School Charging Money for Mandatory Makeup Classes

[Just Blue]

I teach in a school in an impoverished area (all the students in the entire town receive free breakfast and lunch, regardless of parental income). My school (which is its own district) will not accept parent notes for absences. Doctor notes, funeral home notices along with proof of relation to student, subpoena (as long as the student is not the defendant), college visits with proof from the college, etc. We have recently changed our unexcused absence policy from 5 allowed per quarter to 4 (which is still excessive to me).

Many of our students are expected to translate for relatives when relatives have doctor appointments, so they must miss school. They are also often expected to care for younger siblings (or their own children) when the kids are too sick to go to day care. Last year, I had a student who missed 33 days because she was the family's representative at an overseas funeral. Of course, none of these absences are excused.

Was that student that missed 33 days doing well? IOW...Was she an A or B student?

 

[Dave1952]

NC's State policy on excused absence due to illness does not require a Doctor's note so, poor people make become sick too. As someone who did attend a public school I don't recall needing "make-up" classes for a day or two of the flu. I was quarantined for the mumps and the teachers sent a list of reading, the texts and exercises.
I hope the OP will provide the name of the school or County so that we may see the policy rather than relying on his descriptions.

 

[Dave1952]

My apologies for the last post. I didn't read pgs 2 and 3 where everyone else wants to see the school policy. I hope the OP will come back and post this. My post adds nothing o the discussion, ignore it.

 

[quincy]

... My post adds nothing o the discussion, ignore it.

Too late. Read and permanently imbedded in my brain.

 

[stealth2]

Our school district will not accept a parent's note w/o documentation. For example, religious holidays are supposed to be excused absences in my state (NJ). My kids attended the same district from K-12, and believe me - I was known in the schools (LOL Not for anything negative) and we celebrated the same holidays every year - the kids would even make presentations in class about our traditions. But EVERY year, I had to get documentation from the priest that we were at services on our Holy days for my kids to be excused. My oldest never came close to the limit of allowed absences, but my youngest did (went over, actually). Mostly from (documented) sports injuries. Funny, I didn't think a day off for broken ribs or broken knuckles to be unreasonable. College visits? Required documentation from the college mailed directly to Guidance. Ridiculous.

When I got warning letters? I chucked 'em. She was an A/B student, so they could go..... make fudge.