requirement for after school practices

[band mom]

Oklahoma. Can a public school require that a student enrolled in band attend before and after school practices 4-5 days a week? My child would have to be at school from 7am-9:00pm! If she misses any practices it counts against her grade, and is counted as a school absence.

Also, there is exceptions for students involved in non-school activities such as dance, gymnastics to be excused for missing practices that conflict, however, if a student has to work it is not excused and will count against them.

 

[Just Blue]

Oklahoma. Can a public school require that a student enrolled in band attend before and after school practices 4-5 days a week? My child would have to be at school from 7am-9:00pm! If she misses any practices it counts against her grade, and is counted as a school absence.

Also, there is exceptions for students involved in non-school activities such as dance, gymnastics to be excused for missing practices that conflict, however, if a student has to work it is not excused and will count against them.

Take child out of band.

 

[band mom]

Take child out of band.

She wants to stick it out, saying she is not going to let this director force her to give up band. She has been in band for 8 years and it is her senior year. She has never had any issues in previous years. This is just the latest. It has been a horrible year, I have talked (or tried to) with director, I have had several meetings with principal, and meeting with superintendent. Was told director would be talked to and that meeting would occur with student and principal and director to try to work things out. Meeting never happened. She has also been the only member forced to miss a contest for not attending the day before early practice, and was the only student to sit out half-time football game for missing a evening practice. Never mind she attended the 58 other early and late practices during the semester.

 

[Just Blue]

She wants to stick it out, saying she is not going to let this director force her to give up band. She has been in band for 8 years and it is her senior year. She has never had any issues in previous years. This is just the latest. It has been a horrible year, I have talked (or tried to) with director, I have had several meetings with principal, and meeting with superintendent. Was told director would be talked to and that meeting would occur with student and principal and director to try to work things out. Meeting never happened. She has also been the only member forced to miss a contest for not attending the day before early practice, and was the only student to sit out half-time football game for missing a evening practice. Never mind she attended the 58 other early and late practices during the semester.

So your child is being "picked on" by the school?

 

[band mom]

So your child is being "picked on" by the school?

I guess you could say that. Child thinks the director is out to get her and get rid of her. Director has told her several times that she was going to fail her, and gave her 11 absences on her school record because she wasn't at practice at 7:00am but was in band first hour, giving director the right to fail her for absences.

 

[Just Blue]

I guess you could say that. Child thinks the director is out to get her and get rid of her. Director has told her several times that she was going to fail her, and gave her 11 absences on her school record because she wasn't at practice at 7:00am but was in band first hour, giving director the right to fail her for absences.

Did you ask your child why she feels Director "is out to get her"?

 

[cbg]

Are other students in the band also required to be at these practices?

 

[LdiJ]

Oklahoma. Can a public school require that a student enrolled in band attend before and after school practices 4-5 days a week? My child would have to be at school from 7am-9:00pm! If she misses any practices it counts against her grade, and is counted as a school absence.

Also, there is exceptions for students involved in non-school activities such as dance, gymnastics to be excused for missing practices that conflict, however, if a student has to work it is not excused and will count against them.

Is this a new director for the band? That does seem like an excessive amount of practicing. How are the students expected to get their homework done in their other classes?

 

[TheGeekess]

Is this a new director for the band? That does seem like an excessive amount of practicing. How are the students expected to get their homework done in their other classes?

Band members across the country have been doing such for years.

 

[Just Blue]

Band members across the country have been doing such for years.

One time when I was at Band Camp....


Sorry...I was taken over by "Willow".

 

[LdiJ]

Band members across the country have been doing such for years.

Before AND after school?..til 9:00 PM? Not any that I have known. Yes, they practice a lot but an hour before school and 5 or 6 hours after school is 6 or 7 hours a day plus the classroom period. That is absurd. That band director obviously has no life of his own.

Assuming the OP is not exaggerating, or not exaggerating much, the school administration should have put a stop to that a long time ago.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Schools can require students participate in a minimum number of activities to graduate. You chose the activities and must follow the rules and procedures for the activity. When my son was in robotics, it was not uncommon for him to be at school during build season until 10 pm.

 

[stealth2]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - My youngest left the house at 5:50am every day and often didn't get home until 7/8/9, depending on what she was involved in. Some nights could be later, off season.

I wonder - is this student involved in only ONE music group at school? I know band kids in several groups, so rehearsals are staggered.

And yes, it is SOP that missing a rehearsal/practice - for ANY reason - results in sitting out. My daughter's team required a minimum of three practices after the missed one before taking the field for a game.

 

[LdiJ]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - My youngest left the house at 5:50am every day and often didn't get home until 7/8/9, depending on what she was involved in. Some nights could be later, off season.

I wonder - is this student involved in only ONE music group at school? I know band kids in several groups, so rehearsals are staggered.

And yes, it is SOP that missing a rehearsal/practice - for ANY reason - results in sitting out. My daughter's team required a minimum of three practices after the missed one before taking the field for a game.

Did it also count as an unexcused absence from school and effect her grade as well?

 

[stealth2]

Did it also count as an unexcused absence from school and effect her grade as well?

It wasn't a class - band is. And if she is in more than ome group - it is considered multiple classes. But really - this is nothing new.