Grand Coulee Dam School District Has Pissed Me Off
We got a call from the school district a couple of months ago informing us that they were going to be conducting their annual sex education and STD classes. This automated call and update suggested that if parents wanted to view the curriculum and/or sign a "waiver" removing your child from the class then we had to attend a presentation at the school district office.
Of course the presentation for the parents was in the evening during inclimate weather and all but being folks who want to follow the rules my wife attended. Unfortunately there was no opportunity to simply sign the waiver and come home. Which is what she was expecting as she had our 7 year old daughter in tow.
No... The school nurse, Mrs. Furcha, was completely disorganized and made my wife sit through a presentation about the curriculum (she never even had the opportunity to SEE the curriculum) which took several hours. That in and of itself did not make her happy however she stuck around through it and signed the "waiver" anyway.
Well unfortunately a "waiver" does not really mean a "waiver." Because much to our surprise today my son came home with a great big "guess what we did in school today?"
So now I am exploring just what can be done. I have heard through the years that the socially active left with regard to schools has constantly said in their conventions that it is easier to say "I'm sorry" than it is to say "please," however until now I had never been personally slapped in the face with it.
Of course we called the school (509.633.1520) and the school secretary said that she would contact the school nurse, Mrs. Furcha, and have her contact us. She did call my wife and said, of course, "I'm sorry." Apparently she did not bring her list of "waivers" with her or she had figured that the teacher in charge of the class would figure it out for her or perhaps they really don't care about those silly "waivers" in the first place. Which is what I figure is probably the case.
I made sure that I put in a call to the school superintendant (509-633-2143) and expressed my displesure in no uncertain terms. I mentioned that I don't want a simple apology. After all those come pretty cheap these days. I want someone reprimanded, fired, fined, their cat hung from a small tree in front of their house... something.
I dunno I guess I just assumed that adults in charge of something like this would have figured out a way to work these things out. However, since they did not is it really too much to ask that something be done to make sure that someone feels some pain in the hopes that they remember this in the future?
Perhaps there is nothing that can be done. Perhaps unless, as I have been told, there can be shown some "irreparable" harm done to our son we are out of luck. We have until this year home-schooled our child and we were giving the public school a little "test" drive by allowing our son to attend school on a half day basis (the school district liked the idea because they get revenue from the state for having our son enrolled with them) and grade them at the end of the year. Thus far the grade is a failing one.
Perhaps my only option at this point is to remove my child from public school altogether. It surely won't hurt his academics in that, in the classes he is currently attending, he is heads and tails above the rest of his class.
With me it is not necassarily the content of the class but the flippant way the public school has handled this whole situation. I mean how hard would it have been to go through those "waivers" (I'm sure there were only a few as there are probably only about 80 kids in the ENTIRE class) and make a courtesy call to the parents saying "hey today is the day we are giving the class..." But no, apparently people with education degrees can't even figure that kind of shit out.
19 comments:
Well, coyote, it looks like you left off a letter in your spelling of the school district.
We homeschool our son, and don't trust the local schools any farther than we can throw a Hummer.
The arrogance of the left, and their contempt for actual Americans should, of course, continue to outrage everyone, but come as no surprise. My family feels your pain.
Yeesh, almost sounds like a time share presentation, only worse.
Welcome to the Progressive States of America.
joe,
Wow nice catch. If it wasn't so damned maddening.
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You know what else really chaffes is that when my wife went to the presentation (the presentation that was supposed to allow parents to view the "curriculum".) she was not shown any curriculum.
The school nurse only talked about what they would talk about and would not get into the curriculum and would not open it because she said she "evaluated" the maturity of each class.
Hmm... so in a class of 20 kids she is able to "evaluate" how mature the class is in general?
Oh and wait there is more!
It turns out the excuse the nurse is using is that she was supposed to be giving the presentation to the "science" class but was directed to the "social studies" class for that day instead. (which is why my son was in there...)
So now we have a nurse who does not know the difference between science and social studies and she is supposed to "evaluate" the maturity of a class of 20 kids?
I'd hate to have that nurse apply a turniquette.
It's a great illustration of the sad fact that indeed, you are NOT the customer of the public school system. They don't have to satisfy you. They can blow you off and there is very little you can do to hold them accountable.
So they almost unthinkingly jerk you around, not necessarily because they are trying to, but because their true priority is not satisfying the parents' needs.
If it is convenient for them, they will often try to do so, but as soon as serving that end runs up against some other priority, their loyalties become crystal clear.
You have simply run into one of these situations, and they are all too common.
You can bet if persmision slips were needed to attend the sex ed class, instead of exempting from it, every single slip and kid would have been accomodated.
Out of curiousity.
How many were in attendance at the waiver presentation?
Permission slips for sex ed classes. What a great idea! If I were in the Legislature, I'd be tempted to introduce a bill for that.
I think there were only four or five parents at the waiver presentation.
Which leads to ANOTHER rub. The school or the nurse or someone could have easily picked up the phone and called at the most FIVE people to tell them (us) that they were doing the presentation on that day.
Unfortunately the nurse, who does not know the difference between a science class and a social studies class, doesn't seem to be able to operate a telephone either.
Which is kinda frustrating in that I coach little league baseball and I would somehow be able to call the parents of EVERY kid on my team two or three times a week to remind them of game times and locations. But then again I am not a tenured employee so what do I know?
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jbuchal,
Hmmm... Now you are sparking my interest.
I have no sympathy since they are teaching reality, not the fiction that you are probably telling you child.
I am not of the opinion that parents should be able to pollute there childs brains with whatever nonesense they happen to believe is true.
Children need the FACTS about sex, the FACTS about evolution. These things literally save lives.
anon 3:44,
I have simpathy for you, for you are obviously an idiot with probably barely a 3rd grade education.
Did you not follow this discussion at all?
First it had very little to do with WHAT they were teaching. It had to do with the fact that they provided a means to opt out of the education, put the parents through a laborious process to do so and in the end DID IT ANYWAY.
That would mean that the nurse (I'm assuming she must have a college degree) did not have the capability of checking the waivers. Which speaks to competence. The "competance" you seem to be defending.
Or they did it on purpose. Which speaks to honesty and voracity, or lack therof. The lack therof you seem to be defending.
Secondly what "facts" do you think they are discussing? Obviously you don't know and the nurse failed to reveal said "facts" on the evening they were supposed to be sharing those "facts" with the parents.
Could it be the same "facts" that the global warming alarmists are trying to push into schools? Hmmmm?
And finally you have NO idea what the parents are intending to teach their children about concerning these issues. So your ignorance is on display there as well.
Oh by golly look... You just got three strikes. Yer out.
I just hope you don't also possses a motor vehicle license and if you do I hope you do not venture out on the same eastern Washington roads that I traverse because you are obviously a hazard to your existance and that of those around you.
Anon 3:44
I hope you’re being sarcastic. If you are serious you are one f****d up person. The responsibility to teach children about morality, values and sex belongs to parents and parents alone. The government schools should teach reading, writing, mathematics, science and civics. If parents want their children taught about sex by the government schools they can request it.
Incidentally, how do you support the premise that parents will “pollute” a child’s mind but some teacher with an agenda won’t? And, exactly what kind of nonsense do parents give their children? What kind of FACTS are you referring to that save lives? Finally, what does evolution have to do with sex education?
One can only assume you have never raised any kids and, God willing, you never will. It is more than obvious you attended government schools since you grammar and spelling are horrid.
Good Question:
"...how do you support the premise that parents will “pollute” a child’s mind but some teacher with an agenda won’t?"
Would a teacher that has children fall under the "polluter" or "non-poluter" category?
Coyote - I'd pull a daniel and take a camcorder down to your next meeting with said principle and/or school nurse. (add another to the 994,768 reasons I hate the current incarnation of the public school system)
Ted,
I'm sorry, but you had this coming. Period. You knew better and left your child in the hands of the state. What the hell were you thinking? Are you surprised? Did you need a baby sitter? What excuse do you have for turning over your most precious gifts to a system that regularly covers the tracks of its molesters? I thought you read the papers. The government schools are a last resort for people with nowhere else to turn. The children stuck in these institutions are subject to arrest for schoolyard tantrums and abuse at the hands of those under the protection of the unions. I can only hope you've learned your lesson. Spend less time hobnobbing with the usual suspects at Dorchester and more time with your kids. Then you won't have to write pieces like this.
They can blow you off and there is very little you can do to hold them accountable.
Wow, what kind of sex classes are they teaching in the 21st century? When I was in school, we got the dull birds and the bees speach.
Anyway, always remember this Coyote, better to be pissed off than pissed on.
My disappointment in the 301J district is immense. It is not about being a Christian and not wanting a school nurse to bring this subject to our children. It is about enabling the childhood innocence to last a bit longer. I am the father to 3 boys. I am not religious. I want my kids to think that Santa Clause is real. All the things that are magical and nice... I know that it is not realistic but I am a Ron Paul supporter... I am used to being unrealistic. I did go to this school district. It was bad when I was there. I don’t think that K S taking you to task as not caring for your son is called for. Trying to give a child some social skills is not a bad thing. Your son plays sports with these kids and wants to be included. These people are paid a wage to do their jobs. If they fail to follow their own rules they should be held accountable. If your son had gone to school with a toy gun I am sure your family would be held to task. As parents we try to be open and give things a try. When they smack us in the face we come to the reality that our cynical natures ARE called for. It is a sad commentary on a horribly flawed system. I feel your reaction Coyote is very called for. I will NEVER move back and would not put my children in that system. Small town living also suffers from small town thinking... Good Luck!! Danimal from the EUG...
Or, or, or....
You live in the "Grand Coulee DAMN School District."
To err is human, to forgive divine!
anon 2:28,
Forgive who or what? An institution? A machine?
You ARE joking aren't you?
If a machine or an institution makes a mistake and you do not make something of it then that institution will do it over and over and over again. Because a bureaucracy will always follow the path of least resistance and the lowest common denominator.
And there is a difference between "forgiving" and "correcting." If a bureaucracy makes an "err" it must be corrected.
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