***Should you be able to go to school and take your child out when you need to?***
No one NEEDS to take a kid out of school to go to the beauty parlor. If everyone could take their children out for such flimsly reasons, the classes would be in chaos. It's time this ditzy mother grew up.
Classes WOULD be chaos? You haven't been paying attention, have you...?
They aren't already?
Whether or not she NEEDS to take her daughter out is irrelevant.
It is her child. She has every right to make a judgment call. While I would not condone this as a matter of routine, I have made a decision or two such as this (3 boys, two out of school, one in 9th).
There are times when regardless of best planning something will interfere with the school day. SH!T happens. The school does not own me or my child. Education is the priority, but one or 2 of these absences are in a 12 year span is a big yawn.
But what gives you the right to make that decision for the mother? It's her child, not yours or the states'.
Probably, but there are situations where sometimes the mom can't find someone to watch the kids or there will be no one home after school so she takes them out. I know, having taught for 9 years and going through hundreds of situations.
I've had parents check out kids during an important week of testing to go to an amusement park (some teachers have had students go on vacation then--with NCBL legislation that can hurt).
You just work out things the best you can between the teacher and the parents. Yes, there's sometimes that I grit my teeth because the child really needs to be there to learn certain material (I'm more flexible on others), but you just learn as a teacher to deal with it the best you can. There are all sorts of people and all sorts of perceptions. I keep up a good relationship with the parents of my students and that helps me deal with a lot of situations that would otherwise get blown out of proportion and create bad blood--something that the child nor nobody else needs.
I take my kid out of school to go fishing.