How to handicap races at Freehold Raceway

Some news from the Tallahassee Democrat-

Parents soon may be able to take their children out of school for trips without fear of unexcused absences.

The Leon County School Board in January plans to consider adopting a new policy that would excuse such absences with a week's notice in writing. And if the student writes a report about the educational values of the trip, there could be some extra credit available, too.

School Board member Fred Varn proposed the new policy at this week's board meeting.

"This could really be a good thing," Varn said. "It's a much more parent-friendly policy. The policy we've had is absurd, because parents had a choice of having their kids get an unexcused absence - or report them out sick, having to lie about it. And that's not good."

Sometimes I agree with people like the Palm Beach Post editorial board. Florida schools have gotten so hung up on the FCAT that the test looks more like a deterrent than help when it comes to educating children in Florida.

Traveling is very educational, and I was fortunate when young to have seen much of the United States. My mother didn't want us to miss school, but I'd say we lost anywhere from 1 or 2 or sometimes 5-6 days from school in a year because my family made a trip. The most usual reason for this were winter vacation trips to Florida. My parents took me and my siblings on these trips(usually around Easter) in 1967, 1970, 1971 and 1974-76 before we finally moved down here from New York.

These weren't the only reason for an occasional absence from school. My father owned some race horses. I can think of at least two occasions where I missed a day of school for a trip over to New Jersey and Freehold Raceway.

I wonder how a report on those trips would be received today in a Florida school. Using this as an example, my parents may well have been accused of child neglect.

Either that or Mrs Menke would have given me a D in 7th grade English.

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