TECA's amazing staff want to see our kids every day! Studies show that regular attendance is an important factor in student achievement, even in younger grades.
Before we dive into TECA's attendance policies, it's important for caregivers to know one frustrating fact about California education funding: for each day a child is absent (whether excused or not), TECA loses up to $100 of state funding. This is because California is one of a very small number of states that funds schools based on a rolling average daily attendance rate, rather than enrollment. This disproportionally affects economically disadvantaged districts, whose families have greater barriers to attendance than more affluent communities. To learn more about the diverse underlying causes of chronic absenteeism, check out this resource from AttendanceWorks.org.
Sandra Huerta, TECA's Parent Liaison, recently walked the PTA through TECA's attendance policies. Below is a rough summary of her presentation!
First, please meet the four members of the TECA attendance team:
Ms. Carina (Office Manager) and Ms. Andrea (Enrollment/Attendance Clerk) can be found in the main office, just inside the 22nd street entrance, and Ms. Hanna (Expanded Learning Opportunities Coordinator) and Ms. Huerta (Parent Liaison) can be found in the Parent Center, just past the kitchen on the ground floor.
Attendance Basics
If your child will be absent, email Ms. Andrea at amendoza@teca-sf.org or leave a message with the front office: (415) 970-3330 ext.100 as soon as possible.
You should email or call each day that your kiddo is absent.
• A doctor's note is needed if a student is out sick for more than 3 days
• Absences are only excused with a doctor's note
• Vacations and personal absences are NOT excused
• Guardians should contact their student's teacher in case there is make-up work needed
Excused absence reasons:
• Illness or hospital stay (with a signed doctor's note)
• Doctor's appointment (with a signed doctor's note)
• Attending funeral services of an immediate family member
• Approved participation in a school co-curricular activity (i.e. high school tours)
• Religious Observance
• Appointments with attorneys, law enforcement officers, probation officers, and immigration appointments involving the student
If you know ahead of time that your child will be out of school between 5 and 10 days, you can request an independent study (during which the student will be counted as attending for funding purposes). Requests have to be made at least 10 days before the student will be absent, and students have to complete their independent study packet in order for the absences to be excused & TECA receive its regular funding. Important note: TECA generally allows grants one independent study request per student per school year. Email Ms. Andrea at amendoza@teca-sf.org to request an independent study.
Running Late
The bell rings at 8:10am, and students are HIGHLY encouraged to arrive in the big yard before then, so they can line up with their classes, hear morning announcements, and potentially win the weekly purple ticket drawing on Fridays!
Here's the morning timeline:
8:10am: The bell rings, and students go into their classrooms after announcements.
8:25am: The Chattanooga gate is locked, and all students must enter through the Dolores Street entrance and receive a tardy slip.
9:00am: The Dolores gate is locked, and all students need to enter through the main office on 22nd Street.
Tardies are only excused with a signed doctor's note (unfortunately, appointment confirmations and After Visit Summaries can't be used). Simpler than getting a doctor's note: scheduling appointments for after school, or later in the day, when possible!
Early Pick Ups
Please call or email the front office in the morning to schedule a pick up; if you're picking up your child without notice, please expect up to a 20 minute wait for staff to retrieve them from class. Easier to call first 🙃