Am I overreacting?

[Trish]

Well, if they can just casually walk outside, were they ever really "supervised" to begin with? Sounds like they have free time indoors and no one is actually supervising.

[gardening momma]

Whose insurance is it--the church's or the co-ops? What is the wording regarding supervised/unsupervised activity indoors vs. outdoors and who it applies to?

 

Also, although your co-op did specify at the beginning of the year/semester the rules regarding going outside, it did not stipulate these new rules you put into place recently (regarding the consequences--fines, etc). The board decided on these, but it's not something the parents agreed to at the beginning of the year. If I were a parent in this co-op, I would not be happy that things changed mid-year. If I knew about the fine and agreed to it at the beginning of the semester, that would be different.

[Murphy101]

As homeschool parents, wouldn't we be grateful for an opportunity that allows our kids a voice, helps our children learn how boards operate, and gives them a chance to participate? I understand there are rules, but I am thinking down the line--how to prevent this from happening in the future. I appreciate that the OP has to figure out what to do NOW, but going forward, I think giving the teens a voice is a good idea.

 

:confused: They already have a voice, or as much of one as they should have. The teens have no say in this issue, so I'm not sure what you mean by giving them a voice. I'm not one to encourage complaining just to hear oneself complain.

 

Unless the board is acting in the dark, which would be a no-no regardless of the age of those who want to sit in and address the board, then these kids have just as much voice to attend and state their frustration as any of their parents?

 

I simply disagree the board should have to create a fake position for these teens. Frankly, it is a simple matter of the parents taking their teen with them to a meeting or explaining how these things work. That is the job of parents, not the board. I think it unfair to place that duty on the board and it honestly would not occur to me to do so. The board is there to run the coop, which is a plenty full enough plate I'm sure. (I know you sure couldn't drag me into sitting on it!)

[Denisemomof4]

I can't believe the parents would support their children in this. NO, I do NOT believe you are overreacting at all. You have put rules in place that are not being followed or obeyed. That is disrespectful and should not be allowed.

 

Our co-op has the exact same rule. We are renting space in a church and the PASTOR of the church has placed the exact same rule. ALL kids are to have a parent accompany them AT ALL TIMES. If they don't, we could lose the privilege of renting space from them. So, this is a pretty serious situation for us.

 

Our leader has the same rule in place: First time, warning but you're asked to leave the property for the day. Second time you're put on notice. If it happens again, you'll be asked to leave the group. Period. The pastor has been VERY picky about things and we want to keep this space as long as we can. There aren't a ton of other options in a small country town!

 

Your group is being VERY disrespectful IMO.

[gardening momma]

I was thinking about the insurance issue some more...the insurance cannot dictate that teens or children have to be supervised outside. It can say that if an accident or injury or some sort happens to a minor who is not supervised by an adult, that the insurance will not pay. I would want to know if this is what the policy says. So the consequences for a child/teen unsupervised should be based on that. An agreement between the co-op and the families should specify what will happen in the event of an accident. Can/will the families be held liable? What would it take to make that legally binding?

[Trish]

Why do they have free time? What are they supposed to be doing?

[happypamama]

I can see why teens might have some free time at co-op. At our co-op, there is some time before and after the actual classes, during which the parents are setting up or cleaning up, but there is not an actual activity going on for the children. The teens in our group have actually handled this just fine; they gather together and talk. Sometimes that IS outside, but either that's okay by our insurance, or we have decided that it's still developmentally appropriate for teens and still constitutes adequate supervision (I really don't know which).

 

We've had more of an issue with the younger children, as they tend to run around and be noisy, plus we don't want them taking toddlers outside. For this reason, we're looking into making one of next year's official jobs a supervisor for before and after. I think that would be a great option for your co-op, even during class periods. A handful of moms can socialize just as well from the sideline of the basketball court as anywhere else. I'd not ask for volunteers on a random basis; I'd make it one of the official jobs.

 

I don't necessarily think it's bad that your teens are considering walking out; I admire their initiative, and I feel for their position. I am appalled that parents are supporting that though! You'd think the parents would understand the insurance's rules and would agree to abide by them if they are going to bring their families to co-op! Maybe the teens will be more amenable if they understand that it's not your rule, but the insurance's, or maybe someone else will have other ideas. I'd be inclined to put this issue on an official board meeting's agenda and ask for solutions. Our board meetings (with the exception of a couple each year) are open to all co-op members, so if someone feels strongly about something, they should make it a point to attend the meetings. If your people don't care enough to help with solutions, then maybe you don't need them in your co-op. While I don't think you necessarily need to create a place for the teens on the board, I don't think it's unreasonable to have them speak about "their side" at a meeting. (And I wouldn't really approach it as "us vs. them;" I'd approach it as, "this is the issue, this is what our insurance says, we're open to ideas about how to make it work for everyone.")

Edited April 16, 2011 by happypamama

[gardening momma]

I don't necessarily think it's bad that your teens are considering walking out; I admire their initiative, and I feel for their position. I am appalled that parents are supporting that though! You'd think the parents would understand the insurance's rules and would agree to abide by them if they are going to bring their families to co-op! Maybe the teens will be more amenable if they understand that it's not your rule, but the insurance's, or maybe someone else will have other ideas.

As a parent, I would have a problem with the co-op board making changes mid-semester, especially concerning penalty fees. And, regarding the insurance company's "rules," I really don't think it is an insurance rule--it is probably the co-op rule based on liability issues. I think these would need to be clarified: what the policy says, whose policy it is--the church or the co-op, who would be liable, what constitutes "supervision," and when changes to co-op policy can be made (if there were no consequences to the no-outdoors-without-supervision rule at the beginning of the semester, then that's what you go with. You'll have to make changes to next semester's rules if you want penalties.).