my mom didn't have a car available. I can only imagine her ire should she have been asked to produce a doctor's note for every month I had bad cramps.