Lots of Poo-Poo that really has no home

Yes, I’ve been moaning and groaning a lot on one of my other blogs about the fact that the public school system around here has some major flaws.  I’ve done everything possible to keep my mouth shut.  Although, to some, I’m sure it doesn’t seem that way.  I’ve made my voice known in many areas and I’ll hit you with a brief summary of a couple of the latest problems, then I’ll throw you to the dogs as well.

Way back in the fall we received a note stating that our child’s class would be going on a field trip to the Alabama Ballet but parents could not attend.  I wrote about it and the folks at the Alabama Ballet emailed me.  Apparently they had not issued any such rule that the school was telling me was a fact.  I called them out on it.  Then, along with many many other parents, we indicated that our child would NOT be going on this field trip.  A note was sent home shortly after Christmas reminding us of this field trip and that parents could not attend AND if the child didn’t go to school that day, he/she would be marked unexcused.

That takes me back to where we were marked unexcused four days in early September because we went on a family vacation.  I didn’t argue the point.  Apparently I was suppose to have obtained “prior written approval” in order to take my OWN CHILD out of school.

So, when I got this note, the one stating that if our kids didn’t go on the field trip that the parents weren’t allowed to attend, then our kid would be marked unexcused, I made his 6 year old check-up for that day and his eye glasses exam which was scheduled for March 9 for that day so that my son wouldn’t be going on the field trip, nor would he be going to school…nor would will be marked unexcused.

And, then, before I knew what happened, the field trip was cancelled.  Yea, imagine the idea that so many people weren’t going.  You see, we were told that the Alabama Ballet wouldn’t allow us, then when I called the school on this, they said that they bought the tickets last spring and there wasn’t enough tickets for parents to go.  And, now, there is no trip at all.  Does that mean that the school lost all their money on the tickets because now no one is going?  I hardly doubt that in a financial crisis of this nature that the school system is willing to throw that kind of money away…heck in no financial crisis I question our school system throwing that kind of money away.

Anyway, I’m just not getting the straight talk here and I’m sure you can see this for yourself.

A couple of weeks ago my son’s teacher sent home a note stating that the kids would be getting candy as a reward for good behavior.  I let it slide because you know, just because he gets it doesn’t mean I have to let him eat it.  Except, geeez, who knew it was going to cause such a stir of crap in my house.  And, he would end up sneaking and eating it.

So, I went to the school and suggested that this wasn’t the best idea.  I also reminded them that it was against policy.  The answer I received was that my son would not receive any more candy but that the others would go ahead with the candy rewards.  That’s when I said, no, that is not acceptable.  I was told that I should have just sent a note to the teacher.  That’s all well and good but since it is against policy, no one should be receiving it.  I was told again that there was no such policy.

This caused me to make a phone call to the Board of Education.  A long story short, for anyone reading or interested, page 6 and 7 of the Alabama Public School Wellness policy prohibits candy being sold or given to the children by school authorities and the Child Nutrition Program (CNP) that over-see’s the schools is also the program that I worked under as a daycare owner also says as much.  So, I knew the rules.

At this point, I should have insisted that someone from the board call the school and make this information available to them.  Instead, they suggested that I do it.  So, I did.  It wasn’t a pretty conversation.  And, then, a note was sent home stating that “due to a complaint” the children would no longer get candy.

Not being one to continue to stir the pot, although I was pissed, I let it go.  I absolutely did not see any point in pushing the issue.  So, I let it be.  I talked to some other parents since then and apparently most of them didn’t care about the candy issue, but they did have some serious thoughts on some other on-goings.

One of those issues came about as we received multiple notes from my son’s teacher stating that she would not be at school on Friday of last week or Monday of this week.  In the meantime, his teacher had to spend a night in the emergency room with one of her kids and had to stay out of school.

That day she was out, she called a former employee of mine to substitute for her.  Let’s call her Molly.  Molly is a great teacher.  It is sad that our education system doesn’t have her as a certified teacher.  She is THAT good.  When my son’s teacher has been out and Molly has substituted for her, we’ve had no issues whats-so-ever.  However, last week, Molly showed up but so did a college student who had been observing.  The college student told Molly that “she would handle it”, so Molly being the kind and generous woman that she is, let it go.

Well, my son came home with a blue bee that day.  The only blue bee’s he has had have been when his regular teacher was out.  And, this blue bee was pre-empted with a large explanation.  Now, I must interject that my OCD allows me the ability to recognize handwriting quite easily.  And, I knew this was not his teachers handwriting.  Then, when my son told me that Molly was there, I knew that it wasn’t her handwriting either.  It took me a few days to get to the bottom of it all and to find out just whose handwriting it was.

Here’s the kicker, my son was punished.  Period.  It didn’t really matter who the handwriting belonged to, the fact was he got in trouble and we aren’t going to tolerate that.

Then, I ran into Molly at t-ball practice and asked if she would be working for my son’s teacher on Friday and Monday.  She said no that she had managed to have a small run-in with the administration earlier in the week and she doubted if they called her anymore.  Hummmmmmmm……I’m not liking the way this has all played out.

As I learn while asking questions, the college student “rode Walker” all day long.  Now that is a problem people.  Molly riding my son all day, is one thing, I know how she operates and had he done anything very serious, she knows to call me or had she written a note, my son would have been punished much more severely.  I simply know how Mollly operates and if she said that my son was acting out, then I know it was serious.  But, for her to tell me that this person, who wasn’t even truly suppose to be in the room was “riding” my son, no, that won’t do.

So, I was left with a decision to make.  Do I send my son to school on Friday and Monday, knowing the situation?  Do I send him to school to be in a class with someone that I have already been told was mistreating my son?  I think not.

As it turned out, the weather here was horrible on Friday and I didn’t send my son to school.  I don’t really care what their opinion is of that particular matter.  As it was, a message was sent out stating that school was going to be released at 1:30, then, another stating that no, school would be released at 3:00.  Well, normal dismissal is at 2:45, why is there such freakin’ confusion.  So, it was all well that my son wasn’t there anyway.

Fast forward to Monday and I had a horrible migraine.  I could not drive under the circumstances and I simply did not fret it.  My husband leaves for work at 4 AM, I had to call a sitter to come to my house, but she walked, she doesn’t drive either.

Fast forward to today.  I sent a note to school stating that my son was out due to “family issues”.  That in my opinion is all that needs to be said.  I received a phone call today, while I was still in bed nursing the after effects of a horrible migraine.  The message stated that I needed to call the school so they could discuss with me whether his absence was excused or not.  I didn’t call.

I will simply go inside tomorrow morning because to be quite honest with you, I’ve basically run out of patience with this.  So, lets make it known, right here and right now, that while it is the school’s responsibility to see that my child is safe while at school – they failed, and it is my responsibility to do what I have to do to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

I will not be telling the administrators anything more than, “a family issue” because that is the only information they need.  With that, I’m done.  I’m finished with this.  I hate to say that the time will come that I choose to homeschool, but just such circumstances as these lead me down that path.  I am not in the least amused with the ignorance that is going on.

Let me throw in a couple of the other parental complaints that I learned of the other night….

3 children were “written up” for un-tucking their shirts as they left the gymnasium after school was dismissed.  At least one of the parents complained and indicated that this was a problem.  Honestly, do they have nothing more to worry about than shirt tales?  Ok, that’s fine, it’s the dress code, but after school, it doesn’t matter if they were in the building, school was out, dismissed, over and the shirt tale situation is absurd.

I think it is important to note here that when I taught school, I taught with 2 teachers who were strict about the dress code.  I had way too much to do to be checking for students shirt tales, collars and belts, never mind shoes tied and all that crap.  Basically, if they can keep their clothes on, I”m good.  I don’t have time to worry with it.  And, I question teachers who stand around just waiting to write students up for such as this…..after school.

Another kindergarten parent said she had to go to school because she received a “letter of concern” regarding her child’s behavior in the lunch room.  Apparently someone dropped a piece of food near her foot and knowing how 5 and 6 year olds are, the child kicked it away from her.  And, this people was enough to have a “letter of concern” sent home to the parent?  This was enough for the parent to miss work?  She basically told them, “this is the kind of thing you should handle here, I don’t want a “letter of concern” over a kicked piece of food”.

Then, furthering the conversation, I learn that a kid is not excused from school if they have lice.  Therefore, the school no longer checks to see if children have lice because they can’t send them home.  WHAT?  Does this sound a bit off the wall to you?  I mean, c’mon on.  Chances are, if the parent that was experiencing this had checked the wellness policy (or the CDC) at the board, she would have been given a different story.

This is completely and utterly disgusting to think about to me.  My son’s teacher has been more than tolerate of his ability to talk the ears off a elephant.  She has been wonderful to him by all standards that I can measure.  And, my son likes her so obviously she doesn’t give him grief nor does she “ride” him.

I’m leaving this be now, but I am desperately curious as to what you all think?