Thursday, August 26, 2010

Two faced

Let me catch you up on Caleb's school situation:

  • Allergy guidelines suggest not putting the nut free zone and a trash can right next to each other. So they took the nut free zone and pushed it against a far wall away from all the kids and the trash can. We sure wouldn't want to hurt the trash cans feelings by segregating it.
  • I wrote a letter and sent it to everyone I could think of in the school system since talking individually to the school and nurse was getting us no where
  • Principle called put me on speakerphone and brought all the office people and cafeteria workers in and didn't tell me there were others in the room while she proceeded to talk about Caleb's medical information - which by law she is suppose to protect (I didn't care about the confidentiality it's just the ease at which she breaks the schools policies and doesn't think people will call her on it)
  • She insisted they had done everything perfectly. She lied. Then she wouldn't answer any questions. When I talked about the other little girl sitting alone at the table she yelled at me about confidentially and told me that those kids were none of my business.
  • Then she told me to take my kid to a different school
  • I called the superintendent and asked for a meeting between us and the principle with him present because I knew in order to get anywhere with her it would have to be done in front of someone who would make her behave.
  • Head of school services for the district called and I told her about the phone call and situation. She apologized on behalf of the district.
  • No call about the meeting I called and asked when it would be and had to write another letter so that I could get an apt with the superintendent.

Yesterday was the meeting. It was productive and unproductive all at the same time. Unproductive because I have never seen the Principle so nice. Never. Not even in pictures. She was the kindly, gentle, sweet school administrator. We never addressed things that had happened it was just a big kumbaya session of how much we all want to work together. It is amazing how different people are in front of their bosses. Productive in the way that I think the Principle is now warned to not mess with us. She may intimidate other parents and brush them off but I'm pretty sure she won't dare pull her normal stunts on us.

Was it worth all of the trouble? Probably in a few months, right now I'm just tired of it. I don't have a lot of fight right now. John was great and came with me for support because I was just done with it. There are so many better ways for me to be spending my time rather than trying to get an adult administrator to act her age and do her job.

So many people hated Junior High and yet so many people love to live their life as if they are still in Junior High...I don't get it.

2 comments:

Abbie said...

All I can say is WOW! I'm so glad you have the guts to call her out on this, she sounds like one peach of a principal. My kids havn't gone there, but I have heard from several parents that the principal there is difficult, especially if you have to "stand up to her". Good luck!

Sara said...

That.is.ridiculous.

I am so proud of you in for standing up for Caleb and yourself. I try to imagine myself in that situation and I don't know if I'd be that brave. But then again, when it comes to your child, mama bear can be pretty fierce. So maybe I can do it.