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Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?



 
 
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  #11  
Old October 25th 03, 02:16 PM
Gale
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

"Donna Metler" wrote in message
...
..
She is almost certainly required by law to send it. I would strongly

suggest
getting documentation from your doctor, if possible, on past absenses, and
certainly getting documentation for ANY further medical absense.

Your state education code should be online, and will give truancy

statutes.



I second that motion. School Districts vary considerably in both rules and
how they are applied. For example, this school district I live in allows
only ten excused absences a year or you are retained. It is extreemly
difficult to obtain an exception, even for participation in national level
amateur sports teams [issue last school year], serious illnesses lasting
longer than 10 days, etc. A lot of parents in this area are hopping mad
about it. Same State, next school District away, not an issue at all, they
are much more understanding of why a child may be out for an excused reason.
So, look into your State and school district's rules and applications
thereof very closely and know that while we can give you anecdotal evidence,
it all comes down to your school district and how you interact with it.

Good luck!

-A, in Florida
--
see my creative works on ebay under aulame 123


  #12  
Old October 25th 03, 03:39 PM
Ericka Kammerer
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

Vicki wrote:

Today we received a warning letter for truancy for our 2nd grader. The
principal said she was concerned about dd's absences. I am not concerned
about dd's absences--she is bright, she knows the material [she's missed
five days this month, but received 100 on her test for materials covered.]
I don't think the teacher is concerned. But the principal said dd is only
allowed 5 excused absences per semester.



This is similar to the situation in our school district.
You can thank the "No Child Left Behind" law for this. A lot of
flexibility has been removed from the local level.


I'm not happy about the possibility of legal sanctions for keeping dd home
(she was sick this month, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of school
for other things we feel are important.) Can they prosecute us for truancy
when dd is top of her class? I don't see the harm to anyone in dd not
going. And she *will* miss more school at Thanksgiving (important family
time.)



Yes, they can make your life very difficult over
the truancy issue. In general, the principal usually has
some degree of latitude and can approve absences in excess
of the number of allowed absences; however, in some areas
the principal has little latitude. You could risk your
daughter not being promoted to the next grade (or ultimately
not graduating) for these sorts of issues.


We had planned to talk at school conferences about keeping dd home one day
per week, or bi-weekly, to enhance her education. But from what I've read
about truancy laws tonight, this doesn't seem to be allowable. Has anyone
done this or know if it is doable?



I suspect this would not go over well. I would think
it would be *highly* disruptive to the teacher and the rest
of the class. I would either homeschool full time, leave things
as they are, or look for enrichment through the school
(GT programs, etc.). You'd be asking a *lot* of the teacher.
He or she would have to figure out how to make sure your
child suffered no ill effects from missing up to 20 percent
of the class! That would mean no quizzes/tests or other
assessments on that day, no special activities, etc. I
would think that would be pretty unreasonable to request.


Have others faced this truancy problem? How do you approach it? If this is
a law (5 days/semester,) does the principal have much leeway in enforcing
it? If not, then who do we talk with? The DA? Is it possible to
homeschool part-time (the days dd misses) and avoid a truancy enforcement?
Could we test out of second grade and attendance be optional?



I hear what you're trying to accomplish, but I
would be very surprised if you could get where you're
trying to go. I think you're going to find that homeschooling
is an all or nothing thing. If you think that's really the
way you need to go, then I think you could solve the problem
by homeschooling full time and taking care to get well
involved in your local homeschooling community so that
she builds new networks of friends. If not, I'd try to
make a commitment to finding the challenge she needs with
this (or another) school.


Good luck,

Ericka

  #13  
Old October 25th 03, 03:41 PM
Ericka Kammerer
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

ColoradoSkiBum wrote:


If your child is missing school because she's sick, then she is *not*
truant. The school cannot punish/penalized you or her for missing due to
illness. They may require that you provide a doctor's note (which is a real
PITA since it means you have to take her to the doctor if she's sick), but
that's as far as they can go.



On the contrary, thanks to the reforms associated with
"No Child Left Behind" that's not true. They *can* create
problems with too many absences *even* if they're excused, and
even if there are doctor's notes.

Best wishes,
Ericka

  #14  
Old October 25th 03, 03:56 PM
toypup
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?


"Vicki" wrote in message
news
I'm not happy about the possibility of legal sanctions for keeping dd home
(she was sick this month, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of

school
for other things we feel are important.) Can they prosecute us for

truancy
when dd is top of her class? I don't see the harm to anyone in dd not
going. And she *will* miss more school at Thanksgiving (important family
time.)


I doubt they'd get her for truancy if the only reason she's been out is for
being sick, as long as you can prove it with a doctor's note. Sounds like
the other reasons you feel are more important are getting in the way of her
education. Personally, I think you ought to either homeschool or follow
school rules. My parents would never have let me miss school to visit
family except for once when my grandma was dying, and we even got permission
for that (we had to go halfway around the world for two weeks during
finals). School is important. It is setting a precedent for how she will
be in her adult life. When she gets a job, she can't just take off because
of family unless it's an emergency. She will have to see what the workplace
rules are and work around that. If she doesn't like the workplace rules,
she can find another job, like you can homeschool. But you shouldn't have
her go to school and ignore the rules.


  #15  
Old October 25th 03, 04:24 PM
Penny Gaines
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

Vicki wrote in :

[snip]
I think you're right about the problem with truancy and part-time
home-schooling. I'm not sure how we avoid that. As an aside, I'm not
worried about dd missing what is taught--she knows it. Nor do I expect
her
teacher to spend additional time to get dd caught up--dd is ahead. 2nd
grade curriculum seems pretty limited if you're already a good reader and
good with numbers. Our idea was to give dd a day of more challenging
materials. It is hard to fit them into the weekends and evenings (piano,
scouts, time with dad and siblings, etc.) dd reads constantly, but I'd
hoped to use the day for more hands on learning--science projects, trips
to
museum, etc. She's expressed interest in this (as opposed to full-time
homeschooling, which she's rejected,) but maybe this won't be allowed.


Can you work with the teacher to ensure she gets more challanging work
at school. My 7yo is in the top groups in her class, in spite of being
the youngest girl in th eclass, and the teacher sets her group more
challanging work while she goes over the basics with the rest of the class.
This is exactly how my teacher handled it when I was her age as well.

--

Penny Gaines
  #16  
Old October 25th 03, 04:40 PM
Sue
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

Well imo, you are essentially telling your daughter that rules don't matter,
school doesn't matter and that she can stay home at any whim. What is she
going to do in the real adult world when she has a job? Stay home because
she feels like it. What about college? She will need to be there all the
time in order to have all the information she needs to pass the class. If
she is sick that's one thing, but to stay home at any given time because you
think it is important doesn't fly well with school. You are also setting
your daughter up for negative attention from the other kids at school. They
will see her staying home, getting extra attention from the teacher because
lessons will have to be repeated to her and possibly getting out of
essential tests and assignments. If she is missing so much, it ruins the
dynamics of the class. I don't mean the classroom persay, but things will
be discussed in class and your daughter will have no clue as to what went on
the previous day. If you want to homeschool, then you need to do it full
time and not worry what your daughter wants because obviously you think what
education she is getting is inadequate. Just because you think she is smart
doesn't mean in reality that she is. She may be a little ahead in some areas
and perhaps feel bored with some assignments, but she also may be feeling
left out when she misses so many days. If you want to supplement her school
work, then perhaps you need to do it on the weekends and take away some of
her extracurricular activies that she has going.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

Vicki wrote in message
news
Today we received a warning letter for truancy for our 2nd grader. The
principal said she was concerned about dd's absences. I am not concerned
about dd's absences--she is bright, she knows the material [she's missed
five days this month, but received 100 on her test for materials covered.]
I don't think the teacher is concerned. But the principal said dd is only
allowed 5 excused absences per semester.

I'm not happy about the possibility of legal sanctions for keeping dd home
(she was sick this month, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of

school
for other things we feel are important.) Can they prosecute us for

truancy
when dd is top of her class? I don't see the harm to anyone in dd not
going. And she *will* miss more school at Thanksgiving (important family
time.)

We had planned to talk at school conferences about keeping dd home one day
per week, or bi-weekly, to enhance her education. But from what I've read
about truancy laws tonight, this doesn't seem to be allowable. Has anyone
done this or know if it is doable?

dd does not want to homeschool full-time--she likes seeing her friends at
school and we think this is good for her. We have discussed getting
appropriate challenge in her classroom--the teacher has been helpful, but
there is only so much she can do. We chose not to skip dd to the next

grade
as she is already the youngest in her class.

Have others faced this truancy problem? How do you approach it? If this

is
a law (5 days/semester,) does the principal have much leeway in enforcing
it? If not, then who do we talk with? The DA? Is it possible to
homeschool part-time (the days dd misses) and avoid a truancy enforcement?
Could we test out of second grade and attendance be optional?

dh is calling the principal next week, and we will meet with dd's teacher

in
three weeks. I'd like to have a sense of our options before we go so we

do
what's right by dd and cause the least distress to her teacher and

principal
(who are quite nice.) Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Vicki




  #17  
Old October 25th 03, 05:00 PM
Denise
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?


"cara" wrote in message
...



I have no experience with this at all, but the implication of 'truancy' to

me
means 'absences without parental knowledge or consent.'


I think in some school districts it doesn't matter the reasoning. I was
fairly high ranking in my high school class, all honors classes, all good
grades, but I spent the majority of my high school career on "academic
probation" for illnesses and absences that my parents had complete knowledge
of. I got suspended in the 9th grade for one day for having 5 excused
absences, if they were unexcused, it would have been after 3 that I was
suspended. Doesn't make sense to suspend me from school for not going, but
that's what they did. Bizarre rules.




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  #18  
Old October 25th 03, 05:19 PM
ColoradoSkiBum
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

: Bottom line on truancy -- what the schools are most concerned about is
that
: every student who doesn't show up is ultimately money lost in their school
: budget.

Right. And if your child is absent so often that the school is not getting
any money for her, then they should not be required to educate your child
*at all.*
--
ColoradoSkiBum

  #19  
Old October 25th 03, 05:28 PM
ColoradoSkiBum
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

: I read a child is limited to 10 absences excused by the parent per
: year--guess this is where the 5/semester comes from. I can't get a
doctor's
: excuse for the flu dd had 2 weeks ago--we didn't go to the doctor. I did
: call and talk with a nurse at the hospital, but I couldn't say her name.
In
: any case, dd will miss again around Thanksgiving due to something
important
: to us. That will put me over the five, even if dd stays healthy until
then.
: If they're not REALLY going to fine me (b/c we do care about her
education,)
: then who do I talk with beforehand so I don't have to have fines hanging
: over my head?

If that's district policy, then you will probably have to talk to someone at
the district level. That's a pretty strict policy, but definitely open to
interpretation by the individual schools, also. The previous district that
I taught in had such a policy, but it was never enforced at the school I
taught at. But it does sound like your daughter's school is pretty serious
about enforcing the policy.

Perhaps you could start by talking to an administrator at her school--as
someone else suggested, that letter may have been generated automatically.
--
ColoradoSkiBum

  #20  
Old October 25th 03, 05:33 PM
ColoradoSkiBum
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Default Bright 2nd grader & school truancy / part-time home-school?

: If your child is missing school because she's sick, then she is *not*
: truant. The school cannot punish/penalized you or her for missing due
to
: illness. They may require that you provide a doctor's note (which is a
real
: PITA since it means you have to take her to the doctor if she's sick),
but
: that's as far as they can go.
:
:
: On the contrary, thanks to the reforms associated with
: "No Child Left Behind" that's not true. They *can* create
: problems with too many absences *even* if they're excused, and
: even if there are doctor's notes.

I obviously spoke too soon; it really depends on the district. One of the
districts I used to teach in was very good about working with students who
had long-term illnesses, and would set up in-home tutoring for kids so they
could keep on top of their work and not get too far behind. OTOH, we had
students who ditched 20 days in a single school *quarter* (9 weeks) and we
could not get rid of them. When the school finally got them and their
parents before the judge, basically the judge would make it out to be all
the school's fault for not getting the kid into school. Did we call their
parent every time the kid was absent? Did an administrator go to the home
to look for the kid? Things like that made me leave that district.
--
ColoradoSkiBum

 




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