The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents - Page 490

lildago · 10-01-2007, 10:20 PM

Well, I missed the open forum at the council meeting so I didn't get a chance to speak. I only found out about it a half hour before and went on a whim.

veejer, in our district, subs aren't required to be certified teachers. In fact, all they need is a high school diploma.

Muduh, most parents don't walk their kids to class. The kids go into the cafeteria in the mornings and teachers pick them up there. However, we are allowed to walk them if we sign in as a visitor first. Since this situation has been so unstable, I've been walking her just to see which teacher would be in the class. I'm working on contacting the parents. A handful have also emailed the superintendant and said they'd go to the school board meeting. The next meeting is two weeks away though and I hope something is done before that.

Google · Sponsored Links

roseskid · 10-02-2007, 12:53 AM

Lil, my mom worked as a high school principal's secretary and then the superintendent's secretary for many years until she retired, and you are definitely doing all the right things to get his attention. You know, settling into a permanent sub is one thing, but damn, having you read to the kids in the morning for any length of time, and finding the cafeteria lady in the class in the afternoon is beyond acceptable. As DR mentioned, if one (or more) of the kids were to get hurt during school hours, they'll be facing a world of trouble.

I'm sorry you didn't get to approach them tonight at the meeting, but keep up your good work, and keep us posted.

ETA: Almost forgot to mention my issue which is why I came in here in the first place.

Our daughter has been in college for three years, and I've made every monthly payment on time. Well, I woke up in the middle of the night last Thursday with the realization that I hadn't received a bill in a while. I checked Friday morning, and sure enough, I hadn't made a payment in a little over a month. I called, and was told that they had completely switched from snail mail to sending monthly statements via email. Okay...why hadn't I been notified in the mail or email then? The gal said they had sent the notifications to the students.

I told her that's all fine and dandy, but didn't they think it would be a much better idea to notify those who are paying, like the parents, maybe? They have our address, they get our checks, is that so hard? Not to mention our daughter is on the school paper and gets about 100 emails a day, so I'm sure it quickly got buried in her inbox. I told the woman I wasn't very happy about the way the change had been handled and even more unhappy about being charged a penalty fee and interest equaling almost $200 and asked for a supervisor. She said she was a supervisor, and there was nothing anyone could do for me. I politely said I'd like to at least talk to her superior about the change and asked who she reports to and who that person reports to. I left a message on the last supervisor's phone and she actually called me this afternoon. I plead my case and she ended up waiving the interest and penalty charges. I couldn't believe she caved so quickly, and I was left completely stunned, thanked her for hearing me out, hung up the phone and let out a *Woot* for all us little guys.

PhoneGrrrl · 10-02-2007, 01:34 AM

Good lord, lil! I hope you get some resolution soon. I don't have kids, but I completely understand the frustration of the kids in the class. My kindergarten year was a total waste because my teacher decided to join in the teacher's strike that year--the only one of the 4 kindergarten teachers to do so. For what seemed like ages to 5 year-old me, we had an endless parade of subs who were not qualified teachers and seemed to always end the day in tears. Now I understand the significance of the strike, and respect the motives of the teachers who did strike, but it didn't do anything for my educational development when I switched schools the next year. Coloring was not a top priority--unlike reading skills--for first grade.

Thank goodness for my mother and her insistence that I do outside work.

myrosiedog · 10-02-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lildago

veejer, good idea. I'll check to see who he answers to besides the local School Board. Their next meeting is in a couple weeks and if necessary, I'll be there and ready to speak out. I've been reading all of the district policies regarding sick leave this morning and the teacher can be out for 180 days without being terminated. However, she can be reassigned so that's what I'm pushing for if she won't be returning soon. In the meantime, they need to have the same licensed sub in there every day. I'm planning to make a lot of noise over this.

I'm heading to the school now to turn in fundraiser money so I'm going to check to see who is in my daughter's class and what they're doing. Lately, it's been nothing more than glorified babysitting. On the bright side, her coloring skills have improved.

I'm sure the teacher would rather be teaching your daughter's class than going through what she is facing if she is so ill. You would think that this school district has dealt with seriously ill teachers who are unable to work for long periods of time before though and would have some sort of policy in place for when this happens. But to have no one in the class and then to have a cafeteria lady in there is unacceptable. I don't blame you for being mad and going at the administration for a resolution. But I can't help feeling for this teacher. I wonder if she realizes what is happening in her class. Probably better off not knowing as it would just add more worry and stress to her than she needs at this time.

myrosiedog · 10-02-2007, 10:38 AM

Sorry for the double post.

Lildago if you have to "babysit" the class again because there is no teacher, perhaps the kids could make a card for the sick teacher. I'm sure that would be a great pick me up for her to know that even though the kids don't know her, her class that she would have had is thinking about her.

lildago · 10-02-2007, 10:42 AM

I also feel for the teacher and I'm sorry she's dealing with all of that. She seems like a very sweet person and a good teacher-what I've seen of her. While I sympathize with her, my priority is my child and the quality of instruction she receives.

This morning, I spoke to the principal again. What happened yesterday was a serious snafu. The sub who was scheduled was a no-show and they had to find someone to cover. The cafeteria lady is actually a teacher's aide assigned to cafeteria duty and not an employee of Food Services. Still, that doesn't make me feel much better about the situation. The principal commented that the kids had a good time with her and she wasn't sure who had more fun, the kids or the aide. I told her I wasn't concerned with how much fun they had but the adequacy of instruction. Also, she said she wants to hire another teacher but is not allowed to do so. I let her know my plans to speak to the superintendant, school board, city council, the media, or anyone necessary to get results.

There is a certified retired teacher there today but who knows which warm body will be there tomorrow.

roses, way to go on insisting to talk to someone.

Sounds like they need a better system of contacting parents.

ETA: myrosiedog, I just saw your second post. The kids have made cards and pictures for her. They did it with one of their many subs the first week she was out.

lildago · 10-03-2007, 11:21 AM

To update our situation...Yesterday, I called the superintendant's office again and asked his secretary when I could expect to hear from him. Again, I let her know that I was giving him opportunity to address my concerns before going to the press. She said he was at the school campus meeting with the principal and somone would call me back. Late in the afternoon, I got a call from the secretary to let me know that Mr. Super is making this a priority and thanked me for giving them time to work out a solution. I told her I would wait a few days but expect immediate results. We've wasted nearly six weeks here. This morning, the principal stopped me to let me know that the sub there today(yet another different one) will take over until the 15th when their teacher's sick leave ends and she is scheduled to return. The sub is not certified but I won't raise too much of a stink over it since there'll be some consistency. Lest, Mr. Super think I'm fading quietly into the woodwork, I hit him with another email this morning.

I let him know that I appreciate the attention he's now giving this matter but am disappointed that he could not contact me himself. His inaccessibility is unsettling. Also, I told him that in the event the teacher cannot return on the 15th, I expect a certified teacher to take her place. Enough time has gone by and our kids need a stable learning environment.

There's an open house at the school on the 16th. I won't do this but thought it'd be funny to give the kids in my daughter's class name tags to wear that say "I don't have a teacher."

canuckinchile · 10-03-2007, 11:49 AM

Lil...I have been reading about your ongoing saga. Unfortunately, I went through this exact same situation a couple of years ago. Being in a foreign country it took me a while to figure out that the kooky labour laws required the (pregnant) teacher to say she would show up, and get a doctor's note at the last minute. They gave her light duty in the office since a class of 8 (yes, only eight) 9 years olds was apparently too much work. They just subbed in the teachers that had spares, and the kids were unhappy, and the teachers were crabby and unhappy as well. The situation lasted over 6 months and I ended up teaching him a lot at home. He frequently came home unhappy, disorganized, and it was a giant nightmare. Thankfully, we transferred from that area and he is now in a wonderful school. I think you are on the right track, so keep up the good work. I think if you continue to come across as a balanced, concerned parent you can avoid the label of "difficult" which would negatively affect your daughter at the school. It's sad, but true.

lildago · 10-03-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canuckinchile

I think you are on the right track, so keep up the good work. I think if you continue to come across as a balanced, concerned parent you can avoid the label of "difficult" which would negatively affect your daughter at the school. It's sad, but true.

True. I've tried to carefully keep my frustration in check and "use my words" so that I don't come across as someone who simply wants to make waves.

Interestingly, I just got a phone call from the superintendant. He received my email this morning and wanted to address my concern that he is inaccessible. He assured me that this situation is a priority for him and he'll be giving it his full attention until resolved. I played nice and thanked him but geez, it's about time!

roseskid · 10-04-2007, 07:46 PM

Lil, I'm glad he contacted you, now he just needs to fix the situation.

I'm annoyed. When our daughter was little, after her bath, the three of us would sit on her bed and read for 20 minutes, then we'd leave the room and she'd fall asleep...except when she'd have a nightmare. Her nightmares were consistently about spiders or monsters in general. I finally got a brilliant idea of creating a Nightmare Spray. I took two different air freshener cans, and made labels marking one as an Anti-Spider Nightmare Spray and the other an Anti-Monster Nightmare Spray. Before we'd leave the room, each can would be sprayed and voilà, all nightmares ceased.

So why am I annoyed? I just heard on the news where a young mother has patented this idea and is selling them. Damn! Why didn't I do that so many years ago? Grrrrr.

10-01-2007, 10:20 PM	#4891
lildago Looking Ahead Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 9,716	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents Well, I missed the open forum at the council meeting so I didn't get a chance to speak. I only found out about it a half hour before and went on a whim. veejer, in our district, subs aren't required to be certified teachers. In fact, all they need is a high school diploma. Muduh, most parents don't walk their kids to class. The kids go into the cafeteria in the mornings and teachers pick them up there. However, we are allowed to walk them if we sign in as a visitor first. Since this situation has been so unstable, I've been walking her just to see which teacher would be in the class. I'm working on contacting the parents. A handful have also emailed the superintendant and said they'd go to the school board meeting. The next meeting is two weeks away though and I hope something is done before that. __________________ These dreams are not of sand.

10-02-2007, 12:53 AM	#4892
roseskid Just Forting Around Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Anticipating roses and broken hearts Posts: 7,271	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents Lil, my mom worked as a high school principal's secretary and then the superintendent's secretary for many years until she retired, and you are definitely doing all the right things to get his attention. You know, settling into a permanent sub is one thing, but damn, having you read to the kids in the morning for any length of time, and finding the cafeteria lady in the class in the afternoon is beyond acceptable. As DR mentioned, if one (or more) of the kids were to get hurt during school hours, they'll be facing a world of trouble. I'm sorry you didn't get to approach them tonight at the meeting, but keep up your good work, and keep us posted. ETA: Almost forgot to mention my issue which is why I came in here in the first place. Our daughter has been in college for three years, and I've made every monthly payment on time. Well, I woke up in the middle of the night last Thursday with the realization that I hadn't received a bill in a while. I checked Friday morning, and sure enough, I hadn't made a payment in a little over a month. I called, and was told that they had completely switched from snail mail to sending monthly statements via email. Okay...why hadn't I been notified in the mail or email then? The gal said they had sent the notifications to the students. I told her that's all fine and dandy, but didn't they think it would be a much better idea to notify those who are paying, like the parents, maybe? They have our address, they get our checks, is that so hard? Not to mention our daughter is on the school paper and gets about 100 emails a day, so I'm sure it quickly got buried in her inbox. I told the woman I wasn't very happy about the way the change had been handled and even more unhappy about being charged a penalty fee and interest equaling almost $200 and asked for a supervisor. She said she was a supervisor, and there was nothing anyone could do for me. I politely said I'd like to at least talk to her superior about the change and asked who she reports to and who that person reports to. I left a message on the last supervisor's phone and she actually called me this afternoon. I plead my case and she ended up waiving the interest and penalty charges. I couldn't believe she caved so quickly, and I was left completely stunned, thanked her for hearing me out, hung up the phone and let out a Woot for all us little guys. __________________ Love The Bachelor? Catch the recap for this season's ~~sacrificial lamb~~ lucky guy here in Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7. Last edited by roseskid; 10-02-2007 at 01:18 AM.

10-02-2007, 01:34 AM	#4893
PhoneGrrrl Little book of calm. Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Still on a 3rd-rate hellmouth. Posts: 3,100	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents Good lord, lil! I hope you get some resolution soon. I don't have kids, but I completely understand the frustration of the kids in the class. My kindergarten year was a total waste because my teacher decided to join in the teacher's strike that year--the only one of the 4 kindergarten teachers to do so. For what seemed like ages to 5 year-old me, we had an endless parade of subs who were not qualified teachers and seemed to always end the day in tears. Now I understand the significance of the strike, and respect the motives of the teachers who did strike, but it didn't do anything for my educational development when I switched schools the next year. Coloring was not a top priority--unlike reading skills--for first grade. Thank goodness for my mother and her insistence that I do outside work. __________________ When I get fit and grow bionic arms, the whole world's gonna wish it weren't born.

10-02-2007, 10:38 AM	#4895
myrosiedog FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In National Championship Land! Florida Gators #1 Age: 46 Posts: 12,078 Blog Entries: 7	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents Sorry for the double post. Lildago if you have to "babysit" the class again because there is no teacher, perhaps the kids could make a card for the sick teacher. I'm sure that would be a great pick me up for her to know that even though the kids don't know her, her class that she would have had is thinking about her. __________________ Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds. - Bob Marley Que me amat, amet et canem meum (Who loves me will love my dog also)

10-02-2007, 10:42 AM	#4896
lildago Looking Ahead Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 9,716	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents I also feel for the teacher and I'm sorry she's dealing with all of that. She seems like a very sweet person and a good teacher-what I've seen of her. While I sympathize with her, my priority is my child and the quality of instruction she receives. This morning, I spoke to the principal again. What happened yesterday was a serious snafu. The sub who was scheduled was a no-show and they had to find someone to cover. The cafeteria lady is actually a teacher's aide assigned to cafeteria duty and not an employee of Food Services. Still, that doesn't make me feel much better about the situation. The principal commented that the kids had a good time with her and she wasn't sure who had more fun, the kids or the aide. I told her I wasn't concerned with how much fun they had but the adequacy of instruction. Also, she said she wants to hire another teacher but is not allowed to do so. I let her know my plans to speak to the superintendant, school board, city council, the media, or anyone necessary to get results. There is a certified retired teacher there today but who knows which warm body will be there tomorrow. roses, way to go on insisting to talk to someone. Sounds like they need a better system of contacting parents. ETA: myrosiedog, I just saw your second post. The kids have made cards and pictures for her. They did it with one of their many subs the first week she was out. __________________ These dreams are not of sand.

10-03-2007, 11:21 AM	#4897
lildago Looking Ahead Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 9,716	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents To update our situation...Yesterday, I called the superintendant's office again and asked his secretary when I could expect to hear from him. Again, I let her know that I was giving him opportunity to address my concerns before going to the press. She said he was at the school campus meeting with the principal and somone would call me back. Late in the afternoon, I got a call from the secretary to let me know that Mr. Super is making this a priority and thanked me for giving them time to work out a solution. I told her I would wait a few days but expect immediate results. We've wasted nearly six weeks here. This morning, the principal stopped me to let me know that the sub there today(yet another different one) will take over until the 15th when their teacher's sick leave ends and she is scheduled to return. The sub is not certified but I won't raise too much of a stink over it since there'll be some consistency. Lest, Mr. Super think I'm fading quietly into the woodwork, I hit him with another email this morning. I let him know that I appreciate the attention he's now giving this matter but am disappointed that he could not contact me himself. His inaccessibility is unsettling. Also, I told him that in the event the teacher cannot return on the 15th, I expect a certified teacher to take her place. Enough time has gone by and our kids need a stable learning environment. There's an open house at the school on the 16th. I won't do this but thought it'd be funny to give the kids in my daughter's class name tags to wear that say "I don't have a teacher." __________________ These dreams are not of sand.

10-03-2007, 11:49 AM	#4898
canuckinchile Forum Assistant Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: back in "The Big Smoke" Posts: 4,504	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents Lil...I have been reading about your ongoing saga. Unfortunately, I went through this exact same situation a couple of years ago. Being in a foreign country it took me a while to figure out that the kooky labour laws required the (pregnant) teacher to say she would show up, and get a doctor's note at the last minute. They gave her light duty in the office since a class of 8 (yes, only eight) 9 years olds was apparently too much work. They just subbed in the teachers that had spares, and the kids were unhappy, and the teachers were crabby and unhappy as well. The situation lasted over 6 months and I ended up teaching him a lot at home. He frequently came home unhappy, disorganized, and it was a giant nightmare. Thankfully, we transferred from that area and he is now in a wonderful school. I think you are on the right track, so keep up the good work. I think if you continue to come across as a balanced, concerned parent you can avoid the label of "difficult" which would negatively affect your daughter at the school. It's sad, but true.

10-04-2007, 07:46 PM	#4900
roseskid Just Forting Around Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Anticipating roses and broken hearts Posts: 7,271	Re: The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents Lil, I'm glad he contacted you, now he just needs to fix the situation. I'm annoyed. When our daughter was little, after her bath, the three of us would sit on her bed and read for 20 minutes, then we'd leave the room and she'd fall asleep...except when she'd have a nightmare. Her nightmares were consistently about spiders or monsters in general. I finally got a brilliant idea of creating a Nightmare Spray. I took two different air freshener cans, and made labels marking one as an Anti-Spider Nightmare Spray and the other an Anti-Monster Nightmare Spray. Before we'd leave the room, each can would be sprayed and voilà, all nightmares ceased. So why am I annoyed? I just heard on the news where a young mother has patented this idea and is selling them. Damn! Why didn't I do that so many years ago? Grrrrr. __________________ Love The Bachelor? Catch the recap for this season's ~~sacrificial lamb~~ lucky guy here in Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7.