No Family Time Allowed?

I just read and email from the Seattle Public Schools (it got passed around) regarding absences due to family trips.  It took me 5 minutes to find a word that did was family friendly enough to write on my blog.  The letter is in my opinion, WHACKTACULAR.

Here is an excerpt:

Just going to another city, country or out of state, if to visit family or friends and nothing else, would not be excused. Families sometimes arrange their vacations after school starts because airfare is usually cheaper. However, this does not meet criteria for an excused absence.

Interestingly, enough, it is the wealthier and more families that take trips such as these. I doubt the kids are going to fall behind.  Why can't the the kids get a package of work to do while away?

 and

If the trip is to be considered educational, there has to be a plan in place for what the student will learn, what educational activities are to be accomplished, and how the student will report on his/her learning when he comes back. The plan could include language immersion (although this wouldn't be excused by itself), visits to historic or cultural sites, taking photographs and creating a report based on all of this that the student makes to the class or turns in to the teacher, or some other planned educational activity that the teacher and principal approve.

Are you kidding me?  The school want's to hijack a family's vacation time?  I'd rather never go anywhere.

Plus

At least five days of a trip for a funeral can be excused, but any part that would be added beyond this simply for a desire to visit family for a longer period of time may not be excused.

What if the child is still inconsolable?  What if mom needs more time to get her mother's affairs in order?  What if Dad needs to handle his parents estate?  Crazy.

Things like this make homeschooling so attractive.

Here's the school system website, so you can view their overall truancy rules.  I wouldn't want to go to schools like this either.

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