Comments on: Excuses, Excuses

By: Gary Levin

Gary Levin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:03:47 +0000

All of the above….this is why we homeschooled. Can be done in three hours or less/day. No gas expenses….Kids almost never get sick. (kids do have to ask to go to the bathroom. ))
It does take some commitment and discipline from the parents…..and a lot of them don’t have it. So pass it on to our government, why not?

NCLB created a lot more testing to prove that teachers were doing their jobs.
Also created more expenses….attendance rule to insure the school maxed out it’s government reimbursement.

What has the end result been? More attend college? Better jobs? (if they move to China, Asia or a foreign country.

I feel for the teachers and the kids as well.

By: Chyrs

Chyrs — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:52:50 +0000

Amen, to this post! It’s ridiculous. They do it to the adults too. They can’t take the adult’s word for it, they want a note from your physician.

By: catherine

catherine — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:30:05 +0000

Lunches: I did the daycare route so I can see both sides. At my daycare we simply removed sodas from the lunchbox, offered water or apple juice instead, and reminded parents that it was against our policy. With junk food, the kids had to eat healthy stuff first. If all of the stuff was junk we ranked it in order of least junkiest to most junkiest. However, if this child attended a daycare where meals were provided by the center, that is a different story. The center is required to have a balanced meal plan and bringing in lunches from the outside upsets that. You bring up the ultimate point though: the parent always has the right to leave.

Bathroom excuses: Let me tell you, I am one of the most liberal teachers on my floor about bathroom excuses, but sometimes even I am the “mean teacher”. Usually it happens like this: I have offered a bathroom break. No takers. Then another. No takers. Then I start a lesson and suddenly five kids have to go to the bathroom. Mind you, this is after they have had three chances in three periods (and mine are bigger kids!) Sometimes it truly is an emergency; other times it is a scam to get out of class. A good teacher knows this and gets to know the ones who like to use it as a scam (and the ones that will embarrass themselves if you don’t let them go). The others lay down harsh policies.

Absences: I hate telling the parent they need to have a doctor’s note so they can CYA, especially when their kids are out with stuff that will go away without a doctor’s intervention. It’s such a waste of time all around.

By: Dr Ally

Dr Ally — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:47:52 +0000

You are probably right that your note would not be accepted. I’m a pediatrician and one of my kids had the flu this past year, and he missed one day of school (it was a Friday – he was well enough by Monday to go back). I sent a note with his diagnosis. His absence was recorded as “unexcused”.
Another time I was called to pick up one of the kids who had a fever – I sent a note saying he had strep – both the afternoon check out and the next day’s absence were also “unexcused”.

By: Peggikaye

Peggikaye — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:52:46 +0000

My 18 year old, senior, has a temperature of 101.7. The school won’t let him come to school, But I’m not about to take him to the doctor either. He’s allowed 5 days (in our case, for the YEAR)

How in the world he didn’t get held back on absenses, I’m not sure. I dug my heels in this year and refused to play their game. (granted, I did say “I won’t play your game. I will talk to my reporter friend that you’ve held back an honor roll, AP student who will be starting college as a freshman” so they may have just not even gone there ….. *shrug* maybe they decided mamma was a bear they weren’t going to tangle with?)