Banty wrote:


I agree with your post, and I think it's a matter of balance.

Why the increasing inflexibility? Well, I think it's two things. One is - yes
- that focus on high-stakes test scores and other inappropriate measures.

The other, though, is social deterioration. A generation ago - it *was* a big
deal to ask for extra teacher prep for a child pulled out of school for an
unusual situation or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for travel. It happened,
but not so often, and the situations brought up would be compelling. Now, it's
any damn thing, cheaper ski trips, cheaper Disney, whatever, such that the sheer
volume of such instances are unmanageable, and there's the snowballing effect of
parents, tired of buying expensive airline tickets for an August vacation whilst
hearing of their neighbors grabbing last-minute deals and pulling the kids out
of school and getting accomodated, start doing the same thing. So the pendulum
swings the other way, and the parents who *would* be very judicious about this
matter are shut out, too. Old story of abuse of privelege.


Could be. I hesitate to make those arguments because
I wasn't there and tend to be leery of "good old days" arguments
(because it often turns out the "good old days" weren't all
that good). Certainly, I do know people who pull kids from
school for reasons I wouldn't think would pass muster. On
the other hand, I know lots of people who only do it for what
I would consider good reasons (and many of them get hassled
about it). I guess I just don't know on this one, but it
sounds plausible on the face of it, at least ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka