The FRUSTRATIONS of being a parent!!!!

I feel the need to get up onto my SOAP BOX and vent for a few minutes, so bear with me!!!! Jeremey is planning to go back to Great Falls for the summer to work, hang out with friends, and be a normal teenage AMERICAN boy.... We all know that the last few days of school are filled with yearbook signings, turning in text books, and movie watching during class time... So what is the BIG DEALIO in letting Jeremey miss the last 3 days of school to get back for a graduation party in Great Falls....
Apparently the DODDs school over here has more say then WE do as his parents, the sole providers and nurturers! He has been good about going around and getting all the work needed in order to make sure he wasn't going to miss anything. ALL of his teachers have been more then helpful... Okay all but ONE!!! Not to mention the Principal who gets on my last nerve rather quickly!!!
Funny thing is - I don't remember them being in the room when I was doing LAMAZE and pushing this baby OUT!!! I don't remember them changing his diapers, feeding him, rocking him late into the night when he was ill, clothing him, kissing boo-boos etc!!! Heaven knows the extra help would have been great...
So now they think that they can TELL me when I CAN and CAN NOT take him OUT of school... What happened to the land of the FREE... Free speech, free rights, freedom of religion etc....
Needless to say - Jeremey is a good boy... He gets his work done - with a bit of proding but it gets done.... He doesn't go around with the "rebel" crowd, he is a well liked kid at school and as far as I know it his teachers and coaches have NO issues with him.... Oh, except for the one teacher, principal and a secretary in the office.... (both of which ganged up on me the other afternoon!)
Anyways.... I have been told that the reason for all of this stress is clearly stated in the handbook (apparently) that..... NO ONE other then those PCSing (having orders to leave early) are able to leave early without penalties.... The principal told me that this was to "stop families from starting their vacations early!" Well, we pay ALOT of money for Jeremey to attend this school over here and if I decide he is catching a plane on a few days prior to school being out - then that is what is going to happen.... not to mention that I carried him for 9.5 months!
At what point did we LOOSE the RIGHT to raise our children in the manner we see fit....?
I am sure this all sounds like "goobely gook" to you.... I am a stubborn blonde that protects her youngin' to the death!!! If you tell me that I can't do something that I feel is appropriate for my child.... you better think again... cuz' I'm going to find away to make it happen!
Thanks for listening!!!! Does anyone have a ladder to help me get down off this "soap box!"