Pupil Progression Plan

The latest link on the school's website gives information regarding early dismissal and late arrivals. At first glance it seems like a good idea. Kids can't leave school and arrive late repeatedly without repercussions, right?

Here is the statement called the Pupil Progression Plan with Regards to Tardies and Early Dismissals:
"It is important for a child's education that they be in attendance each and day. Students can fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks. In order for a student to have the opportunity to learn, they should be on time and remain at school for the entire day. Recent changes to the Pupil Progression Plan allow schools to count a combination of (5) late arrivals and/or (5) early dismissals as a (1) unexcused absence for the purpose of truancy. These late arrivals and early dismissals will now count against your child's attendance. Please help by ensuring your child arrives on time and is allowed to remain at school for the entire day. Working together we can Attendance Matter in Osceola County!"

I realize this policy isn't aimed at my children but it might as well be aimed at the group of special needs students. Many ESE students need to leave school in order to see specialists, doctors, and therapists. Our kids need these professionals in their lives in order to be successful. I would argue that these appointments are a necessity for our children and they are not a simple matter of me wanting to take them out of school. Trust me, the school doesn't want my children there without their visits to the neurologist and child behavior specialist. I'm not taking them out of school early for a run for ice cream.

When I further read the Code of Student Conduct, I read about the procedure for unexcused absences.
"General Attendance in Grades K-12
If a student has had at least five (5) unexcused absences within a calendar month or ten (10)unexcused absences within a ninety (90) day calendar period, the student’s primary teacher shall report to the principal or designee that the student may be exhibiting a pattern of non-attendance. Unless there is clear evidence that the absences are not a pattern of non-attendance, the case shall be referred to the Attendance Intervention Team to determine if early patterns of truancy are developing.
If the Attendance Intervention Team finds that a pattern of non-attendance is developing, whether the absences are excused or not, a meeting with the parent must be scheduled to identify potential remedies. If the initial meeting with the parent does not resolve the problem, the Attendance Intervention Team shall implement specific interventions that best address the problem. The Attendance Intervention Team shall be diligent in facilitating intervention services and shall report the case to the
Superintendent or his designee only after all reasonable efforts to resolve the problem have been exhausted.
If the parent, guardian, or other person in charge of the child refuses to participate in the remedial strategies because he/she believes that those strategies are unnecessary or inappropriate, the parent, guardian, or other person in charge of the child may appeal to the School Board. The School Board may provide a hearing officer, who may be an employee of the School Board, in lieu of a School Board hearing, who shall hear the case and make recommendation for final action to the School Board. If the School Board’s final determination is that the strategies of the Attendance Intervention Team are appropriate, and the parent, guardian, or other person in charge of the child still refuses to cooperate, the Superintendent may seek criminal prosecution for noncompliance with compulsory school attendance.
If a child subject to compulsory attendance will not comply with attempts to enforce school attendance, the parent, guardian, or Superintendent or his designee shall refer the case to the case staffing committee pursuant to Florida Statutes, and the Superintendent or his designee may file a truancy petition pursuant to procedures outlined in Section 984, Florida Statutes."

Unexcused absences aren't a joke. There are serious consequences and procedures in place for children who are missing school on a regular basis. I realize these policies are written for the children who are habitually absent. It helps identify the children who aren't making it to school on time and aren't at school when they should be there. I also know that it will take a lot of appointments to reach that one unexcused absence. I get that. Thank G-d I don't have a child with a critical illness or who needs more appointments than we have now, because we would rack up more unexcused absences and I would have to explain our situation to a board. I do not have time for that nonsense. I have three young children who need a lot of my time and energy and they would be in school all the time if it wasn't for their needed appointments.
This is just another case of a bunch of people who didn't take special needs children into account. They claim that they want children to succeed but yet they write these rules and don't exclude these doctor's visits that are needed in order for them be successful.
This reminds me of the time when a friend said, "our children will never get to enjoy the ice cream treat for perfect attendance because they need to go to therapy, or to the doctor, and appointments aren't available at 5 pm." Our kids aren't given a doctor/specialist/therapist pass from the school in order to allow them to participate in these treats and events. Instead they are penalized yet again for their disability, their illness. As if life isn't challenging enough for these children, yet again they can't enjoy the things their typical peers might enjoy.
I could face a board or criminal charges for taking my children to the specialists who can help my children succeed. It's another hurdle that I have to face in order to help my children.