If I was asked what my experience, as a home schooler, going into a public education system is, I would have to reply truthfully: it has been truly a waste of my children's lives and an undue stress on my family.
Yesterday we received a letter from the state informing us that my daughter had too many unexcused absences and that we were in danger of being charged a truancy fee. This blindsided me, as I was unaware of any unexcused absences.
Come to find out, my daughter's teacher had reported a week she had the flu as unexcused, therefore listing my daughter as truant. Also, to put the icing on the cake, she had reported a feast day, that we kept our children out of school to observe, as a truancy. I immediately contacted the school administration, and found them as puzzled as I was. The principal apologized and after listening to my explanation, assured me since I had sent excusal notes and explanations, the fault clearly was not mine, and that the matter would be resolved and I needn't worry. She urged me to write a letter of explanation that she could file, which I did and sent to school with my daughter.
The next morning, the attendance officer at the school called my husband, and asked him if we are, "Orthodox persons." He replied that we are an Orthodox Christian family, yes. She said that the feast day I had explained in the letter was not on the list of approved Greek Orthodox holidays. Since the woman was condescending, and her tone was one of a person who is greatly annoyed, my husband chose not to bother explaining to her that we are Antiochian Orthodox, and in fact the Greek Orthodox church here has a liturgy for even more feast days than our church. She demanded a letter from our priest, on church letterhead, to verify our claims of church attendance, but again reminded him that this most likely be considered an unexcused absence because it was not on the list of approved church holidays. My husband, knowing the school system cannot make a list of "approved religious obligations", told her we'd send in the letter immediately. Then, she said they also required a doctors note for our children's sick absences, to prove those.
I had been told the previous evening by the principal that no notes were necessary unless the children had ten consecutive unexcused absences. This is according to the school system policy, and we had made no violation. So, when the attendance officer approached us with demands of evidence, we were incensed. We have done nothing wrong, and have assented to the system. We have not lied, and our children have not missed school habitually. However, after the threat of truancy charges of $50 dollars a day, we did not want any discrepancies in our children's records. We contacted our priest for a letter, and our doctor for confirmation of our children's sickness and her recommendation they be kept at home and on Tamiflu for a week. It was a hectic morning.
While we were loading up to go retrieve the required "evidence" to deliver to the school office, the principal called me and began another long apology. She pleaded with me not to bother getting notes, as the attendance officer should not have demanded them. She said there must have been a "disconnect in communication." As the attendance officer had directly quoted my letter in which I had laid out every single detail of why our children's unexcused absences were incorrect, there was no basis for this idea of a "disconnect". Someone didn't like the religion they were unfamiliar with, and gave a knee-jerk reaction. That is not my problem, and I assured her that because of the discrepancies in what were being told, we were going to obtain and deliver the letters to make sure WE at least had dotted our I's and crossed our T's. The principal accepted the letters from my hand with more meek apologies.
I have a feeling this is not the last of this. The principal told me I should be contacted by my daughter's teacher, and too look for it. I have not been contacted today thus far. I am already annoyed with my daughter's teacher, who disciplined my daughter in the classroom for her absence when we went to Liturgy. I asked her why she had done this, via email (which she said is her preferred method of contact), and she did not reply, other than to say shortly that "family days" would not be excused. Yesterday, she told my daughter, Bethany, that she could not vacation with us this weekend (taking Thursday and Friday off school) since Bethany was "habitually absent". (remember that habitually absent is defined by the school system as ten, consecutive unexcused absences) The woman went on as she handed Bethany the letter from the state declaring we would have to pay fines, that "your parents are going to have to send you to school or face fines, you are not allowed to be absent." I emailed asking for an explanation of this false statement, and have received no reply to it.
The principal has promised to talk to the teacher. We shall see. What a mess, and a waste of time. The worst part is this should have never happened. If Bethany's teacher had correctly reported her absences, and not flagged the board of education, we wouldn't have gotten at truancy letter. My son had the same absences, at the same school, and his teacher did not respond like this.
What a merry day to remember that I have the right to homeschool, and give my children an excellent, fair education that does not constantly include the erroneous opinions of a woman who has spent 30 years learning to teach to the middle. The school's own tests have proven that my children are exceedingly bright, and they are on the honor roll. I would have some understanding of the teacher if my children were failing, and if I had not been at every parent meeting. I am a member of the PTA, I am room mother. There is no reason for the teacher to act this way, other than ignorance and personal bias against us.
Pray for peace.
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