My girls go to an outbound expeditionary school that does overnight camping trips and the principal is very clear that if you decide to have your kids go to their school the trips are mandatory.
Um, nope. This doesn't sit well with me. No one tells me what is "mandatory" for my children. (Just my two cents... sorry, I know that doesn't help with your post topic).
In our school district, everything is "ultimately the parents' decision," from school trips all the way down to daily attendance. Curriculum objectives are still tracked, of course, but everything my kids participate in or opt out of is
my choice.
