"At the marathon, they watched blind runners, runners with prosthetic limbs and debilitating diseases and people running to raise money for great causes run in the most prestigious and historic marathon in the world.He's wrong in thinking his family trip should be an excused absence:
"They also paid tribute to the victims of a senseless act of terrorism and learned that no matter what evil may occur, terrorists cannot deter the American spirit.
"These are things they won't ever truly learn in the classroom."
The father of twins attending a Pennsylvania elementary school hit back at a principal who informed him in a letter that his children were not excused for missing school earlier this month when they attended the Boston Marathon to cheer him on.He said he'd take his kids out of school again for similar reasons.
The Philadelphia Magazine reported Tuesday that Mike Rossi, who is a part-time radio personality, was miffed when he received the letter from the principal, Rochelle Marbury, of Rydal Elementary School in Huntington Valley, Pa.
The trip may have provided every single experience he claimed, and then some. But that doesn't mean his kids' absence should be considered excused; if parental claim were the standard there'd never be an unexcused absence.
He's free to take his kids out of school whenever, and for whatever reason, he thinks appropriate; no one's taking that away from him. He doesn't get to dictate school policy, though, just because he wants to.
2 comments:
Exactly. My mom took me out of third grade for a day to go see the King Tut exhibition in SF … a once in alifetime deal. But excused? Not a chance.
I wish our administration were this strict. We have parents who take their kids out the week before our week long Thanksgiving break for cruises. We have kids who miss every Friday for soccer,golf or tennis tournaments. We have kids in marching band that miss an entire week in Fall for BOA and then another week in Spring for trip. We have parents who write endless notes excusing absences. The funniest story was this one kid whose mom would email us in the morning warning us of his illness for the day. First it was one day a week. Then it was any day it was rainy. Then it was any day it was nice out. The emails started coming later and later in the day with flourishes and details of the disease, symptoms and what doctor he would be seeing. Then, after he missed 45 days of the 90 day term, his mother called outraged that he couldn't go to visit colleges. It seems while Mom would go out every day doing her social thing at the country club, Sonny boy would access her account making excuses. He's now being homeschooled. I'm sure it's going fine.....
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