Day 68

One thing I hate is when people (schools) bend policies to accomodate some but not others.

Our school district has a pretty strict attendance policy: A student fails for the quarter (a 59% considering all work totals to that or higher) upon his/her fourth unexcused absence.

Now, this is enforced, mainly upon those kids who have no one to advocate for them. There are kids who are legitimately sick, but cannot get a doctor's note because a) their parents can't take the time off of work to take them to the doctor or b) they cannot afford to go to the doctor. However, there are other kids who get many absences excused because a) their AP likes them, b) their parents are doctors and write them notes, or c) their parents come in and fight the legality of the policy. Last year, I had a girl get 8 days excused to go to Disney World. The school knew where she was going, but her parents fought to get her absences excused. I had (and still have) another girl who's father is a doctor. She's out almost every other day. All of her absences are excused. She's never really that sick. She recently was allowed to miss a week of school to go out of state to a cheerleading competition. All excused. She's an excellent student otherwise (all honors class, high honors every semester, etc), but bending the rules for one kid and not another sucks. Most recently, a student of mine will be out of the country for 10 days (not including the week she'll be there for Christmas break) and her parents fought to get all of those absences excused... and the school caved!

Seriously, what's the point of having a policy if you're going to bend the rules for those kids whose parents actually have time to give a damn, whereas those kids whose parents are working or absent have to suffer with the 59 on their transcript because no one can be there to fight for them? What about the kids who really are sick and can't make it to school but can't get a doctor's note? Why should they be made to fail for something they have no control over? Why is it that a parent can book a trip during the school year forcing the student to miss 10 days of class when you know very well that there is an attendance policy?? Why is it that cheerleading competitions and trips to Disney World are seen as legitimate absences when the flu isn't? It's insane.

And people wonder why kids feel cheated by the school systems. And why some teachers can only take so much of the bureaucratic b.s. before they decide to just quit altogether. It's just not right.