If I deny my child to go on a school field trip...?

Question

Does the principal have the right to call me up and harass me about my decision? I thought that if I deny my child to go, then the school has to keep her at school with a packet of schoolwork to complete. The principal told me that I cannot deny my child the right to go, because she will be the only one. And if I still refused to let her go, then I have to keep her home. The reason I am denying that she can go, is because she has not been following house rules all week, and I have taken away all privileges and this was the last resort, but it still has not fixed her behavior.

Answer 1

chances are "it's zoo school" which is different than just visiting-you can't have it both ways-if your rules are such-keep her home and keep her doing work-no TV, no computer, buy a couple age appropriate workbooks and have her do them all day-there is no one to "babysit" your kid at school which is the problem-they have no place for her to go nor should a teacher be required to put together a school packet for one day of being absent-most schools require that you miss a week before they do that because it's a lot of work!

Answer 2

WOW !! I am a grade one teacher and a mother and somewhat know what you are going through. Hear me first fom the teachers point of view, yes the principal does have the right to call you up and POLIETLY ast you why you have chosen to not send your child on the field trip however she does not have the right to harass you. Howevere school is where a child feels free because they're parents are not there calling them on things they do. As a teacher Iwould call you (not the principal) and simply ask you why you think you're child should not go. You would tell me as you have above. Then I would tell you that you should reconsider keeping your child at home because if she is felling stressed or angery at you this is her way of destressing or taking her mind off home and mabye her behavoir will change. And the principal is right in some ways---- The school is not allowd to punnish children for they're behavior at home. NOW hear me fom a mothers point of view. The principal should not be calling you telling what you should be doing ad what you should not be doing. If the school is concerned that you are a bad mother or un fair (not saying that you are) they should have the teacher call you .And you do have the right to do anything you want to becuase she is your child. If i were you I would go into the school and talk to the principal about her behavior and that you dont appreciate her harassing you like that. If she apologizes simply leave it like that. If she begins again to harrass you just polietly ask her to keep her voice down and tell her that you will be talking to the board office. Hope this information was helpful.

Answer 3

"I feel that it should all be the same. Just like in the real world..." If you take your home problems to work, you get fired!



Seriously, you are the parent and may deny your child going on a field trip (usually this is only done so if a parent has safety concerns or a field trip violates religious beliefs), but then you have the consequence of arranging for alternate care. It is your right as a parent to establish consequences for your child's misbehaviors, but you shouldn't feel like it's someone else's responsibility to pay the consequences. Your child's teacher is GOING ON A FIELD TRIP, that has been planned for educational purposes. Why should the teacher have the added work of preparing and then grading a special assignement packet for you and why should taxpayers have to pay for a babysitter for your child?



In addition, if you say that your child can't go, what are you telling your child about the value of an education? That she can pick and choose what's important? That the world should revolve around her wants and needs? I'm big on following through on your stated consequences with your kids, so by all means, arrange to take the day off or find a babysitter for your daughter and don't make it a fun play day. However, in the future, I'd think about what consequences I set before I speak them aloud.

Answer 4

Generic Field Trip Permission Slip

Answer 5

You seem to have all the answers, so I hope you plan on going into the classroom and implementing all that. But do not think you will be the only effective teacher there. There are many teachers in classrooms doing these things already. As for the field trips, yes more are needed. The problem is the expense that is incurred in field trips. School districts and also some parents have problems paying for them. But often more things can be brought into the classroom and this is cheaper than going on the field trip. For instance, we have a sheep farmer who recently brought a pregnant sheep for us to see. He will bring back the baby after it is born, and then again when it gets bigger. Oh, and the sheep was on the playground, though last year he brought the baby literally into the classroom.

Answer 6

Generally if a child is refused permission to go an a field trip when the rest of the class are going then that child must be kept at home. The school is not required to supervise the child or provide the child with work on that day.

Answer 7

Our school has had several field trips that i just do not want my kids to go on -- too long a drive, too expensive, not worth the time/money.



I send the form in denying permission, send an email to the teacher saying something generic like "I will take this time to run errands or spend time with my child."



Then send them to school on the day of the field trip but pull them out once the attendance bell has rung or when the other kids are leaving for the field trip. That way they are not counted as absent.



Once you have your child at home, you can do whatever you want-- we DO usually try to do something extra special to make up for not going on the field trip but in your case, I guess since this is a consequence of poor choices, then she should not get to do anything fun.

Answer 8

If you can't deny permission then why do they send permission slips home? Did you explain to the principal why you were denying her the opportunity? Schools and parents should work in tandem. In fact, today is my daughter's field day and she told me that any kids who didn't complete their work earlier in the week would have to stay in the classroom with their teacher. That certainly seems like a similar situation to yours, just from the teacher's perspective. If they are really obnoxious about it, just keep her home that day. One absence isn't that big a deal.

Answer 9

From an educator's point of view, a field trip's design is to enhance a particular classroom lesson. Even though your family goes to the zoo for entertainment purposes, a school field trip to the zoo is to give an additional educational dimension to the learning objectives. Keeping your daughter from the field trip for only behavioral issues is not going to help her, as you have realized by saying that "it still has not fixed her behavior". Depending on your state, it is probable that, by law, the school has to make arrangements to keep your daughter in the building and supervise her while the rest of her class is away. It is not a pleasant task for any administrator to supervise a surly student while the rest of her class is on a fun field trip. So, while the principal behaved unprofessionally by "harrassing" you, he does have the right to call and question your decision from an educational point of view. There are some very interesting things to be learned and experienced during school field trips that can not be duplicated in the classroom or even with a family trip to the same destination. I am a mom to 4 children as well as have an early elementary teaching degree. From a parental as well as professional viewpoint, I think refusing to allow your daughter to attend a school field trip due to home discipline problems will not help the situation. If you are set on it, though, your administrator will probably have to make arrangements for your daughter during the day. I doubt that sitting around in the office or the library all day working on worksheets will contribute positively to your daughter's behavioral issues. It may only serve to exacerbate the problem. If she is behaving well at school than punishing her by keeping her from an educational part of the school day really has no connection to the concerns you have with her. You may need to clarify state laws before assuming that your principal is out of line requesting your daughter be kept at home for an unexcused absence as it may be within his rights to do so. Contacting your school superintendent or school board may need to occur before you can resolve the problem. Every state and many individual school districts have a certain amount of autonomy in setting school policy.

Answer 10

I think if the field trip is a school function, then you should keep your daughter home on that day. The school should not have to change it's plans to accommodate you.



Let me also say that I do applaud you for sticking to your guns with this punishment and not giving in. Hopefully it'll help.

Answer 11

NO MATTER what a child does it should not be punished/denied education. Beleave it or not, those field trips are educational. If you were my mom i would never 4give u. ok im exsagerating but you are doing a horrible thing. Keep it up! :) I will c ur kid on the corner beggin' 4 money. or cleanin' my house!

Answer 12

Thats not right. They dont have the right to harass you. Thats your child. And thats your decision. They send home permission slips for a reason. So you can either say yea its okay. Or no its not. This is completely unfair. But since theres nothing you can do about it... To keep the peace, Id keep her home... or just let her go...

Answer 13

You have got to be kidding me? Do not deny your kid school activities because she is not behaving at home. Obviously your method of discipline is not working. The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again expecting a different result. That is what you are doing. Evidently taking things away from your kid is doing nothing. Resort to another punishment. Perhaps manual labor-like cleaning, mowing, raking etc.

Answer 14

1

Answer 15

wrong home and school are not the same and this isn't the world its school and they do have a right to maybe not harrass you but tell if u dont want her to go u need to keep her home it sounds like the whole school is going. u need to quit being such a jerk

Answer 16

If its a private school your child will be home for the day. If its a public school they can't deny your child, too bad for them if she is the only one not going. That is why we pay our taxes, so our children are supervised in public schools.

Answer 17

wow the principle should not be questioning your decision at all. and you are very correct if you still choose her to go to school that day she is supposed to be sent to another class with work packets from her teacher. its no one business why you wont allow your child to go. your mom and what you decide goes bottom line. i think you need to call the school board about this and make a complain on the principle right away.

Answer 18

the principal is mad because now he has to make arrangements for one child to stay at school./.....well im sorry but thats part of their job, you have every right to do as you see fit with your child.



if you didnt have the right to keep them home, you wouldnt have to sign a permission slip for them to go.



my daughter had perfect attendance this year for the first time, and under these circumstances i would not have allowed them to mess that up for her either, it is up to them to provide a place for students who cant do, be it 1 or 50 of them.



thats ok, i know the ones giving thumbs down are spoiled little brats who couldnt fathom mommy taking their trip if they dont behave, so keep them coming.