Without exception current and previous students who take "family vacations" during the school year never recover. It is selfish for a parent to go on a vaction during school because it is cheaper or the slopes aren't as crowed in January as they are in the end of December when everyone is on vacation. Yes, I have heard that. When my children were school aged, family vacations were restricted by the school schedule. School was too important to miss. This practice has paid many dividends in the form of the completion of a B.S. in four years by one child and a full scholarship for the other. Parents need to understand that teachers routinely work 50 to 70 hours per week just to keep up. Why should a teacher be expected to take on more work just to let someone go off and and play? Who is being selfish?