This can't be a debate in a state where the legislature is about to forgive 10 days of school for snow days without requiring the districts to give up spring break.

Yes, I think a teacher / principal is more understanding of a pre-booked and pre-paid Disney trip than they would be 5 days at the Lexington Hyatt to watch the Sweet 16. I could be all wet, but that is my opinion.

3 days

The high school I taught at ,never once took off for the state tournament. I think that if schools are playing in the state tournament ,then they should turn out school for the day of the game and thats all. Just my opinion.

Fetal Pig very nice. My boss lives in the U.P. of Michigan

and the kids are always out of school for a couple of days I know

for sure of deer season. I think alot of the plants in the area also

run with minimal employees during deer season.

 

This was typical for me all through school. As my Dad said: "A lot more can be learned in life than just a classroom"…. I personally think schools try to insert themselves way too much into a parental responsibility for "education"….thus the upswing in home schooling. The obvious lesson learned at the Sweet 16 is Hard Work = Reward….but that may not fit our current education system.

3 days

 

Yeah, sorry, was going Wednesday to Sunday.

Around here it has become common practice to build in two days off (Thursday & Friday) during the Sweet 16. That was in large part thanks to Warren Central going so many days in a row.

 

Unless I was misinformed, once upon a time it was policy here to basically make it the equivalent of a field trip if you rode the fan bus to the game. In other words, school remained in session, but if you rode the fan bus, it was the same as if you were in school. That changed at some point prior to my senior year (the first time Central went in their 6 year run), and I nearly had to make a choice between completing my 12 years of perfect attendance or going to the game on Friday, which was during the school day. (I got bailed out because there was an actual field trip that was going to Louisville that morning and then going to the game after - I was allowed to tag along) One of the assistant principals said to me "Years later, you won't remember this day of school, but you'll remember going to the state tournament." Summed it up to me. If your school is there, I say dismiss, or again, as they've wisely done here, build it into the calendar.

 

Of course, these kids would still be outta luck if they played Wednesday morning.

I think districts that never make it have the biggest issue.:walk:

Yeah, sorry, was going Wednesday to Sunday.

 

I agree with you by the way.

Unfortunately, today in JCPS, students are held accountable to the minute that they are in school. Every minute that they are tardy or sign out early is tracked. They track excused and unexcused absences. After 10 parent notes in a year, a doctor's note is the only excused absence. At some schools, students are not allowed to attend activities such as Ring Dance or Prom if they have more than 6 unexcused absences in a year...remembering that minutes tardy and signing out early count toward those six days. The days of students just missing to have a fun-filled experience with their parents are coming to an end due to many many students not making up work when they have been absent in the past. This is a direct result of our local politicians and board of education.

I started taking my son to the state tournament for all 4 days beginning in the 6th grade and ever year up to his senior year. And yes I had disagreements with the school administration over it, but he always was allowed to make up his work. We enjoyed the time together and will have memories that will last a lifetime.

We enjoyed the time together and will have memories that will last a lifetime.

 

PRICELESS!!! Unfortunately, my son's in college now and we don't spend as much time together as we did during his high school years. However, we've made a promise to start going again once he's out of college! Educational Enhancement forms were priceless too!

I do not think it's necessarily "bad" for a kid to miss a day or two of school. Sickness happens all the times that causes that. However, I think the parent has to be the one to decide if their child can handle doing the makeup work, if you're going to voluntarily pull them out. Because some kids just are scraping by at the normal pace, let alone adding on two or three days worth of makeup work. But I don't think it's up to the teachers to go "easy" on them during that time, just because it's the Sweet 16 (unless your school is one of those playing)...because in all honesty, all the bonding/teachable moments/education/etc. that you can say happens watching high school basketball with your dad, could just as well happen travelling with him to watch UK play in the NCAA tourney, or heading to Cincinnati to watch the Reds play on Opening Day.

What if an educational class field trip was planned since the beginning if the school year, and students chose to go to the Sweet 16 instead?

 

I think that the hard working teachers who fought hard to get the funding and make that happen deserve more respect.

 

The teacher should have been more proactive in his/her scheduling and not have scheduled a field trip during the 3 day period of the Sweet 16. Bad planning on his/her part.

I have nothing against kids being pulled out of school for other life enriching things. I have done so myself.

 

The mood here seems like you are really missing out if you don't pull your kids out of school to attend. Like it's crazy to even consider attending school during this time. Almost to the point of making a mockery of being in school during the Sweet Sixteen.

 

So I defer back to my prior comments of why is school even in session at this time? And no, this is not like going to Disney World or another educational place that you could go to on the weekend or during the summer or Spring Break. Kentucky Sweet Sixteen happens only once a year.

 

There, I stirred it up. Now, go! :lol2:

Education is more than just a classroom with a teacher and test. The problem with education today is that we now try to measure everything with a number ACT 1 - 36. Education should help each student become a well round citizen and that includes socially as well as academically.