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Tennessee

Jilly_in_VA

(12,743 posts) Mon Jul 28, 2025, 11:49 AM Jul 28

Tennessee school won't accept doctor's notes for absences

One Tennessee school district will no longer accept doctors’ notes to excuse an absence despite objections from parents.

Lawrence County School System officials said the school is instituting the policy to teach students work ethic and reliability, saying that students will be expected to go to work sick or injured as adults.

It is also intended to address chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of instructional time. In the 2023-2024 school year, Lawrence County had a 14% rate of chronic absenteeism.

With no federally mandated sick leave, many Americans do go to work when sick, but public health officials advise against it. Staying home when sick can reduce the spread of viruses like the flu and COVID-19 and protect vulnerable people in the community.

The new attendance policy says students will simply be marked absent or present, with no options for doctors to verify a child is absent because they are sick or injured, need to stay home to recover or to prevent spreading contagious illnesses to their classmates.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/mid-south/tennessee-school-doctors-note-policy/?utm_campaign=NewsNation-trending-now&utm_source=wric.com&utm_medium=newsnation-cross-brand

Not only that, but if they get sick at school, they get sent to the nurse's office and then home and marked "tardy". Three tardies - one absence. This is the wrong way to address chronic absenteeism.

13 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Tennessee school won't accept doctor's notes for absences (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA Jul 28 OP

If they go to work as an adult in Tennessee, they certainly will face no sickleave Walleye Jul 28 #1

Blessing in disguise jmbar2 Jul 28 #2

my neighborhood school did away w that for just that reason. mopinko Jul 28 #7

Yeah, and Jilly_in_VA Jul 28 #9

Demanding sick students mingle with The Wizard Jul 28 #3

No kidding. Republican landslide's for POTUS since 2000 underpants Jul 28 #5

How does a school board prevent you from getting a driver's license? underpants Jul 28 #4

Is a note from their preacher acceptable? dem4decades Jul 28 #6

it would probably cost more to get a note from a "preacher" than a Doctor Nigrum Cattus Jul 28 #11

Homeschool synni Jul 28 #8

Well, maybe if they didn't suck at education Aviation Pro Jul 28 #10

Tennessee isn't known for ZDU Jul 28 #12

Great Way To Wipe Out Your Teachers modrepub Jul 28 #13

Walleye

(42,023 posts)

1. If they go to work as an adult in Tennessee, they certainly will face no sickleave

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 11:52 AM

Jul 28

jmbar2

(7,211 posts)

2. Blessing in disguise

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 11:55 AM

Jul 28

Most of those parents probably cannot afford to take their kids to the Dr. just to get an excused absence.

mopinko

(72,879 posts)

7. my neighborhood school did away w that for just that reason.

Reply to jmbar2 (Reply #2)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 12:30 PM

Jul 28

Jilly_in_VA

(12,743 posts)

9. Yeah, and

Reply to jmbar2 (Reply #2)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 01:30 PM

Jul 28

what happens when their kid is sent home sick enough times to accrue enough absences that they have to go to juvenile coure for "truancy" because they were sick?

The Wizard

(13,344 posts)

3. Demanding sick students mingle with

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 12:01 PM

Jul 28

healthy students in an open door to contagion.

underpants

(192,304 posts)

5. No kidding. Republican landslide's for POTUS since 2000

Reply to The Wizard (Reply #3)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 12:18 PM

Jul 28

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_County,_Tennessee

underpants

(192,304 posts)

4. How does a school board prevent you from getting a driver's license?

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 12:16 PM

Jul 28

They could not let you take drivers Ed in school I’d guess but other than that…

Other penalties could include failing a class or grade, not being allowed to participate in graduation or get a driver’s license or permit

dem4decades

(13,120 posts)

6. Is a note from their preacher acceptable?

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 12:23 PM

Jul 28

Nigrum Cattus

(904 posts)

11. it would probably cost more to get a note from a "preacher" than a Doctor

Reply to dem4decades (Reply #6)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 02:49 PM

Jul 28

synni

(522 posts)

8. Homeschool

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 01:09 PM

Jul 28

Starve the district of tax dollars by reducing the number of students, and they'll change their tune.

Aviation Pro

(14,652 posts)

10. Well, maybe if they didn't suck at education

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 02:45 PM

Jul 28

They might reduce the level of truancy.

But, you know, they love the uneducated.

ZDU

(672 posts)

12. Tennessee isn't known for

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 02:51 PM

Jul 28

_____ (fill in the blank) _______.

modrepub

(3,909 posts)

13. Great Way To Wipe Out Your Teachers

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Jul 28, 2025, 02:57 PM

Jul 28

Yea, we'll see how will your teachers hold up in a classroom full of sick kids who probably should be home. Your teachers get too sick to go to school and then you'll be paying them and substitute teachers (if you can find them).

Does TN have open school board meetings where administrators have to show up and wade through the public comment time? They're going to get an ear full and I doubt the school board folks who think this is good policy are going to be very happy when everyone shows up to meetings to yell at them.

In my parts, yahoos often get elected to boards because of low voter participation but they seldom last long if they bang up the system and folks start ripping them new arse wholes at the school board meetings. It's all fun and games until you have to sit through a thorough tongue lashing and harsh social media posts. Then that $250/month school board salary to sit through 4 hour school board meetings sure don't seem worth it.

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