Pardon Me While I Vent
Okay, I can't stand keeping this to myself any longer. Today, my school ended up being closed, not due to the weather or the poor road conditions---things were much worse last week and we still held school. No, my district had to utilize a "snow day" because a large quantity of their buses refused to run early this morning. My district is so large that it has to use a staggered bus schedule, so we either have school or we don't; there are NO delays.
Now, last Friday was the final day of the grading period, so I should have spent some time this weekend working on my grades as well as my grad school work, however, due to the fact that I was having some kind of mental misfiring on Friday, I neglected to bring all of my grading materials and info home with me this past weekend. I decided it was no big deal, I'd get all of my other stuff done and dedicate Monday night to recording grades. Well, we had no school today and my materials were still at school.
So, instead of sleeping in, I got up and went to school, hoping that the custodian would be there to let me and get what I needed. Sure enough, I was in luck. I walked past the office to go down to my classroom when I noticed a student sitting on the bench. It was one of our 1st graders. I asked him what he was doing here and he said his Mom had dropped him off. The custodian later told me that his mother had dropped him off and had driven off before she could inform her there was no school. (A fact that was broadcast over the radio and local tv stations.) The custodian had tried contacting the boy's mother on her cell phone, using the number the student had given her, but his mother hadn't answered or recturned the call. So, I got out his emergency card to look for other numbers. The home phone number was disconnected, so I went to the next number which turned out to be his Grandmother's phone number. I called and spoke to his Uncle who agreed to come and pick him up.
The entire time I was there, the phone in the office kept ringing with callers asking if school had been canceled. I politely responded that it had. Other people were calling to inform the office that their children would be arriving late, where again, I politely informed them that school was closed. Then I got the call that kinda made me go, "What the F*&# people, pull your head out!" The woman on the line said that she had seen on the tv that school was closed and she was wondering if we were on a delay or if we were open. I thought to myself, "What the hell does she think CLOSED means?" before telling her that we were closed for the day. Another caller asked me how long we were going to be closed. My answer---All day. She then inquired if we'd be closed tomorrow. I informed her that as far as I knew, schools would be closed for today only and that she'd have to keep an eye on the news regarding any additional days. "What the hell? I'm the Art teacher, not the weather man!", I thought after hanging up the phone.
I was beside myself in dumbfoundedness. I mean first of all, what kind of parent just drops their child off at school on a cold winter morning, a school that apparently looks quite deserted compared to any "normal" day, and just drives off without making certain their child safely enters the building? What kind of parent clearly sees that the school district has been reported as being CLOSED, yet calls to see if we're open or delayed? The same parents I gotta assume who generally use school as free daycare for their children and don't really feel the need nor take the time to actually get involved with their child's education, or who just don't have any common sense at all.
Then, the kicker is, I'm driving back home with my grading materials perched on the front seat of my vehicle when I notice two of our students walking down the sidewalk toward school. One of them is wearing a backpack I notice as I'm driving past them. Making sure the road is clear, I make a U-Turn and drive back towards them. I roll down my window and ask the oldest student if they're walking to school, to which he replies in the affirmative. I glance at the clock; it's after 9:30 and school starts at 9:00. Had this been a normal day, they'd have surely been at least half an hour late---they were walking slow and they'd have been given some sort of breakfast before being ushered to their classrooms. I informed them that they needed to turn around and head back home because there was no school today.
Thank God I had a Mom that actually cared about me. She made sure whether school was closed or not, made certain we had something for breakfast before going to work and if the weather was bad, either dropped us off or made arrangements with a reliable neighbor to carpool to school rather than walk. It drives me nuts that there are so many thoughtless and selfish people out there who enjoy the babymaking process so much that they don't consider the consequences. Nor do they take precautions to prevent having children, who I assume they care about only when it's CONVENIENT, otherwise they'd be staying on top of things a hell of a lot better than they are. End of Rant.
Now, last Friday was the final day of the grading period, so I should have spent some time this weekend working on my grades as well as my grad school work, however, due to the fact that I was having some kind of mental misfiring on Friday, I neglected to bring all of my grading materials and info home with me this past weekend. I decided it was no big deal, I'd get all of my other stuff done and dedicate Monday night to recording grades. Well, we had no school today and my materials were still at school.
So, instead of sleeping in, I got up and went to school, hoping that the custodian would be there to let me and get what I needed. Sure enough, I was in luck. I walked past the office to go down to my classroom when I noticed a student sitting on the bench. It was one of our 1st graders. I asked him what he was doing here and he said his Mom had dropped him off. The custodian later told me that his mother had dropped him off and had driven off before she could inform her there was no school. (A fact that was broadcast over the radio and local tv stations.) The custodian had tried contacting the boy's mother on her cell phone, using the number the student had given her, but his mother hadn't answered or recturned the call. So, I got out his emergency card to look for other numbers. The home phone number was disconnected, so I went to the next number which turned out to be his Grandmother's phone number. I called and spoke to his Uncle who agreed to come and pick him up.
The entire time I was there, the phone in the office kept ringing with callers asking if school had been canceled. I politely responded that it had. Other people were calling to inform the office that their children would be arriving late, where again, I politely informed them that school was closed. Then I got the call that kinda made me go, "What the F*&# people, pull your head out!" The woman on the line said that she had seen on the tv that school was closed and she was wondering if we were on a delay or if we were open. I thought to myself, "What the hell does she think CLOSED means?" before telling her that we were closed for the day. Another caller asked me how long we were going to be closed. My answer---All day. She then inquired if we'd be closed tomorrow. I informed her that as far as I knew, schools would be closed for today only and that she'd have to keep an eye on the news regarding any additional days. "What the hell? I'm the Art teacher, not the weather man!", I thought after hanging up the phone.
I was beside myself in dumbfoundedness. I mean first of all, what kind of parent just drops their child off at school on a cold winter morning, a school that apparently looks quite deserted compared to any "normal" day, and just drives off without making certain their child safely enters the building? What kind of parent clearly sees that the school district has been reported as being CLOSED, yet calls to see if we're open or delayed? The same parents I gotta assume who generally use school as free daycare for their children and don't really feel the need nor take the time to actually get involved with their child's education, or who just don't have any common sense at all.
Then, the kicker is, I'm driving back home with my grading materials perched on the front seat of my vehicle when I notice two of our students walking down the sidewalk toward school. One of them is wearing a backpack I notice as I'm driving past them. Making sure the road is clear, I make a U-Turn and drive back towards them. I roll down my window and ask the oldest student if they're walking to school, to which he replies in the affirmative. I glance at the clock; it's after 9:30 and school starts at 9:00. Had this been a normal day, they'd have surely been at least half an hour late---they were walking slow and they'd have been given some sort of breakfast before being ushered to their classrooms. I informed them that they needed to turn around and head back home because there was no school today.
Thank God I had a Mom that actually cared about me. She made sure whether school was closed or not, made certain we had something for breakfast before going to work and if the weather was bad, either dropped us off or made arrangements with a reliable neighbor to carpool to school rather than walk. It drives me nuts that there are so many thoughtless and selfish people out there who enjoy the babymaking process so much that they don't consider the consequences. Nor do they take precautions to prevent having children, who I assume they care about only when it's CONVENIENT, otherwise they'd be staying on top of things a hell of a lot better than they are. End of Rant.
posted by Chris at 5:34 PM
2 Comments:
CAB,
Just have fun in the moment when you represent the entire school district, as the only schmoe responsible enough to show up on a day when school is closed. Give cheerful good advice to the hapless and witless parents who call...someday you may be cursed with kids and bills as well. As a public servant, you might as well be kind and have a good sense of humour.
JWC
Thanks for leaving a comment. I have no idea who reads this blog other than the handful of friends who know of its existence. I hate that I came across as negative in this post, however, please be assured that I'm do strive very hard to be polite and patient. I have to be given my position or there's no way I'd be able to handle it on a daily basis. Although I may have been thinking frustrated and at times exasperated thoughts, I want to assure you that I was polite on the phone with the parents who called the school. Thanks again for leaving a comment.
Post a Comment
<< Home