Taking kids out of school for vacation
I just saw NBC pose the question,
"Should it be illegal to take your child out of school for family vacation."
My opinion (I'm a teacher) :
No, it should not be illegal. Family vacation can provide just as much academic benefits to the child. Many of my students who travel have great amounts of background knowledge on topics that help them understand things better in school. (I'm not just talking about families that visit museums) Any vacation will give kids a new place to explore and understand the world. They can make connections easier than those without.
However, I also teach in a diverse district that has many immigrant families that pull their kids for months at a time to visit family abroad. (I definitely understand; it is very expensive to travel and family is family) But they miss huge chunks of school at odd times in the year. Kids are very resilient and can bounce back, but it definitely holds them back that school year from what they could have accomplished. There already is a "summer slump" that all kids slide a little bit backwards before the next grade. Although it should not be illegal, there should be some consequence. Repeating a grade or attending summer school would be an appropriate idea, but I know the U.S. is broke and we can't afford paying for those kids to do that. (Especially when they left school voluntarily)
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