Harriet Vane Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Folks, I am thoroughly irritated and could use some feedback. My dd will be a high school freshman next year. I have made arrangements for my dd to spend a day at a local private school. We are leaning towards homeschooling high school, but want to think through all the options carefully. Also, we are seriously considering having our daughter take just one or two classes at the school (it's one that is known for allowing homeschoolers to do so). The school's policy is for the prospective student to shadow a student in the grade in which the prospective student is CURRENTLY. So, since my dd is in 8th grade, the policy is for her to shadow an 8th grade student. This is a K-12 school, and the junior high students do have classes in the same wing as the high school students. I feel that high school is different from the elementary grades, and I requested that my dd shadow a 9th grade student, since it is high school that is being considered. The answer from the school has been a vehement NO. The only explanation I was given is that it is difficult for an 8th grade student to keep up with the class a grade ahead. To me this is nonsensical. There's not that much difference between one grade and the next one, and furthermore, it's just for ONE DAY. I will not be pushing this any further with them--I do not want to anger anyone as long as we are actually really considering this school for full time or part time high school academics. However, I am REALLY irritated!!! My request was reasonable, wasn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace'smom Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 It sounds reasonable and logical to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace'smom Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 BTW- I meant that your idea sounds reasonable and logical, not theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 You sound reasonable to me. In fact, our local PS has a program that allows any 8th grader that will be attending the high school the next fall to sign up to spend a spring day shadowing a freshman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Yup. I don't know if I'd waste her time shadowing the 8th grader. And if you decide *not* to enroll her, I'd let them know that this policy was a factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 What do they mean, keep up with? Like, 9th graders walk faster or something?:confused: How stupid. I'd try one more time. Ask them how she will get a good feel for what happens in 9th gr if she can't go see it for herself, and if they say something stupid, ask them what the purpose of visiting a different grade is, exactly. I'm in a mood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 My request was reasonable, wasn't it? YES, totally reasonable! You're clearly gathering information on the high school. What the eighth grade is like has no bearing on your decision. (Maybe they don't want your money :D) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I'd be irritated as well. If you're considering high school you'd want to see the high school classes. If you wanted to buy a Ford Excursion you wouldn't test drive a Ford Explorer just because you've never driven a larger SUV before. Do they teach logic there? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 You were perfectly reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Yup. I don't know if I'd waste her time shadowing the 8th grader. And if you decide *not* to enroll her, I'd let them know that this policy was a factor. :iagree: What do they mean, keep up with? Like, 9th graders walk faster or something?:confused:How stupid. I'd try one more time. Ask them how she will get a good feel for what happens in 9th gr if she can't go see it for herself, and if they say something stupid, ask them what the purpose of visiting a different grade is, exactly. I'm in a mood. :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I'd be irritated as well. If you're considering high school you'd want to see the high school classes. If you wanted to buy a Ford Excursion you wouldn't test drive a Ford Explorer just because you've never driven a larger SUV before. Do they teach logic there? :confused: Ooh, I'm in a mood, too, & I like this answer better than mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Seriously? Every school in this area has current 8th graders shadow current 9th graders. Students are matched up by ability levels and even sports/extracurricular interests so the kids have something to talk about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 What do they mean, keep up with? Like, 9th graders walk faster or something?:confused:How stupid. :iagree: My thoughts exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 What do they mean, keep up with? Like, 9th graders walk faster or something?:confused:How stupid. I'd try one more time. Ask them how she will get a good feel for what happens in 9th gr if she can't go see it for herself, and if they say something stupid, ask them what the purpose of visiting a different grade is, exactly. I'm in a mood. They meant keep up academically. She asked me, in a very superior way, if my 8th grader is doing Geometry yet, because their 9th graders are in Geometry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Your request is so reasonable that a 'no' would make me reconsider the school altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I think your request was reasonable. Their point blank refusal to accommodate you, in addition to their superior attitude, would worry me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 They meant keep up academically. She asked me, in a very superior way, if my 8th grader is doing Geometry yet, because their 9th graders are in Geometry. You should have asked her, in a very superior way, if they expected your dd to do the Geometry homework, since she will only be there for one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Before highschool, my son shadowed someone a grade ahead of him (it was 9-12 though). However, my daughter shadowed someone in her own grade this year (6th) even though she will be going into 7th (k-8th school). This was so she could also be introduced to the same set of students that she will be having classes with next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 You should have asked her, in a very superior way, if they expected your dd to do the Geometry homework, since she will only be there for one day. Good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Your request is so reasonable that a 'no' would make me reconsider the school altogether. :iagree: I used to work at a 6-12th grade school, but the middle and upper schools were on different campuses and it was our policy to have every 8th grader go shadow a 9th grader for one day. What a bizarre policy. Especially since you're considering purchasing a product from them - probably a very expensive product too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 WHen I was in eighth grade, I did shadow a student for one day in a Catholic high school. SInce the student I knew was in 11th grade, I shadowed her. NOt a problem at all, I didn't get confused or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Yes, your request is reasonable and logical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Why would she need to keep up academically? That makes no sense. She should be just trying to get a feel for the flow of the day and what would be expected of her. I'm not feeling good about this school. :glare: They meant keep up academically. She asked me, in a very superior way, if my 8th grader is doing Geometry yet, because their 9th graders are in Geometry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Your request is so reasonable that a 'no' would make me reconsider the school altogether. I agree. I would be wondering what they were trying to hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa R. Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'll be the dissenter here. Schools have lots of policies because they're dealing with lots of kids and lots of families. Schools are not really set up to cater to lots of individual needs--rather they're there to meet the needs of the whole group. This is a policy the school has in place. While other schools allow you to choose the grade of student your child will shadow, this school does not. They may have very specific reasons for this. I seriously doubt they're hiding anything. If your child goes around with an 8th grade student, she'll still get the flavor of the school. I don't think this is a red flag of any sort. If you're still interested in your child attending the school full or part time, this issue should not be part of the decision process. However, if you're the type to get irritated by inflexible policies, a traditional school may not be a good choice for your family. I think, as homeschoolers, we get used to the flexibility of our days. It can be a hard adjustment to hand that over. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an adjustment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlovebaker Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 shadowed a 9th grader at a private school here in DC. However, it's just a high school so there was no 8th grade for him to check out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 If the idea is to see if the kid will feel comfortable with the students, then I can see shadowing the same age. If it is to get a little glimpse of what that grade would be like, then I can see shadowing the next grade up. Maybe they are assuming it is the first situation or that their experience is that most parents are wanting to see if the kid will mess with the other kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 They meant keep up academically. She asked me, in a very superior way, if my 8th grader is doing Geometry yet, because their 9th graders are in Geometry. Are you sure it is the school or just one tin Hitlerette throwing her weight around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'll be the dissenter here. Schools have lots of policies because they're dealing with lots of kids and lots of families. Schools are not really set up to cater to lots of individual needs--rather they're there to meet the needs of the whole group. This is a policy the school has in place. While other schools allow you to choose the grade of student your child will shadow, this school does not. They may have very specific reasons for this. I seriously doubt they're hiding anything. If your child goes around with an 8th grade student, she'll still get the flavor of the school. I don't think this is a red flag of any sort. If you're still interested in your child attending the school full or part time, this issue should not be part of the decision process. However, if you're the type to get irritated by inflexible policies, a traditional school may not be a good choice for your family. I think, as homeschoolers, we get used to the flexibility of our days. It can be a hard adjustment to hand that over. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an adjustment. :iagree: I don't think making the request was unreasonable, but I do think that maybe your response is. You knew sop, you asked for an exception, you were denied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Reasonable and against policy are two different things. Especially when you're an outsider, bucking policy is hard. A request may be reasonable on its face, but if it happens to be against policy, then it's not reasonable to push it. You've dropped your request, which is reasonable. "Policy" can be a pain in the patooty. You may be able to get a guidance counselor show your student around instead of the shadowing-a-student thing. That's what they do around here. We are also not allowed to take classes AT ALL in a public school, so you're lucky on both counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 If I were you, I would let the matter drop. Mostly because I wouldn't want myself or my child to be labeled as a troublemaker before she's even enrolled. But I am burning with curiosity to know WHY she can't follow a 9th grader to get a feel for what 9th grade is like. Maybe the others are right: they want her to meet the kids she'll be learning with. (But in one day, will she really have a chance to get to know or remember them?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Before highschool, my son shadowed someone a grade ahead of him (it was 9-12 though). However, my daughter shadowed someone in her own grade this year (6th) even though she will be going into 7th (k-8th school). This was so she could also be introduced to the same set of students that she will be having classes with next year. You make a good point about which kids your child would meet. My ds's did a shadow day at one program with kids in the grade they would be entering in the next school year. So they could see what it would be like in that grade. For ds1 that was 9th grade. Ds1 said it went great and the guys he met were nice, but if he ended up going there he wouldn't be in any of their classes. He was a little disappointed about that. (He ended up not going there, BTW.) I do think that it would be more realistic for the OP's dd to attend with the 9th graders, though, so she can see how things work, what to expect at the high school. I think that's more important at this stage than meeting a couple new kids that will be in your grade next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Reasonable and against policy are two different things. Especially when you're an outsider, bucking policy is hard. A request may be reasonable on its face, but if it happens to be against policy, then it's not reasonable to push it. You've dropped your request, which is reasonable. "Policy" can be a pain in the patooty. You may be able to get a guidance counselor show your student around instead of the shadowing-a-student thing. That's what they do around here. We are also not allowed to take classes AT ALL in a public school, so you're lucky on both counts. This is private school, not public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Seriously? Every school in this area has current 8th graders shadow current 9th graders. Students are matched up by ability levels and even sports/extracurricular interests so the kids have something to talk about. Yep. Every school I know of, and there are quite a few here, has the 8th graders shadow 9th graders. Of course, many of the schools offer only 9th-12th anyway, and even at the others many kids switch schools for high school, so it makes sense. BTW, they are called "rent-a-kids" here. Now if it is a small school, and if the visit is not just an opportunity for you to look at them, but also an opportunity for them to look at your dc and see how they fit with others in the class they would be in, as part of their decision-making process on whether to admit your dc, that's a whole 'nother thing. To me, the explanation they gave is silly, but it is possible that there may be other reasons that either weren't explained or that the explainer wasn't aware of. That said, you do visit a school to get a "vibe" for whether the school is a good fit, so I'd take the experience into account somewhat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Are you sure it is the school or just one tin Hitlerette throwing her weight around? It's the school policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 :iagree: I don't think making the request was unreasonable, but I do think that maybe your response is. You knew sop, you asked for an exception, you were denied. What response? I made the request and have said nothing further to them. At all. And stated in my OP that I did not intend to fuss about it any further with the school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 If I were you, I would let the matter drop. Mostly because I wouldn't want myself or my child to be labeled as a troublemaker before she's even enrolled. But I am burning with curiosity to know WHY she can't follow a 9th grader to get a feel for what 9th grade is like. Maybe the others are right: they want her to meet the kids she'll be learning with. (But in one day, will she really have a chance to get to know or remember them?) I did state in my OP that I do not intend to fuss at the school about this. I have not in any way been rude about it--I made the request very sweetly, and have not argued in any way, shape, or form with anyone at the school about it. (Although when they told me of the policy I did ask--very sweetly--what the reason for the policy is.) It was just a request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 If your only response is to be irritated, I say you are entitled and you should feel free to embrace your irritation. :tongue_smilie: My experience has been that whenever you deal with the system and a one-size-fits-all approach it's usually annoying at best. Those are the rules, set in stone like the ten commandments, so it's impossible to accommodate anyone by applying common sense? Yep, irritating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 When I called to see if ds could shadow a high schooler (his cousin)here in a public school, I was first told 'no.' Their reasoning was due to school security, and the fact that he wouldn't have a school ID badge if he was stopped by security. LOL I guess they couldn't make a 'guest' pass. I cajoled, explained my reasoning and told them lots of nice things about ds. I even gave them the name of the principal at the public/homeschool hybrid, who they could call to get a personal character reference from. They very kindly agreed to let him shadow his cousin for 3 periods but asked that he be picked up before lunch. (when security becomes tighter due to a closed campus) I would go into see the principal. Line up your specific reasons for why you would like this accommodation to be met. This isn't an issue that you would be requesting repeatedly, it is a one time request. If you know someone at the school already, maybe you could set it up with them, so just in case the principal does agree, they don't have to pick someone at random. I find that often, the first person you encounter in situations like this, is trained to give one response, even if there may actually be options. If he brings it up, I would acknowledge that you daughter is aware that the 'math' class won't make sense to her, and that she will not be intimidated by learning that she is not currently involved in. I would point out that what you would like her to see is the way high school students are more independent and the teachers treat them as such. I would mention wanting to see the rotation schedule between classes and what the general demeanor of the student body is like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) What response? I made the request and have said nothing further to them. At all. And stated in my OP that I did not intend to fuss about it any further with the school. Being so upset over it, seeing it as a slight against you or your dd, seeing it as some horrible act on the part of the school. It's their policy. Here, the biggest issue was picking teachers for elementary school. School policy, you can't choose the teacher your child will have. You can request ;) Request till the cows come home, but their policy is to refuse all requests. It's always amazed me to hear parents get so angry because the school did what the handbook said they were going to do. In their (local school) defense, if they did grant everyone's requests 90% of the Ks would be in one lady's class and it would be as imbalanced in every grade from there on up. Of course, most of the parents didn't even bother to ask. ETA, since I've already been quoted I won't change the post, but I should've just said, it seems like a lot of fuss over something that doesn't deserve it. Edited March 9, 2011 by lionfamily1999 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in VA Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Being so upset over it, seeing it as a slight against you or your dd, seeing it as some horrible act on the part of the school. It's their policy. She is very irritated, that is all! I saw nothing in her post where she sees it as a slight against her dd or something horrible!! Are we reading the same post? She thinks it is unreasonable and wondered what the Hive thought. She said "irritated," that is all. ETA: I am saying this with a voice of confusion, it is amazing to me how we can all read different things and emotions into the same post. Not trying to argue with Lionfamily. And this is a private school, not a public school; you'd think they could be a little more accomadating to the parents who may be paying tuition. Don't they want potential students and parents to see what they need to in order to make an informed decision about enrolling? Strider, this would raise red flags to me about the school as a whole. I'd keep my eyes open for other policies on which they may be unyielding. I understand on some policies they can't bend, safety, etc. But this wouldn't seem to be one of them. Mary Edited March 9, 2011 by Mary in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 She is very irritated, that is all! I saw nothing in her post where she sees it as a slight against her dd or something horrible!! Are we reading the same post? She thinks it is unreasonable and wondered what the Hive thought. She said "irritated," that is all. ETA: I am saying this with a voice of confusion, it is amazing to me how we can all read different things and emotions into the same post. Not trying to argue with Lionfamily. And this is a private school, not a public school; you'd think they could be a little more accomadating to the parents who may be paying tuition. Don't they want potential students and parents to see what they need to in order to make an informed decision about enrolling? Strider, this would raise red flags to me about the school as a whole. I'd keep my eyes open for other policies on which they may be unyielding. I understand on some policies they can't bend, safety, etc. But this wouldn't seem to be one of them. Mary Thank you. I am quite irritated, because it's a reasonable request and the only reason given to me for denying the request was illogical. I do not see this as a personal slight (it's just policy) nor do I think dd and I are being targeted in any way. It's just royally irritating, because I want to have the necessary tools to make a good decision--I would like dd to see the teachers who would actually be teaching her next year. As I said, I am not going to continue fussing at the school about it--it's just really irritating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 She is very irritated, that is all! I saw nothing in her post where she sees it as a slight against her dd or something horrible!! Are we reading the same post? She thinks it is unreasonable and wondered what the Hive thought. She said "irritated," that is all. ETA: I am saying this with a voice of confusion, it is amazing to me how we can all read different things and emotions into the same post. Not trying to argue with Lionfamily. And this is a private school, not a public school; you'd think they could be a little more accomadating to the parents who may be paying tuition. Don't they want potential students and parents to see what they need to in order to make an informed decision about enrolling? Strider, this would raise red flags to me about the school as a whole. I'd keep my eyes open for other policies on which they may be unyielding. I understand on some policies they can't bend, safety, etc. But this wouldn't seem to be one of them. Mary The bolded is the sort of upheaval I'm talking about. It's their policy. It's in print. It was not (or should not have been) a surprise. I guess I don't see why anyone should be entitled to get around policy. Sure, you can ask, but don't expect people to break their own sop because it's more convenient. Why bother having a policy if you aren't even going to use it? Myself, though, I prefer places that work the way they say they're going to work. If some place says, we do x this way, then I expect x to be done that way. Seeing them happy to do x a million other ways makes me uncomfortable and starts me wondering if they get around all of their policies that way. So, my opinion is tainted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Thank you. I am quite irritated, because it's a reasonable request and the only reason given to me for denying the request was illogical. I do not see this as a personal slight (it's just policy) nor do I think dd and I are being targeted in any way. It's just royally irritating, because I want to have the necessary tools to make a good decision--I would like dd to see the teachers who would actually be teaching her next year. As I said, I am not going to continue fussing at the school about it--it's just really irritating. I'm sorry I've added to the irritation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) A request may be reasonable on its face, but if it happens to be against policy, then it's not reasonable to push it. Sometimes that's the only way that a ridiculous policy gets changed, though. :) edit: and the whole think makes no sense to me... If I'm interested in program X, why would I spend my time observing program Y? If my child is interested in gymnastics, do I take her over to the rink for a meeting with the skating coach? Edited March 9, 2011 by LidiyaDawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 The bolded is the sort of upheaval I'm talking about. It's their policy. It's in print. It was not (or should not have been) a surprise. I guess I don't see why anyone should be entitled to get around policy. Sure, you can ask, but don't expect people to break their own sop because it's more convenient. Why bother having a policy if you aren't even going to use it? Myself, though, I prefer places that work the way they say they're going to work. If some place says, we do x this way, then I expect x to be done that way. Seeing them happy to do x a million other ways makes me uncomfortable and starts me wondering if they get around all of their policies that way. So, my opinion is tainted. FWIW, the policy is not in print. It was communicated to me verbally. At the time that I made the request, I explained to them that the policy makes sense for all of the younger grades, and the three older high school grades, but that I question applying the policy to the transition from 8th grade to high school. I do agree that if a policy is in place, it needs to be followed. As someone who has organized and directed many large programs myself I understand that consistency is key. However, in this situation the policy doesn't make sense. As I said, though, I am not fussing at the school about it at all, just venting here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'm sorry I've added to the irritation. Thanks. No biggie. We'll survive. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 FWIW, the policy is not in print. It was communicated to me verbally. At the time that I made the request, I explained to them that the policy makes sense for all of the younger grades, and the three older high school grades, but that I question applying the policy to the transition from 8th grade to high school. I do agree that if a policy is in place, it needs to be followed. As someone who has organized and directed many large programs myself I understand that consistency is key. However, in this situation the policy doesn't make sense. As I said, though, I am not fussing at the school about it at all, just venting here. Okay. Thanks. No biggie. We'll survive. :):D And now I'll stop adding reasons for you to be irritated :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Thank you. I am quite irritated, because it's a reasonable request and the only reason given to me for denying the request was illogical. I do not see this as a personal slight (it's just policy) nor do I think dd and I are being targeted in any way. It's just royally irritating, because I want to have the necessary tools to make a good decision--I would like dd to see the teachers who would actually be teaching her next year. As I said, I am not going to continue fussing at the school about it--it's just really irritating. Strider, I'll keep reading to see if you've solved your problem yet or not, but there's an easy solution... Dd shadows the 8th grader (indeed, to meet the students, etc.), and YOU shadow a high schooler. :) I really don't see why it's that big a deal to shadow an 8th gr instead of a 9th. It will be one step up academically, and she has no way to gauge whether it's good or not. If she goes into that 9th gr class and gets overwhelmed, she has no way to know whether she would have grown into it or whether she's actually not a good fit. To my mind, there are actually DANGERS to it. I would let her shadow the 8th grader, because their experience says its best. But I see absolutely no reason why *you* can't be allowed to observe high school classes and at all the levels for that matter. See how the kids really act. Stand outside the bathroom during breaks to sniff for smoke. That kind of thing. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Schools are not really set up to cater to lots of individual needs--rather they're there to meet the needs of the whole group. But students are individuals. It is this mindset that has people leaving the schools in droves - whether for homeschooling, private schools, or as outright drop-outs. It does not hurt anyone, or take any extra time, for them to set up an 8th grade student with a 9th grader. If that is what the parent wants then why not? Because we're sticking with the policy instead of meeting the needs of the student? That is the problem with public education! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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