This issue has never come up in our home. Our vacation time is limited but, I was just wondering how your 14 year old feels about this. I think travelling is a great experience for kids (and adults), but school is important too. My own daughter, who has been at camp for most of the summer, doesn't want to go away for a weekend before school starts just because she wants to make sure her summer homework is complete (most of it was finished before camp but she's a worrier with great work habits and wants to be safe). I think if I even suggested missing several days of school for a trip, she would protest.

Sam,<BR><BR>This is a good thread and very helpful. Please don't ruin it by insulting people and turning this into another thread that gets deleted.<BR><BR>I would appreciate your restraint.<BR><BR>Thank you.

I have never taken, and never will take, my kids out of school for travel. I don't think it would be fair to either the kids or the teachers. You can argue that travel is an educational experience, but as a practical matter, kids missing school is unfair to everyone involved. The kids have to struggle to catch up and the teachers have to go to special lengths to help them do that. Just my two sous.

Just a thought,<BR><BR>Sorry, I just gave an opinion, albeit a strong one.<BR><BR>US

Knew I would get blasted asap:) <BR><BR>Our school is one of the best in the state...but at the time our daughter was a full grade ahead academically and she took the tests when she returned and did great. I do realize that we are fortunate that she loves school and has always done well...that has definitely helped. Her teacher had no problem with us going...my husband had been gone for 6 months and it was our only time. Plus, she learned so much in Normandy that she was able to share with the class and that turned into another lesson for everyone.

We took our kids out of school for 3 weeks to go to Europe on a transatlantic cruise with both sets of grandparents. The kids were 12 and 8 years old at the time. It was our first trip abroad and I do not regret it for a minute. The time they spent with their grandparents can never be replaced. We let the school know in advance and they had plenty of schoolwork to do as well as keeping a journal. My advice is to go for it. In the grand scheme of things, when they look back, what will they remember, the 2 weeks in school, or a trip to Europe and all that they have seen. Also, just to let you know that they do really apppreciate it, on my son's 16th birthday, we asked him what has been a highlight so far in his 16 years and he replied "Seeing the David in Florence" as his first response! So go enjoy and the kids will adjust when they get home! It may require some more work and discipline when you return, but I think it will be well worth it!

Thanks to all who expressed opinions, and a special thank you to those who actually answered my questions. This post has been an education in itself. And I am indeed grateful (though not full of greatness.) :)

Wow, I never would have been allowed to miss school for a vacation (ok...our family couldn't afford trips like that anyway). And that's back in the dark ages (you know...20 years ago). With the amount of work my nieces and nephews bring home everyday, and the amount they have to struggle to make up one or two sick days (from middle school and high school), they would be miserable trying to make up 3 weeks. I'm with those who think it is unfair to teachers to have to do extra work so that your kid can go on vacation. One of my friends had no problem pulling her kid out of 7th grade to go on a trip... he almost flunked 8th grade! She learned her lesson the hard way.<BR><BR>Also, in my school district, your child would automatically fail for missing tha much school...no ifs, ands or buts... you don't show up, you fail. Not a bad lesson in life!!

ttt

I share the opinion of those who think it's inappropriate to take kids out of school for vacations. <BR><BR>My kids went to an elementary school where this became SO prevalent (especially to go to Disney World!) that the school actually had to set up a policy of NO leniency, special paperwork, etc. for unexcused absences. It was becoming so common and disruptive for the classes and an unfair burden for the teachers. It's an insult to the teachers to imply that a few hours of homework can make up for missing three weeks of school.

If your son is a fabulous student and very bright, or a really mediocre one it doesn't matter. The brilliant student will make it work and the awful student will not care a whit. But for the average kid this is a disaster in the making. Do you realize one D or incomplete in his freshman year could make the difference between getting into the college of his choice or being relegated to the local community college?

I have already expressed my opinion that a freshman should not miss two weeks of school, especially so early in the school year.<BR><BR>But this<BR><BR>&lt;&lt;one D or incomplete in his freshman year could make the difference between getting into the college of his choice or being relegated to the local community college&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>is simply not true.<BR>

Another approach to keeping current might be to arrange with a friend of your 14-year old to email, fax assignments - kids might be more willing to do this and teachers might take a slightly better stance about the absence if you kid takes some initiative in this - I know that will not be easy if he is homework-averse, but the lure of internet cafes might be helpful.<BR><BR>Our school also had to set a policy of vacation time as unexcused absence with no opportunity to make up tests, etc. While this may seem harsh, and some teachers are willing to bend the rules quite a bit, there were so many kids disappearing for a week at a time to go to places like Disney and then expecting instant tutoring upon return, that it was necessary.<BR><BR>Since it is 3 weeks after school starts, you will already have books and possibly course outline before you leave. Many 14-year olds respond well to bribes, so that may work to encourage him/her to do some work while away. <BR><BR>The other issue is general adjustment to high school (?and middle school for 6th grader?) - it may be tough to leave for 2 1/2 weeks just when he/she is starting to feel comfortable. I am not sure how to handle that. <BR><BR>Have a good trip. We have never taken our kids out of school but our vacation-time trips to Egypt, Washington, DC and several other US cities have proven to be at least as educational as what might have been accomplished during an equal length of time in school.

Let me jump in here with my experience. I took my daughter to Europe during the spring of her Freshman year. She is and has always been an excellent student and high achiever. She got a C in her advanced math class that quarter (I know, I know but devastating to her). In just a few weeks she'll be off to a fine university with many scholarships and grants. BUT, I often hear, "If you didn't pull me out of school my freshman year, I would have had all A's". Mind you, she loved the European culture and is now majoring in Art History/French minor. So, did it hurt her?..no. Would I do it again?..no.

Oh please, who is in charge of your child...you or the teacher and the school!<BR><BR>You pay their salaries, you provide for your child, you have the responsibility to raise them as you see fit...the school is there to provide an educational opportunity for your child...at your expense. <BR><BR>And if you believe as many, that most public schools are run by teachers unions and beaurocrats, you probably are paying twice, once for an unproductive public school and once for the private shcool that is required in order to provide your child with a quality education.<BR><BR>You make the decion and you live with it...you know what is best for your child, not some "profesional educator"!<BR><BR>US

We took our son out of school for 7 days when he was in 4th grade. Of course, he didn't miss much. And he enjoyed Paris alot.<BR><BR>We'll be taking him out of school this fall for about the same length of time, but he'll be in 8th grade this time. Although this didn't go over too well with someone here who responded, we'll give the school notice ahead of time and hope that he can do some make-up work for the lost time.<BR><BR>I really didn't want to pull him out of school, but the fares that are offered in fall as compared to summertime made it better financially. When he enters high school I doubt that we'll take him out of school. We're going back to France this time so when he's in high school we'll look for another destination for summertime only-maybe the Caribbean. High school is pretty crucial-I'm not saying jr. high isn't that important, but there is still some time that can be spared.

I'm curious about those old 60's truancy laws too. Anyone familiar with their state's laws about this? We were always told by school administrators that the school lost state funding whenever children were absent without being ill -- fact or fiction?

Interesting, if typically blustery, observation, Uncle Sam. But my kids do go to private schools, and even if I thought it was a good idea to take them out of school on vacations, I wouldn't because the school's policy is to suspend and even expell students whose parents do that. It's happened a few times in the years my kids have been at the school, and I'm all for it. Nor will the school bend over backwards in any way to provide catch-up assistance or allow faxing of assignments, or any other workaround, to parents who choose to violate the policy. I'm all for that too. I don't want my kids' teachers' time taken up with coddling parents who can't abide by the stated policy. I want my kids' teachers to be teaching.<BR><BR>I personally think that there are too many instances of this kind of behavior in our society - people who never stop to think about the communities they belong to (in this case a school) and how their own choices, and in some cases vanities, make it harder for those communities to function to the benefit of all involved. If all parents at a school did this, the school community would self-destruct. My views on this are probably colored by the fact that my father was a teacher and headmaster and I know how hard it is to administer a school, even a very good one.<BR><BR>Since you seem to be a loud critic of public education, consider that perhaps one reason it's poor (and you said it, not me)is because it doesn't require students to go to school, or at least doesn't penalize families who take their kids out of school for what many would consider to be frivolous reasons.<BR><BR>It's not that hard to plan a family vacation when school's out. We've been doing it for 15 years and the issue of missing school has never come up. <BR><BR>

I've been a teacher for 35 years (grades 6,7,8); it makes me feel good to hear how most of you don't think it appropriate to take your children out of school, especially as they advance into the higher grades. Yes, of course travelling is an education in itself and they will see and do marvellous things. I have provided work for families who requested it but you are limited in the types of things you can send with the student. The science teacher can't send the experiment they're doing in the lab, the English teacher can't send the class discussion or debate. And as an earlier response indicated, although I know the general direction I'm going in the next month it still gets modified to meet the needs of the classes as we go through. As a parent myself (husband an educator too) we have never allowed our son to miss school unless he was ill. Even though it's more expensive to travel in the summer, Christmas or March Break, that's one of the sacrifices you make when you have kids; you have a responsibility to see that they attend school.

I never took my children out of school for a trip but if the opportunity had come up I would have done so.<BR><BR>There is a difference between schooling and learning. They will learn much more in two weeks in Europe than they will sitting in their seats at school.<BR><BR>Don't let bureaucrats take away a wonderful opportunity for your children.