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School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

nytimes.com

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Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#151

Post by keybored »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #120
jraby3 wrote: post #7

In Israel a lot of the schools start with 20 minutes of body movement (at least near me). The kids become active. It’s not as big a deal if they are a little late. And my daughter (but not my son) hates missing it.

I wonder if there has been any studies done showing correlation between walking/biking to school and school success. Walking a mile takes about 20 minutes and personally I find that walking to work sets me up for success way better than driving does.

When I was a kid those who lived in walking distance walked or biked. Those who didn’t was bused. It was just about geography. Rural area though.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#152

Post by mikewarot »

Kids have been soaked in the news that we're all doomed because of climate change, and they won't ever be able to afford the American dream, no matter what.

Consider the filter bubble your friend from the other side of the political aisle is in. The kids have their own and they don't have any real life experiences to weigh against it.

They know they don't have a future. They have no evidence to the contrary.

Why would they care about school?

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#153

Post by bryanlarsen »

keybored wrote: post #151
bryanlarsen wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if there has been any studies done showing correlation between walking/biking to school and school success. Walking a mile takes about 20 minutes and personally I find that walking to work sets me up for success way better than driving does.

When I was a kid those who lived in walking distance walked or biked. Those who didn’t was bused. It was just about geography. Rural area though.

I had to walk a half mile to catch the bus. Worst of both worlds, at least from my perspective as a kid.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#154

Post by ptero »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #43
diggan wrote: post #5

> In a working-class pocket of Michigan, school administrators have tried almost everything, including pajama day, to boost student attendance. Wow, pajama day didn't bring back students? So strange. I wonder if they tried less homework, shorter school-days and/or later start of the day? Basically the three reasons I myself was chronically absent from school for as long as I can remember.

Less homework? My teenage children are in honors and AP classes and barely have any homework. I think they should have far more homework. When I was their age I spent a few hours a day on homework. Parents I talk to feel the same way. Give the kids more work to do at home to keep them off their phones and YouTube.

I envy you! Both of my kids had unhealthy amount of high school homework.

I know many parents whose kids stayed up until 1-2am at least once a week. We expressed strong opinions to our kids that sleep is way more important than getting an extra grade bump, but many kids still trade sleep for a better grade.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#155

Post by Aaargh20318 »

whywhywhywhy wrote: post #145
Aaargh20318 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is school in the US optional? Over here (the Netherlands) school is mandatory for anyone under 18. Skipping school without a valid reason (e.g. illness) comes with a €100/day fine.

Where does the money go?

Where all money for fines goes, to the government.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#156

Post by williamcotton »

vrc wrote: post #121
williamcotton wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you take your kids on a vacation during school? There are plenty of breaks during the year including all of summer.

I remember when I was younger, people with international family often would take 3-4 week trips to visit. That was because it was so expensive and painful to go, and there were so many people to visit when you went, and infrastructure there wasn't great at "popping over" for day visits to each of these places. Plus, it was often a once in two-four year visit to see an entire side (or all) of your family. So these kid…

Yup, I am a first generation immigrant and we traveled to see distant family in the summer. We also didn’t have a Nintendo or cable TV, because you know, trade-offs… one of which was rarely education.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#157

Post by earthling8118 »

freitzkriesler2 wrote: post #133
from-nibly wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Keep your kids home if they are sick. An screw every parent who thinks this way. My family got sick 6 times in the last 12 weeks because of this nonsense. If your kid is sick it's your fault if other kids catch what they have. I dont care if it's "just the sniffles" It causes so much inconveniece for my family.

This is how it always was before covid and how it will always be if you send kids to germ factories (aka schools). Get the meds, drink water, go to sleep. Part and parcel of living in modern society.

It doesn't have to be this way. Covid has nothing to do with it. I didn't like it then, and don't like it now.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#158

Post by ilc »

trgn wrote: post #119
williamcotton wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you take your kids on a vacation during school? There are plenty of breaks during the year including all of summer.

My gut agrees with you, but then we'll be keeping our young kids out of preschool to go see the eclipse. So much for principles lol.

To be fair, you are talking about a rare event, that is educational and honestly damn cool.

The science teacher at the school probably wishes they could do it.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#159

Post by keybored »

EZ-E wrote: post #47

A tangent thought - I may be out of touch but I am amazed of little the school system changed over time (at least in my country), while in 2024 literally all the knowledge and all there is to learn in school (at least until university) is available on the internet with top quality video or resources. Yet students are expected to show up every day at 8 AM to 5 PM in my country. When I remember my classes in high schoo…

In-person teaching makes sense when you have relatively few students per teacher. Some things can’t even be taught by video or book. School is weird though. There’s 20+ student/pupils/kids per teacher. All neatly lined up. All sitting like a well-postured potato for the most part. Yeah, what’s the point? Are they really getting the personal, hands-on help that the in-person setting facilitates? Or is it more about parking the kids in that place where all the other parents park their kids between kindergarten and college?

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#160

Post by mydriasis »

Talked to my niece about this, she's highschool age. She says that during covid, her school set up all of the infrastructure for remote learning, and they _still offer it_ -- that is, if she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to go to class much at all, save for the school's attendance policy... which means that while she has a 4.0, she's also near truancy.

For a lot of folks, school was never good. If I had the choice back then, would I have gone if I wasn't _required_ to?

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