Return to Question of the Week Highlights Do you take your kids out of school for your DVC trips? Why or why not? For example, some people take their kids out of school to save on points and take Disney World trips where the crowds are less in the "value" season. Answers posted to the list: We have done it in the past. I schedule our vacations; plain and simple when I want. I take into account every school day possible. But I have no control over snow days. God builds them in and I know the school must build them in also, but our kids won't be there. Our 13 year old DD has spent every birthday at WDW except for 2. It's kind of a family tradition. I think next year will be our last as the following year our son graduates and will move on to a whole new world of education (hopefully). I start praying really hard in February when we haven't had a bad snow. Our favorite time of year is the last week of May first of June. Really June anytime up until the swith to high point season. July isn't bad if you start out at the parks, but if you do the beach first and then try going to the world you have already spent to much time in the sun. We have taken the kids out for the 3 days before Thanksgiving for a cruise. But really I am pretty good, education does come first, after all I hope someday they will take over paying the maintenance fees :) Dawn ----- Ouch...this is a sour subject for me. When the kids were in elementary school, the longest we took them out was 1 day and now that they are both in high school, we never take them out. The academics in our district are very demanding. We used to use our points after August 15th (when the point values are lower) and the kids in Florida have gone back to school and we liked that time. We would come back usually a day or 2 before our school started. The crowds were lighter. Also, we tried the week between Christmas and New Years, but it is very busy, so plan on not doing as much as you could. Now we need to go in July due to commitments to school Marching Band that occur in August. We find that if we take a longer trip of 10-12 days in July, we can easily manage by getting out to the parks early and getting back to OKW early. More relaxation time. Yes, October is wonderful, but priorities must be set by parents even if it means a little inconvenience of heat. Don't make it hard on the kids and make them think about all they need to make up when they get back. I know that our school district allows vacation travel, but the teachers give the kids lots to do. They must keep up with the classes, as they should because why should the other kids in the classroom suffer because the teacher has to reteach to just one child. Plus I have heard from other parents that with the amount work that is assigned while on vacation, the kids have to come back from the park and do homework. I think that ruins the vacation for the child. We have education and academics as our first priority in our house and taking children out of the classroom makes it hard on the teacher, the other kids and especially on your child, especially in the older years...my humble opinion only. You have 3 months in the summer to plan vacations. But if more school districts were on a full year schedule with 2 weeks breaks all during the year, we could all go at better times of the year. The time for year round scheduling really has come....I mean really, most kids don't have to help out on the farms anymore, although I am sure there are areas where this would still be an issue, but not for most of us. That would solve all of our problems. Bottom line, once the kids are out of early elementary school, it's tough....there....my 2 cents worth....and each school district handles vacations differently. Jean ----- I am a former middle school teacher and current stay at home mom. Education is a huge priority in our home. That said, we are taking our daughter out of school for a week in October to go to Disney. She is only in first grade, so I feel like we can get away with it now but I don't know about when she gets older. Our district allows 5 family travel days per year. I do not fair well in heat (medical condition) so going during the summer months is really not something we want to do. From a teachers perspective, I don't have a huge problem with parents doing this. I DO think it highly depends on the type of student you have. Some students have NO business missing a week of school, others can handle it just fine. I wouldn't pull my own children more than once a year though. The parents should understand that they should ask in advance for the work and help their children with it as much as needed. Michelle ----- Yes we do take our children out of school for our vacation to WDW. We do this for many reasons My husband is half way on the seniority line which means he can't get his vacation during the summer or school breaks because their are taken I think with our busy schedules that a week of our total attention given to our children means as much or more than what they're going to miss in school Our vacations are more relaxed and enjoyed by all when you don't have to fight crowds and we are from the north and a vitamin D bust in the middle of winter brings the children home refresh for school However our oldest is only in 4th grade so this might change as she gets older. Crystal ----- I have taken my daughters out of school for many family trips and now my daughters take there boys out, I may say they are all good students.. I have always felt the learning experience of travel is also inportant. Judy ----- No - not at all. We don't believe it is good for children to be taken out of school for a length of time that is controllable. They are out of school plenty of times during the year to go on vacations. Anyway - I don't think my kids could afford to miss. Gary ----- Last year was the first time we have taken our daughter out of school for vacation. We will be doing it again this year. Our daughter is not a problem student, and is way ahead of her peers. We also ask for her homework in advance, so she can keep up. If she was a problem student, that would be a whole different ball game. Plus you really can't beat Disney in December especially if you live in New England. Debbie ----- My husband is a CPA so we are very limited to when we can take vacations due to the various tax deadlines. We are never able to go duing Presidents' week and seldom able to go during Easter/Passover break. So usually in May, the week of ascension Thursday, (school is closed both Thursday and Friday) we take the kids out of school to go on vacation. They only miss three days and we get a full week's vacation. I also ask for assignments up front and the kids do whatever work they have to do during travel time or down time. Again, they're good students and are easily able to keep up. I don't think it's right or wrong to take your kids out of school... you just have to do what works for your family and your school. Michele ----- I have taken our kids out a few times including two days during Thanksgiving week to take a Disney Cruise last year. I think it unlikely we will do it again. The county rules do not allow students to miss school for trips and if we choose to pull the kids out, the teachers do not have to accommodate us by providing homework assignments or letting the kids make up work. Rather they threaten to give zero's. Thankfully, all of their teachers were decent last year and cooperated with us and gave the kids homework assignments to do (I gave 2 months advance notice) , and my son was allowed to take a Math test (given the day before Thanksgiving!) the Monday following Thanksgiving at 7:00 in the morning. It is really too much of a hassle for us and I don't like to "lie" about the purpose of their absence (many of their friends parents just don't say anything and write a note indicating the child was "sick" when they return so that they will be allowed to make up the missed work). If the kids were younger, I would probably be more inclined to take them out again, but they are in 8th and 9th grade and it just isn't worth it anymore. Mary ----- As a former teacher (now SAHM) I always hated when my students were taken out of school for vacation. Schools give weeks and weeks of vacation time and I feel that is when family time should be taken. It is a lot of extra work getting special assignments together for the student and other paperwork. Also, students don't just miss assignments and book work, but also the interaction with peers and discussion. Honestly, I don't view Disney vacations as very educational.....mostly fun (and there is nothing wrong with that). Perhaps if the destination were National Parks, Washington DC, or a foreign country I would feel differently. "When you miss school, you miss out!" I'm sure I'll ruffle a few feathers, this is my opinion. Becky ----- We have taken our son out for 1 day for a long weekend at WDW. The only time we took him out for a week was when he was in 2nd grade and that was for a family wedding on the west coast. Our school system does not allow for work to be given in advance, so if you take your child out they have to make up all the work for the week in a few days. Also, our middle schools and high school only allow for 5 unexcused absences per marking period. Excused is defined as a death in the family or medical (must have a dr's note) otherwise it is deemed unexcused. If you pass the 5 unexcused you fail each class that you have the 5 unexcused absences. Way too much of a chance to take. Also, even though my husband is an accountant and basically has 9-12 weekends a year that we can be away we still opt to do it during school vacations. Cora ----- I don't see why it is such a big deal to miss school (let's be honest, 20 years from now they won't remember what they missed in school, but they will remember that time with their family, and as someone who lost both of my parents by the time I turned 40 years old, I can tell you that those memories are SOOOO precious). BUT the schools here do make it difficult, and I have a child with a learning disability and she isn't able to do much in terms of catch up. We have homeschooled all the way through grades school, but this is our last year to do that (5th grade). Next year, we will be at the mercy of the school breaks and my DH's work schedule. We 'experimented' this summer with a trip to Florida in July. My one DD with asthma didn't do well in the heat. We left Epcot around 11:00 am and didn't go back to the parks until about 4:00 pm. So we won't be doing the WDW parks in the summer any more. We have decided that starting next year, our WDW trips will have to be planned for spring break. Not a great time for my DH, but he can swing it if he has a lot of notice. The crowds are heavy then, but since we have gone to WDW so much, we don't feel like we HAVE to do everything. Anyway, to those of you who can take your kids out of school.....do it! Those memories will last a lifetime (and someday those memories will mean more than anything). DJ ----- Our school's can be pretty unforgiving too, although a bit more than your's, in high school they are allowed 10 absences per trimester, if they go over they get NO credit for any of their classes. So we really have to watch it too, but yes we have pulled DD out for a week long vacation, after DH was activated and gone from home for 2 years, my priorities changed alot and I just decided we would make sure she stayed under the 10, and the school could just get as mad as they wanted. Michele ----- This December for the MouseFest cruise we are taking our kids out of school (5th grade) for the 1st time since they were 2nd graders for a Disney trip. We are in a new school district now and when I mentioned this to their teacher she said: "We recognize family vacations are important, and we do not want to give the children any extra work so they can enjoy their vacation. Just tell the office your kids will be out for a few days." Tim ----- It seems like school is too intense these days, and I feel that kid's should be allowed to be kids while they can. Everyone, kids and adults are on the fast track and nobody knows how to slow down and smell the roses anymore. They grow up too fast these days as it is without missing out on family vacations. I have 2 in high school and one in college, so I'm talking through experience. We are also a very busy family, involved in school activities too. But, we take our kids out of school for Disney and they do pay the piper when they get back. I still can't understand why missing 2 - 5 days of school causes so much confusion. It simply doesn't seem like much taken out of a whole 180 days. If their grades slip a tad because of it, we don't get upset about it, for it's temporary. I have often wondered why public schools can't let their teachers operate by using a syllabus like they use in college. Actually my son even had one given to him at the beginning of the school year in some of his high school senior year classes. That way when a student has to be out for family trips or emergencies, illness, etc, all the teacher has to do is look at it and bring the student back up to speed. When my father died a couple of years ago, during January and my son's mid-terms, he was determined to go and say goodbye to his grandfather. We got there in the nick of time, a day before he died. When we got home after the funeral (the very next day after) and my son got back to school, (he was a high school junior at the time) he went through hell trying to catch back up again. We had been promised before leaving by the principal that this would not happen. It did anyway. It's the same as the gripe I have about putting out all kinds of money to the schools all year long. With proper organization, why can't we just write a check the beginning of the year and hand it to the office to be used for all the various items needed. But that's off-topic. Because of health issues, can't do disneyworld in the summer due to the intense humidity of Florida. So we are forced to go during winter break, but can't do that every year because of annual passes. Alternating between Thanksgiving week and Winter break we save money, otherwise the annual passes for 5 of us would be a bit hard to afford. I understand the value of a good education these days especially, but I still think there has to be balance in a kid's life too and having a blast in disney should be part of that. I know that this sounds like you ruffled my feathers, so to speak, but I am not really mad about it. I just want to express my feelings on this coming from the other side of the problem. And I also feel a high respect for my children's teachers, I'm not a teacher Kathy ----- Ahhh, the question of debate in our house even though our kids are 1 and 3! :) My husband says 'No Way!'...but he grew up never going on vacation and never missed a day of school. Me...my family went to Florida/Disney every year (my grandparents lived in Ormond Beach) for a week at Easter. My sisters and I would miss several days of school since we would drive from PA and back. At the time, my biggest issue was missing out on which friends did what. Now, I look back and am grateful for those memories with my family. Couldn't tell ya now what homework I missed or what report was due (please know that in NO way am I taking away from teachers' important jobs!!). There's soooo much pressure at school these days...homework in kindergarten??!?! (But that's another discussion.) A few days of school shouldn't be the end of the world....or failing a class...my goodness. Quality time with family is a cornerstone for everything else. It's a shame that's not taken into consideration at school (I couldn't believe some of the rules in the posts I've seen...wow!!...I'm anxious to see what our district will be like). I too agree that the travel is educational as well...no matter where you go. From something as simple as social skills--checking in, meeting new people, etc.--to a stop at 'South of the Border' (those of you that have driven by here know...come on...how could you pass up a stop here?? I STILL remember the billboards! LOL)--it's something new...a new experience. You can't learn those things in school...trust me...ask my husband...he was inept on our first trip after college and he went to a fantastic college...it was a whole new world to him. I'm sure my husband and I will debate it 'til the time comes to make a decision. We really enjoy going 'off season' now and I can't imagine going in July. But, then again, that's the beauty of DVC...maybe we'll spend a week at a resort in the mid-west. :) Heather ----- Way to get things stirred up Tim-just kidding but I know this topic ruffles feathers (like mine). Both my wife and I come from families loaded with teachers, principals, superintendants in NY and all feel the same on this. We feel Disney is educational as well as fun. Educational by also teaching social skills and life long skills that you can't learn in a classroom-they do learn a lot there, but in a controlled, safe enviroment. It also gives us family time together that will be remembered for years. My DW and I can only get away for more than 3-4 days during school and our kids are good students- they usually miss 5 days of school for Disney trip. They get homework assignments and have much of it done by the time we get off the plane in Orlando. Their teachers have given them projects and/or trip reports to do while there and they have to present them when they get back. We are obviously strong believers in education and school but even more so in family values and some time together away from home. As a Deputy, I deal with people on a daily basis that don't worry about education for their kids or family time, I have lost friends in terrorists acts and in Middle East and while education is paramount-there are other things just as important in life. And being there off season with no lines, all the holiday decorations up, and usually good weather just can't be beat either. John ----- I like that teacher's response. Seems she wanted to save you from the "wrath" of the office response to that question. I am a teacher in MA. Our school policy is also restrictive regarding "unexcused" absences. This would include vacations. But as a parent of three, one out of college, one in grad school, and one a grade 10 student, I have to say that I took my children out of school for family vacations throughout their elementary years. I was a flight attendant during that time, and we had to plan trips around my schedule and my firefighter husband's schedule. Back then, no one batted an eye at making the decision as parents for your own children's best interests. I will have to agree with another poster's comment that travel with the family is as important to a child's experiences as a formal education and can be part of that education. When we stopped taking the kids out of school, it was more because they had clubs and sports and other after school activities that they did not wish to miss. Also, school work was more intense. As an grade 8 English teacher, I will usually assign a fixed amount of reading and written response due two weeks after a student returns from a trip. In May I had a student miss 2 weeks of school because of a family trip to Vietnam. He was visiting his grandparents. I gave him an assignment to take photographs of his trip - 1 to 2 rolls. He was to take a journal, and every time he took a photo, he was to write on the bottom part of one page, something about what and why he was taking the photo, and who was in it. When he returned, he was to develop the film and put photos on appropriate journal pages. When it was complete, he had to present photo journal to class. This was a big hit, and provided my other students with a wonderful lesson. This student exhibited visual, writing, and oral presentation skills. Of course, I returned the photo journal with an A+. Finally, his parents were involved with their own child's education, a point we must remember when discussing who is actually responsible for our children, and what they learn. Nancy ----- As a teacher, I usually advise parents not to take their children out of school if it is at all possible. I understand that some families can only travel at certain times of year making it difficult to schedule vacations. I would say to try only to miss a few days of school instead of an entire week. I have had some parents take their children out for more than one week and that really makes catching up difficult. Standardized testing is also making an impact on the school schedule. Typically testing is held in February, March or April. The weeks and months prior to testing are filled with special test taking lessons and reviews. If you have to take them out, try to do it in May or June and only for a few days or a week at most. I don't really mind when parents pull their kids out every few years for a few days for something special. However, I do see some people that do it every year for 2 weeks at a time!! Also, you have to keep in mind what kind of student your child is. Some kids can handle missing school better than others! Just my 2 cents. Going to SSR in 11 days. Can't wait. Romayne ----- I think parents should be able to make this decision for themselves without the school systems getting involved. It didn't hurt most of us as kids to be pulled out and go on family vacations why shuld it hurt our kids - Why should the schools dictate when we are able to interact with our children. Whether it is educational or not, it is our jobs as parents to provide a childhood for our children. Going on a family vacation whether it is to WDW or Pennsyvania or Grand Canyon or Grandmother's house shouldn't matter. If I understand things correctly, teachers have to have a syllabus of what they will be teaching, why can't they know what to assign a child who is on vacation? How is it different than a child who is out sick? This is all my opinion & I know there will be people who don't agree with me as well as people who do. Libby ----- First we don't take our children out of school. I'm a part-time teachers assistant our school district as well as the state (Texas) is very strict about school absences. Only illness or deaths in the family. Our school requires a note from a doctor after day three. And if its a funeral we must bring in the obituary (I spelled that wrong). One thing everyone needs to look at....The no child left behind law. This will change the ability for parents to take there children out for family vacations. I'm not trying to start an argument but this is fact. I have three children K, 2, and 6th. My 6th grader is learning things that I learned in High School. School is not what it use to be it is more intense. I have seen top students fall behind because of missed days. I would love to go during low season but can't. I have three asthmatic children but we have to go during summer season. But heat doesn't bother us cause being in Texas not a big deal when it comes to heat. I make sure my children are hydrated I have noticed this causes a flare up for mine. Each and every parent should decide for themselves what is best for their own. Make sure you look into the law I spoke of you will be shocked what it is asking to do. Just MHO Monika ----- Yes, my district has a similar policy that absences are only permitted for illness of the child, a relative, or a death in the family. You would not believe how many times over the years that my children have had to travel to Florida to vist their Uncle Mickey ,or Aunt Minnie who were seriously ailing, and heck, this might be the last chance the children have to see them. Regards, Bill P.S. I am happy to report that both Uncle Mickey and Aunt Minnie are still hanging in there and going strong years later! ----- Nope, I don't believe in taking them out of school--school is their "job" and vacation is their fun and relaxation time. I expect them to give 100% when they're in school and likewise, they deserve 100% downtime during vacation. Kim ----- Our son had exams late in Jan & then there was a new term. We had gone at the start of the new term. Air fares were so much cheaper than at Spring or Christmas break. We asked his teachers if it okay & they said to have a good time. It's so nice to be warm for a week in Jan/Feb :) Brenda ----- We take our son out of school every spring for a trip back to WDW. Our school district has the same policy as most others about unexcused absences. However, our district also has a "plan" that the teachers can fill out a special form - submit it to the principal for approval - lists all assignments for the timeframe we will be gone. This way the school still gets paid for the student as if he was in attendance. When the child misses too much school, the school doesn't get paid for the excessive days missed by that child. That being said, our son is now starting 5th grade. Up til now, only his 2nd grade teacher did the above referenced homework plan. 3rd grade he had to do a daily journal, and last year nothing was assigned. Now, I would send a note in Jan saying he would be out specific dates in May. I would follow up with a monthly reminders also asking for assignments. During 4th grade - when no work was assigned - I got a note from the principal asking me to come in regarding our son's absence. I informed him that I had requested homework assignments but none was assigned. He said that was no excuse. I then asked him what was done with the students that were leaving school to travel back to Asia and India for several weeks (I know of several parents who have traveled back to both areas and only a journal was assigned and none had been addressed by the principal about the leave) He had no comment. I very politely said that if he was going to reprimand me then I want proof that he was reprimanding all the other parents who took their children out of school - for even longer periods of time. If its good for the goose it's good for the gander. Due to my husband work, he's only allowed long weekends (3 days) during the summer and must take other time off during spring or fall. It makes it hard to travel to WDW as we live in Calif. I don't mean to sound as if his teacher's didn't care - the only bad experience was his 4th grade teacher because she was just too unorganized to prepare anything. Three were other issues with this teacher that I had to address at other times with the principal as well. So this could have been some sort of payback - lol. Anyways, family vacations are too important not to have and for us that means traveling in spring or fall. Now when my son reaches middle school it may be a different story - we'll just have to wait and see. But, that's 2 yrs away. Just my experiences and I'd do it the same again and again and again Glenda ----- We homeschool but our daughter attends school two days each week as part of a co-op program with the schools. We definitely take her out of that for vacations (just did it last week). My husband's job only allows certain weeks for vacation so we go when we can. People understand that we're Disney people and know that we're good about attendance otherwise. 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