Best way to approach unexcused absence (vacation) with OUSD
Hi Parents - My son is in first grade at an OUSD school. We are planning a vacation this winter that would require him to miss 6 school days adjacent to a single holiday, so he would be gone from school one full week, plus the following Monday and Tuesday. I feel optimistic that I can develop a good relationship with his teacher prior to the trip and that he would be allowed to make up work, but I'm unsure how to approach the absence with the school. He should have consistent attendance aside from this (although illness is impossible to predict). Will we get in trouble if we are honest and tell the school that we are taking a vacation? Or do I need to make up something about a family emergency followed by an illness? Is there any option to call it an "independent study"? I will definitely work with him on his school work while we are away. I would love advice from anyone who has successfully navigated this with OUSD. Ideally, we'd like to take a trip like this every couple of years. Thanks!
Parent Replies
Yes, all you need to do is a get an independent study. We've done this several times with OUSD. Request it a few weeks in advance so the teacher has time to get the materials together. The school supports this because then they get paid for the absence. They will give you an independent study for absences between 5-20 school days. We've never had any issues. Enjoy your trip!
Register them for independent study during that time. Give the teacher plenty of time to get the schoolwork together though.
Yeah, if you give the teacher enough lead time -- mine needed 3 weeks -- she will send him with a packet of work he can complete during the vacation so that he is "home schooled" for that week. At least that's how it works at our school (which is WCCUSD). I am terrible about this, I pull them out of school all the time!
Just be honest with them. We've done it a couple times. Once in elementary school it was no big deal and they were very accommodating. Last year in middle school one of the teachers got a little prickly about it but it nothing bad came of it. My daughter was able to get most of the work ahead of our vacations and be caught up by the time we returned. I was told that unexcused absences (which vacations are) don't really result in any action from the district until it becomes a pattern.
It may depend on the school, but my daughter's OUSD school turned them into excused absences if you gave enough notice so that they might put together a study plan for them. I think at Peralta it was 48 hours notice and involved collaboration with the teacher and adminstrator. If you aren't sure to talk to, maybe your PTA pres or room parent could direct you.
I wouldn't call it a vacation, but I'd just say that we need to be away and leave it at that. I think you can make up the work if you are absent 5 or more days. Ask for an Independent Study Contract. I am not sure if this is District-specific or in the CA Ed Code, but I've heard of this before. The District does not want to lose the $$ for attendance, and I am very sure they don't want your child to be that far behind.
Yes, you can do an independent study. Just make sure your kid actually completes the work the teacher assigns and fill out all the paperwork in the office. The school won't mind because they still get paid as long as you turn in the assignments.
Hello,
we too are at an OUSD school and took off 3 days for a vacation last year. Our daughter is never absent except when sick in which we take doctors notes. When we went on vacation we were honest and her teacher was fine about it and gave her homework for the week. The office made me sign a form but I still received a truancy letter. Since she wasn't absent after that nothing else came after. I have heard that if your off for more than a week you can do independent study so look into that.
Offere to do an independent study packet while he's gone so the school doesn't lose any money due to his absence.
We took my kids out of OUSD for a week when they were in 1st and 3rd grade and no one seemed too concerned about it. We told their teachers it was for a vacation; I think that's also what we told the office, but I don't remember for sure. At that age it's not really a big deal. Based on trips from my own childhood I was expecting an independent study packet, but I think one teacher had the kid keep a journal and the other sent a math packet, and that was it. Do it now - once they're in middle/high school it will be nearly impossible to take them out mid-year.
OUSD family here. I have pre-planned vacations like this with teacher. That way the school still can receive the daily attendance $ from the state. I get worksheets & assignments from the teacher. In addition I have my child research & write a report on a local topic, ie, sea turtles while in Hawai'i.
For a trip this long, you will want to do an independent study. We did this for our son in ~3rd grade at Montclair Elementary several years ago. It is a bit of a pain for all involved (so don't expect anyone to be very enthusiastic about it), but it is honest, the child does some work when they should be in school but can still partake in a family reunion (or whatever, but I recommend the family reunion take), and the school doesn't lose money for every day your child is away. [The school loses state money even for 'excused' absences such as a family emergencies (which has an extremely narrow definition -- even attending a funeral for what I consider to be a close relative doesn't count as excused!) and being ill.]