A teacher I know shared a note she received yesterday from a parent.

I will paraphrase:

Dear Teacher,

In observance of Yom Kippur, Tommy will not be attending school Friday October 7, 2011. Please follow school board policy regarding Jewish holidays and not have any testing on that day, or assign homework that Tommy will be responsible for when he returns to school the following Monday.

Thanks,

Tommy's Dad

Yom Kippur doesn't begin officially on the Jewish calendar until after sunset on October the 7th. The calendar clearly states no work after sunset. School will be dismissed well before sunset on that day.

How should the teacher respond?

NOTE: you may, of course, leave a wise a-- answer they are always well received for their humorous value, but serious answers will also be appreciated.

 

The teacher should review the school board's policy instead of taking the parent's word for it.

IMO, if Tommy's parents want to keep him out of school so that their family can spend a day practicing their faith and sharing their cultural heritage with their children, the school should not punish the kid.

Not sure why the teacher feels the need to respond. If the purpose of the response is to debate the 'after sunset' part of Yom Kippur, it is going to come across as 'I know more about your religion than you do and I'm in charge of your kid on Friday until school's out'. Not likely to go over well.

 

X2.

When I was in school a written letter/note from a parent was pretty much an "excused absence". Even if it was a note saying the student was going to be absent for a vacation, etc.

IMO, the teacher is stepping where he/she shouldn't in any response. But then again we're talking about people of Jewish descent, and we have been pretty much fair game for thousands of years.

One day that will all change, for eternity.

 

Since a Muslim is required, by his/her faith, to pray five times a day, including when school is in session, I wonder how the two respondents above me feel about excusing them for THAT activity during school time?

- Jack

 

I totally agree with both of you, and I shared my opinion with the teacher/friend when she asked for my advice. I don't believe the absence and coding it excused was the issue. She was concerned about the lack of responsibility if there was work missed.

I just heard she resolved it successfully.

The school board policy states every child has the right to observe two religious holidays in addition to the 10 already worked into the calendar as long as the parent gives written permission and gets approval from the Principal. It has been a long standing rule in our school system to do everything possible to avoid testing or conducting major grade events on Jewish holidays. Nothing regarding responsibility for work missed was ever put into the policy. Evidently the parent was new to the system and assumed that to be the case. They talked and the parent was agreeable to accepting any work that may be assigned that day.
I'm glad they came to an understanding and it worked out to the parent's satisfaction.

Guys, Thanks for reinforcing my thoughts on the subject.

 

I personally have no problem with it whatsoever.

But also keep in mind--and this is key--that Yom Kippur is a once-per-year event, not daily. So you're comparing apples to oranges as far as frequency is concerned.

 

I feel religion has no part in PUBLIC school no matter what the faith. I'm a religious man myself, but school is for education. If I want my children to be educated in religious teachings, beliefs, and events I will put them into private school. I have no problem with a parent wanting their child to miss a day of school for whatever reason given. But don't ask the teacher to redesign the classroom plans for the day to accommadate one student. And don't complain when your child falls behind after missing days of school, ask for help finding a tutor. If the school has a policy covering religion, then it's a school board issue if you disagree or agree with it.

 

Jack - Perhaps the OP would appreciate it if the thread were not hijacked?

IMO, you should start a new thread if you want to discuss the impact of daily Muslim and annual Jewish religious practices upon a classroom.

 

Aw Jack, I was typing my answer when your hypothetical came up.

I don't have any Muslim friends in the school system, only Jewish friends and relatives, so I'm not a sounding board for our Muslim community.

I would fall back on a comment made by an old friend when a recent Ohio transplant moved next door and began a litany of "how they did it back home remarks".

Assimilate or move!

 

It's all good Dave, related issues, no need for a new thread.

 

Some will argue that Christian holidays are already in the public school calendars so why can't other religious holiday's be included too? Many school systems are moving away from the Christian designation for it's holiday schedule for this very reason.
It's no longer called Easter break, but Spring Break, not Christmas holiday, but Winter Break, etc.
(Good Friday still seems to be hanging around in the schools I've checked.)

 

I agree with u. I would push for no official religious holidays or parties at public school. Sorry kids I know that takes all the fun out of it. But the parents and community leaders will never agree on how it should be done, so why do it at all.

Home schooling is looking better and better. But most families need 2 incomes to survive. Maybe that's where multiple wives comes in.

I'm in a pinch since I don't have enough patience for teaching or multiple wives, what to do?

 

The multiple wives idea has some merit, but I fear I'm a bit too over the hill to break in another at this point.

 

I have the same thought on the topic, gather all the religious holidays, and make them part of the non school days, and add them to the front and rear.

Sounds logical, aside from : Who is going to pay for this ? The staff is not going to want to take unpaid days in the middle of the year, only to have to make them up on the front and back.

Might seem like a minor cost, but if another 10 days were added, now a school district has to come up with the payroll to pay the entire school district personal for those 10 days.
Think of a small school district with 50 people working in it.
That is 8hrs x 10days = 80 hrs x 50 people = 4000 hours.
Average 25.00 / hour loaded cost, and you are looking at needing another $ $ 100,000.00 for the 1st year.
Most districts are union, which means raises every year of 3% or better, so this number keeps going up.

How well is this going to go over with the home owners, take out your check book, we need to provide more vacation time for the district staff ?

I agree it should be a little more level playing field for all religions, but as everything else, it is not for free and is going to come out of our pockets.

 

Dear Tommy's Dad,

Thanks for your letter of concern. It's always nice to learn more about my individual student's needs.

Have a nice day,

Tommy's Teacher.