Jump to content

Menu

I just had to explain to a high school principal that my daughter doesn't belong to h


Recommended Posts

My daughter wanted the high school expierence.....She has missed two days the entire year and they are giving her a hard time to make up tests. When are they not having tests may I ask? He informed me that he should have been notified to approve her absence. I notified him that I gave birth to her and he need not worry about approving anything.

 

She was told to be at the school by 7 am. I had her at the school, dragging my children out of bed to drive the twenty miles to the school. The teacher was not in the office lady told me she must have over slept or forgot?? WTH!!!

 

I guess I just wanted to state some where that I hate public school, I hate tests and I really hate people thinking they have this invisible bond to control my kid. I will not lose my temper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a morning, right?:grouphug:

 

My daughter wanted the high school expierence.....She has missed two days the entire year and they are giving her a hard time to make up tests. When are they not having tests may I ask? He informed me that he should have been notified to approve her absence. I notified him that I gave birth to her and he need not worry about approving anything.

 

She was told to be at the school by 7 am. I had her at the school, dragging my children out of bed to drive the twenty miles to the school. The teacher was not in the office lady told me she must have over slept or forgot?? WTH!!!

 

I guess I just wanted to state some where that I hate public school, I hate tests and I really hate people thinking they have this invisible bond to control my kid. I will not lose my temper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

absences are heavily tracked. They need to track truancy. Some states require automatic with a certain number of absences. State money is tied to enrollment and absences. When you enroll in public school you have to follow their absence policies.

 

Many schools have make up work/test policies tied to absences. If you didn't get pre approval for a non sick day, you may be forced to take a zero on all work for the day. These policies are generally outlined in the mountain of things you have to sign the first week of school.

 

The local high school here starts at 7:15 am. It's a pain in the rear for the majority of students and families.

 

Anyway, enrolling in any school, even private, means you have to follow someone else's rules. You can either adjust to it, withdraw, or fight and complain about it for 4 years. Fighting and complaining about is just not worth it to me--takes too much energy. So for me the choices are withdraw or make peace with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are in FL. I hate the schools and usually I just grin and bear it because she makes great grades and is doing well in the classes she is taking that will be good for her college. I just did not like him telling me basically he was in charge of my child.

 

She missed to have a visit day with her out of state father. I don't get along with him but he is her dad. For that fool to tell me that was not worth missing school really ticked me off. She sees her dad three times a year and to me it was worth it.

 

She has only missed two days. If he even would have been respectful I could have been like oh well those are the rules, but he attempted to down talk me and act like he was lord of the manor where she was concerned. GRRRRRR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You get to vote on raises for particular principals?

 

Ours (in CA and here) have always been according to a set salary schedule.

 

Dawn

 

Thank him for his concern. Let the school board know how you are going to vote if he is successful in getting them to give him a big raise.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could she take classes at the cc instead of being enrolled in ps fulltime? That might give her what she's looking for without the extreme control issues. Just a thought. That may mean an even longer commute unless she takes online classes. If she wants to attend classes, you could probably schedule her classes for no more than two days a week to cut down on the driving - like Mo and Wed or Tues and Thurs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are in FL. I hate the schools and usually I just grin and bear it because she makes great grades and is doing well in the classes she is taking that will be good for her college. I just did not like him telling me basically he was in charge of my child.

 

She missed to have a visit day with her out of state father. I don't get along with him but he is her dad. For that fool to tell me that was not worth missing school really ticked me off. She sees her dad three times a year and to me it was worth it.

 

She has only missed two days. If he even would have been respectful I could have been like oh well those are the rules, but he attempted to down talk me and act like he was lord of the manor where she was concerned. GRRRRRR

 

Our state mandates some things. One of those is absences. A student can be sick and bring in a note after the fact, but anything else has to be pre-approved which is not as harsh as it sounds - preapprovals are routinely granted even for trips to Disney World or other places. It just needs to be done. If not, then the student is considered truant and any grades from those days are zeros with no make ups allowed.

 

This should all be in what you signed as having read from the first day of school.

 

If you, being new to ps in general, didn't know, then being polite about it would probably get you more success than being a PIA. The school is under no obligation to have her make up the tests as the mistake was yours - not hers.

 

While many of us may not like the rules, by signing papers you agree to abide by them. Otherwise, homeschooling is an option. ;)

 

And, driving all the way for a non-connection is a pain... but the teacher is probably as annoyed by having the issue arise as you are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are in FL. I hate the schools and usually I just grin and bear it because she makes great grades and is doing well in the classes she is taking that will be good for her college. I just did not like him telling me basically he was in charge of my child.

 

She missed to have a visit day with her out of state father. I don't get along with him but he is her dad. For that fool to tell me that was not worth missing school really ticked me off. She sees her dad three times a year and to me it was worth it.

 

She has only missed two days. If he even would have been respectful I could have been like oh well those are the rules, but he attempted to down talk me and act like he was lord of the manor where she was concerned. GRRRRRR

Once the school system gets them, the school system is in charge of your kid.

 

I think it is case law that states once the kid enters school property, they pretty much are school property.

 

For us, this ranks up toward the top of our reasons to homeschool. It is in the top 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While many of us may not like the rules, by signing papers you agree to abide by them. Otherwise, homeschooling is an option.

 

Agree! When you play on their turf, you've gotta suck it up and play by their rules. They, too, have rules sent down from "above" which they must follow as well...which is that you need to let them know about absences. If you don't like the rules, get in there and change them or do what others have done...homeschool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, the thought of needing approval from ANYONE regarding my choices for my child boggles my brain.

 

I honestly can't imagine having to ask someone for approval to have my kid do something other than school for a day.

 

That is my point. I understand the rules and I started off being very polite etc. The tone of voice the way he worded things just blew my mind. He was so ippy I guess. He reminded me of a little dog on a lease trying to bark commands to a St. Benard.

 

I have never spoken two words to this man and he comes off all know it all and crazy with the way he spoke to me. Like he was king of the ring. It was basically the atitude he had that ticked me off not the rules exactly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good friend had to MOVE from the state of Washington last year because of this. Her dd had migraines and missed school. Her doctor excused them but the school nurse demanded to see the girls MEDICAL RECORDS because she didn't believe the doctor was right.

 

My friend insisted that her dd's medical records were going to stay at the doctor's office and the school SUED her for them. It was a nightmare, but my friend held them off until the end of the school year and then moved back to Oregon. But make no mistake, the school felt they were OWED those records and that my friend had no right to deny them.

 

So, I feel for you, but this will not be the end of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never spoken two words to this man and he comes off all know it all and crazy with the way he spoke to me. Like he was king of the ring. It was basically the atitude he had that ticked me off not the rules exactly.

 

He is king of that ring. Your choice is to play by the rules or not play (homeschool). You wouldn't join a sports team then start playing by your own rules or deciding team rules on your own without ruffling feathers. This is no different.

 

There are plenty of people with personalities I'm not fond of, but when they are in charge of something I want to be part of, I deal with them the best way I can and that's not generally by annoying them when they are abiding by the rules (set by others) and I'm not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He informed me that he should have been notified to approve her absence.

 

This surprises me. Don't you just have to notify the school of the absence, not a particular person? We just called the secretary.

 

She was told to be at the school by 7 am. I had her at the school, dragging my children out of bed to drive the twenty miles to the school. The teacher was not in the office lady told me she must have over slept or forgot?? WTH!!!

 

I would be upset. What a hassle. Pretty rude in my opinion.

 

 

QUOTE]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is one of the main reasons I started home schooling. They did this with my older children till I felt stupid sometimes like I must not know how to parent - some of the principals had such a good talent at manipulating that I felt like an idiot for raising a fuss - and we truly had some rough experience. My son's did really well in school and almost never missed - but if you say one thing that a teacher doesn't like there is no getting around it. Their rules are un-bendable (when they don't want them to be), and if your child misses for a good reason or any other infractions - they do not bend - but if the teacher no shows for class, or special before or after school offered sessions - no biggie! My son and his entire class once camped out in the middle of the hall waiting for a teacher to arrive to teach a class in the middle of the day - she never showed. When they got bored in the last 15 minutes of the period and headed either to the lunchroom or the library - THEY GOT IN TROUBLE! No mention of the teacher who was too busy to show up to teach them....and no explanation as to where she went! Grrrrr...every time I question whether home schooling is right - I remember these situations!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He is king of that ring. Your choice is to play by the rules or not play (homeschool). You wouldn't join a sports team then start playing by your own rules or deciding team rules on your own without ruffling feathers. This is no different.

 

There are plenty of people with personalities I'm not fond of, but when they are in charge of something I want to be part of, I deal with them the best way I can and that's not generally by annoying them when they are abiding by the rules (set by others) and I'm not.

 

Very true.

 

Florida law allows each school district to determine what counts as excused and unexcused. School board, not principal. That means that even if he wasn't a jerk, it still probably wasn't up to him to make the decision. In most districts, you request prior approval and it's sent to the board for them to determine whether or not to approve it. Asking for approval afterwards often means it will be unexcused.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hated the school telling me when my kids could be off. I also hated their rules and lack of reason behind them. When I asked for the reason behind them wanting certain paperwork, I got the answer "It's our policy." Well, it's my policy not to hand over unnecessary paperwork to people without a good, valid reason, so until I get said reason you get nothing! Yeah, I'm pretty sure the principal did the happy dance when I decided to home school! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one stepchild that never missed a day of school. Thirty percent of his grade in each class was attendence. The next thirty percent was class participation and he always participated. He didn't know a darn thing, but he participated. The remaining part of his grade was based on tests and quizzes that he was allowed to retake if he failed the first time. Even if he failed a second time. Even an idiot can pass the exact same test the second time around if he is given the answers during the review of the first test. Great rules. Guess what? They graduated him with honors. He is unemployable because he can barely read and write, can't fill out a job application, can't pass the written test to get a learner's permit, ect. But he followed all of the school rules. Thanks, School.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually got a letter saying if my K'er missed one more day they would call the truancy police. What's funny is they kept sending her home with head lice. I did EVERYTHING to get rid of them. Only after I pulled her did I find out that this school had the highest rate of head lice in the county.

She also ended up missing almost 2 weeks with a bad upper respiratory infection and another week after she was better because the Dr. would not release her back to school until he was sure her immune system could handle it. He wrote a letter to the school explaining this and I still got the stupid threat!

I was happy to pull them out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was sent a letter that would have to attend the county parenting class because my child did not attend school for 1 day. The students were 1st and 4th grade and we went out of town because my son wanted to spend his birthday with grandparents. Also both children were academically excellent at the time it wasn't like these were behind or troubled kids.

 

I was suppose to notify the school first. I told them that I gave birth to these kids, my tax dollars go toward the schools and they work for me not the other way around.

 

I wish you could of seen their face. They pretty much could not do anything. The law talks about compulsory attendance but as long as the kids hasn't missed the set number of days they are all full of over blotted ego.. The school system is another government entity that is big on its own power.

 

We ended up in a private school for a couple of years and then homeschooling.

 

I truly wish that I would of home schooled from the very beginning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also one of the reasons I pulled my children.

I had a year round school and I purposely put my children on different tracks (I was planning on having 1:1 time with each child and helping them with schoolwork--I guess even then I was a HSer :D)

 

One year (I only had a K'er and 1st grader), the 1st grader was on break, my mother was feeling generous and my sick (cancer) uncle was in town.

I kept pulling the k'er to take her (and everyone else) to different museums and the zoo.

They said she wouldn't be allowed to continue on----really? K isn't compuslory here---what an empty threat!!.

Lara

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is one of the main reasons I started home schooling. They did this with my older children till I felt stupid sometimes like I must not know how to parent - some of the principals had such a good talent at manipulating that I felt like an idiot for raising a fuss - and we truly had some rough experience. My son's did really well in school and almost never missed - but if you say one thing that a teacher doesn't like there is no getting around it. Their rules are un-bendable (when they don't want them to be), and if your child misses for a good reason or any other infractions - they do not bend - but if the teacher no shows for class, or special before or after school offered sessions - no biggie! My son and his entire class once camped out in the middle of the hall waiting for a teacher to arrive to teach a class in the middle of the day - she never showed. When they got bored in the last 15 minutes of the period and headed either to the lunchroom or the library - THEY GOT IN TROUBLE! No mention of the teacher who was too busy to show up to teach them....and no explanation as to where she went! Grrrrr...every time I question whether home schooling is right - I remember these situations!

 

One time in high school, I showed up to my English class and there was no teacher. The teacher had left in a hurry because he got word that his son had been hit by a car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! Some of these stories have me :001_huh:

Our system was really easy to get along with when we were there. If the kids wouldn't be at school, I called and said they wouldn't be at school. Period. It was always just if they were sick...which, granted, wasn't much. We didn't do doctor's notes or anything like that.

Of course, I did pull them out halfway through the day and all of the next day to go to Great Wolf Lodge. :D The teachers knew about it and DS7 just took his math test early...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, the thought of needing approval from ANYONE regarding my choices for my child boggles my brain.

 

I honestly can't imagine having to ask someone for approval to have my kid do something other than school for a day.

 

:iagree:

 

One time in high school' date=' I showed up to my English class and there was no teacher. The teacher had left in a hurry because he got word that his son had been hit by a car.[/quote']

 

While that is very sad, the school should have provided someone to cover the class, even if it was just to babysit while having them read or work on other homework.

 

 

Sometimes, you'll follow the school rules and still lose. When I was in high school, I followed the school's readmit process to the letter. One of my teacher's failed to record the absence as excused in her book or sign the readmit slip. She confirmed it verbally and told me she would write it down but forgot. I couldn't force her to leave the door (greeting incoming students for the next class) and I would have been in trouble for being late to the next class had I waited. So, I was given a zero on the biggest test of the year, dropping my entire grade for the year an entire grade level. My parents fought it. I could prove I provided the excuse, picked up the readmit slip, had six other teachers sign it, and told them why she didn't. They sided with the teacher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get it, but 2 days? Since when is that a major problem? Geesh.

 

It's not that 2 days is a problem. It's how the school was notified about those 2 days.

 

For illnesses or sudden deaths in the family (unexpected emergencies) the school can be notified after the fact. They do have the right to ask for a doctor's note if more than a certain number of days are missed. I've never heard of a school expecting the doctor's records and suspect that's illegal, but that's a different thread.

 

For planned absences - to see relatives, to visit theme parks, to celebrate a birthday, to go hunting - whatever, the school needs to be notified and the absence approved ahead of time. In our district, the principal is the person who approves such absences and they are generally rubber stamped. However, if someone tries to put an excuse in for a non-emergency after the fact, it is not accepted and the child is truant. Any work missed that day gets a zero.

 

While people might not like how things are done, it is the way things are done. Each year on the first day of school a handbook is sent home with each student. The parent has to sign that they've read, understand and agree to abide by the handbook. All school rules - including how to handle absences - are in the handbook.

 

IF the school lets the student make up anything, they are being gracious and should be appreciated. It's the parent who is wrong in this situation - not the school. They should have had to sign the handbook stating they knew about and agreed to the policies. In today's day and age I can't imagine any public school not requiring that.

 

If one chooses not to abide by the school rules, there's always homeschooling. Many of us prefer that, but for those who don't, one ought to play by the rules. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really torn about this one. I am not one to teach my kids they have to do something just because the government says so, especially rules that encroach on the sanctity of family. Technically school is compulsory, so the rules are compulsory. Homeschooling is s nice loophole, but I think parents need to grow spines and quit letting schools dictate so much of their lives. It might be different if schools were getting great results...but...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Public schools can be such a pain! My youngest dd suffered from RSD during her jr and sr years of high school. We had lots of excused days for out of town doctor's appointments and there were nights when she didn't sleep due to the pain and missed school....all excused medically. In her sr. year she missed 10 days and the week before graduation she had to stay in detention for an hour after school to make up school time....and she had a 4.00 all through high school and was to be one of the valedictorians!

 

We didn't make a big deal about it but surely thought it was stupid especially since she didn't have any missing work. Most of her teachers were wonderful about allowing her to make up work, but the administration had rules.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, the thought of needing approval from ANYONE regarding my choices for my child boggles my brain.

 

I honestly can't imagine having to ask someone for approval to have my kid do something other than school for a day.

 

 

I am with you and this helped push me into homeschooling. The thing that really made me bat chit crazy, was that after 5 kids and numerous fosters, I know when my child is too sick to go to school, but doesn't need to go to the doctor. But if I don't take the child to the doctor it is an unexcused absences, yet I can send my sick and probably contagious child to school so that the nurse or in most cases an office worker because the nurses were cut from the budget can look at them and say they are sick so it is excused. The choice was spend the money on a doctors note, or send them sick, or have unexcused zeros and hassles. Bleeeechhh!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not that 2 days is a problem. It's how the school was notified about those 2 days.

 

For illnesses or sudden deaths in the family (unexpected emergencies) the school can be notified after the fact. They do have the right to ask for a doctor's note if more than a certain number of days are missed. I've never heard of a school expecting the doctor's records and suspect that's illegal, but that's a different thread.

 

For planned absences - to see relatives, to visit theme parks, to celebrate a birthday, to go hunting - whatever, the school needs to be notified and the absence approved ahead of time. In our district, the principal is the person who approves such absences and they are generally rubber stamped. However, if someone tries to put an excuse in for a non-emergency after the fact, it is not accepted and the child is truant. Any work missed that day gets a zero.

 

While people might not like how things are done, it is the way things are done. Each year on the first day of school a handbook is sent home with each student. The parent has to sign that they've read, understand and agree to abide by the handbook. All school rules - including how to handle absences - are in the handbook.

 

IF the school lets the student make up anything, they are being gracious and should be appreciated. It's the parent who is wrong in this situation - not the school. They should have had to sign the handbook stating they knew about and agreed to the policies. In today's day and age I can't imagine any public school not requiring that.

 

If one chooses not to abide by the school rules, there's always homeschooling. Many of us prefer that, but for those who don't, one ought to play by the rules. ;)

 

 

This wasn't our experience at all with our older 2 who spent their entire education in public schools. Often it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, and policies and "rules" can and do get thrown out the window. I do wonder what they would do if you went through the handbook and crossed out what you don't agree to and then sent it back for their signature. I somewhat agree that if you want to play you should follow the rules, but not always. Rules sometimes get changed when they are shown to be stupid or unenforceable. Not everyone can homeschool but that doesn't mean that you have to do everything a school says if it isn't legally enforceable.

 

While I am musing, I think if I had to send mine back to school I would want to interview the teachers before they were put or had to stay in their class. I wish more parents had fits about their kids being in certain classes with inadequate teachers, instead of blindly accepting whatever comes thier way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is sobering and reaffirms my decision to homeschool through high school.

 

I prefer homeschooling my own even though I work in the school district - mainly due to the academics rather than these petty issues though.

 

I am with you and this helped push me into homeschooling. The thing that really made me bat chit crazy, was that after 5 kids and numerous fosters, I know when my child is too sick to go to school, but doesn't need to go to the doctor. But if I don't take the child to the doctor it is an unexcused absences, yet I can send my sick and probably contagious child to school so that the nurse or in most cases an office worker because the nurses were cut from the budget can look at them and say they are sick so it is excused. The choice was spend the money on a doctors note, or send them sick, or have unexcused zeros and hassles. Bleeeechhh!

 

At our school one only needs a doctor's note if the student is out 3 or more days in a row or within close proximity to be the same illness. Parents are TOLD to keep their kids home if there's a fever and not to let them return until they've been 24 hours without a fever. We also prefer they stay home when they have the worst of a stuffy cold.

 

This wasn't our experience at all with our older 2 who spent their entire education in public schools. Often it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, and policies and "rules" can and do get thrown out the window. I do wonder what they would do if you went through the handbook and crossed out what you don't agree to and then sent it back for their signature. I somewhat agree that if you want to play you should follow the rules, but not always. Rules sometimes get changed when they are shown to be stupid or unenforceable. Not everyone can homeschool but that doesn't mean that you have to do everything a school says if it isn't legally enforceable.

 

While I am musing, I think if I had to send mine back to school I would want to interview the teachers before they were put or had to stay in their class. I wish more parents had fits about their kids being in certain classes with inadequate teachers, instead of blindly accepting whatever comes thier way.

 

Many of these changes have come about within the past 12 years that I've been teaching and pretty much all of them have come about due to legal issues and mainly due to NCLB - failing schools, etc. The idea is that if there is less truancy there will be better results. While many on here wouldn't be truly truant, there are SEVERAL kids who are. Legally the state/school had to come up with something to enforce things with those kids/parents, but since one can't show bias, it has to be the same rules for everyone. These have come up in court when parents challenge them (rare now) and the courts rule in favor of the school (since the school can provide the signature from the handbook). In the "old days" it wasn't nearly as much of an issue. I miss the old days.

 

Even so, at our school I've signed forms for kids who were going to be absent the next day. One really doesn't have to have a lot of lead time on these (at our school). They just have to go through the hoops properly.

 

I suspect our school also bends the rules for parents like the OP who probably didn't truly read the handbook (or didn't retain it), but I can understand their trying to tell the parent that they have to change for these things in the future. Her school did offer a test makeup - then something happened that messed with that which is a PIA worthy of complaining about. However, overall, it's illegal to have different rules for different students/parents, so rather than cross out what one doesn't agree with and making life miserable for many - homeschool or choose a private school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughter wanted the high school expierence.....She has missed two days the entire year and they are giving her a hard time to make up tests. When are they not having tests may I ask? He informed me that he should have been notified to approve her absence. I notified him that I gave birth to her and he need not worry about approving anything.

 

She was told to be at the school by 7 am. I had her at the school, dragging my children out of bed to drive the twenty miles to the school. The teacher was not in the office lady told me she must have over slept or forgot?? WTH!!!

 

I guess I just wanted to state some where that I hate public school, I hate tests and I really hate people thinking they have this invisible bond to control my kid. I will not lose my temper.

 

It isn't invisible. " Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school. " ~ Melinda Harmon, Federal Judge, 1996

Scary isn't it? I can't believe that they were so rude to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand your frustration. It would really burn me up to have shown up and the teacher not be there. You do, however, conceed autonomy when you enroll in any type of school. I am sure that the attendence policy is outlined in the student handbook. You agreed to follow that policy when you signed your daughter up. I agree that it is a PITA -- that's why all of my absences were 'sick' absences growing up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It isn't invisible. " Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school. " ~ Melinda Harmon, Federal Judge, 1996

Scary isn't it? I can't believe that they were so rude to you.

 

Courts here often levy fines upon parents who have seriously truant kids. (Two days wouldn't get a fine.)

 

One has to have an education by law. You can't opt to be in ps and show up sporadically or stay home on any whim, then still expect the school to do its job. Of course, for many of the seriously truant, their academic work ethic often doesn't change the results much when they are in school, but studies have shown the better the attendance, the better the grades (overall). Hence, the push for higher attendance or only excused absences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I called the school again today, I keep seeing this "handbook" I have no clue what you guys are talking about. The principla himself told me the handbooks were not ready to hand out at parent/student orientation. There had been an error with the printing and weeks later the homeroom teachers were given them to hand out.

 

Well my daughters teacher never did. She "forgot". That book also contained the calendar when said make up days were listed. So I never got any book, I never signed any paper so in my opinion I never agreed to anything. This goes back to my daughter didn't have an algebra book until the 2nd nine weeks because they couldn't be located to hand out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This brings back memories of dealing with the elementary school here. I didn't have issues with regards to absences but parents were definitely given the impression that they were not welcome.

 

Our school is a public school within walking distance for many parents/kids. It does not have a fenced yard and is actually partially city owned park land. When my eldest started, we would walk our kids up early and stay in the "school yard" watching them play until the bell rang. The kids at the school knew us and we would bring in broken glass or hurt children to the office. In the last four or five years that my kids attended, new principals insisted that due to "safety reasons", parents were no longer welcome. Some of us ignored this and were told that once our kids walked onto school property they were the responsibility of the school not ours. This really annoyed me... in my opinion my kids are always my responsibility.

 

The only time that parents were "welcome" was when they were needed to read to young children, help in the library or supervise class trips. Even on the trips they were expected to just go along and not really provide any input. In fact, on my daughters grade 8 band trip (an overnight trip) to a city about four hours away, I made the mistake of speaking up. The teachers on the bus decided that it was okay to play Glee videos on the way. The particular episode involved a sex class complete with a balloon exercise that was completely inappropriate (in my opinion). Another mother and I pointed this out to the teacher and the dvd was stopped, however the teacher then spent the rest of the trip telling the students how she really felt sorry for them but some of the mothers wouldn't allow her to play the video. :glare: It was a miserable trip which I will never forget!

 

I definitely do NOT miss this aspect of public school. I was always amazed by the parents across the street with kids the same age as mine. They both worked and just dropped the kids off and picked them up. They had no idea about anything that when on at the school and were happy that way. The scary thing is that we have had articles here (Ontario, Canada) released to the media trying to tell the public that schooling should start at the age of 2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At our school one only needs a doctor's note if the student is out 3 or more days in a row or within close proximity to be the same illness. Parents are TOLD to keep their kids home if there's a fever and not to let them return until they've been 24 hours without a fever. We also prefer they stay home when they have the worst of a stuffy cold.

 

 

 

To some, however, this could be discriminatory. What if you don't have insurance? Rarely do we visit the doctor, usually not for something running as little as three days. Obviously our issue, but I don't think three days is a magic number whereby visiting a doctor will justify your illness.

 

One of the minor reasons we homeschool is because of the bureaucracy involved.

 

I used to work at a job, major corporation, that counted each illness as an incident. If you were out 1 day or 10 days in a row it was one incident. If you were out 1 day came back to work and then were out again, even the same week, it was a 2nd incident. You were allowed 5 incidents before you were called into the office. The year after my cancer tx I had no immune system. People would come to work sick and I'd catch everything. I refused to go to work sick. So I got called into the office by two bosses. I basically went off on them explaining I wasn't coming to work sick, if they wanted to dock my pay great, but I couldn't help catching what everyone else was bringing. Part of my job was interaction with most of the other employees, so I couldn't just avoid them. They shut up and I never heard another word about it.

 

I understand schools and corporations need consistency to run smoothly, but all of this micromanagement without flexibility is bad leadership.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

Ă—
Ă—
  • Create New...