Making some noise
I have an update for everyone concerning my sons School District/ Classroom issue. Specifically, the beloved lunch lady! Here goes…
This semester’s Parent-Teacher conferences were held last week. Our meeting with my son’s teacher was scheduled for 6 PM. Habitually, I find myself needing to be early for any meeting, this one was no different. As I set outside my sons classroom, I carefully tuned my ears to the conversation being held within, hoping it would somehow be relevant to my current battle with the District. To my surprise, I could hear Spanish dialect. I set and listened patently as a translator helped lead the conversation. Finally they were done and began walking out. There it was within the doorway of the classroom, I had found my little pot of gold. The very child that had been causing this problem, along with his parents, were standing right in front of me. And just behind them was the lovely lunch lady.
As we entered the classroom to speak with his teacher, I began a little mind game with her, hoping to dislodge some information from her. During our seemingly mundane conversation, she left the cat out of the bag.
This lunch lady is only getting paid for three days a week and only at custodial wages. I personally saw her conduct two and was apprised of two other Parent-Teacher conferences that she was asked to be present for. When I was there, it seemed as though she was being pulled from classroom to classroom to help. The school district is using a volunteer out of convenience to deal with an issue that is completely and solely there own responsibility.
Something must be changed here and I plan to start the wave. My disclaimer is this: ‘I am not in any way, looking for personal or family recognition…’ Yet, I promise to make the papers with this. I WILL make a noise, and plan to link any public writings concerning my battle to this blog.
Wish me luck. (I’m gona need it.)
This semester’s Parent-Teacher conferences were held last week. Our meeting with my son’s teacher was scheduled for 6 PM. Habitually, I find myself needing to be early for any meeting, this one was no different. As I set outside my sons classroom, I carefully tuned my ears to the conversation being held within, hoping it would somehow be relevant to my current battle with the District. To my surprise, I could hear Spanish dialect. I set and listened patently as a translator helped lead the conversation. Finally they were done and began walking out. There it was within the doorway of the classroom, I had found my little pot of gold. The very child that had been causing this problem, along with his parents, were standing right in front of me. And just behind them was the lovely lunch lady.
As we entered the classroom to speak with his teacher, I began a little mind game with her, hoping to dislodge some information from her. During our seemingly mundane conversation, she left the cat out of the bag.
This lunch lady is only getting paid for three days a week and only at custodial wages. I personally saw her conduct two and was apprised of two other Parent-Teacher conferences that she was asked to be present for. When I was there, it seemed as though she was being pulled from classroom to classroom to help. The school district is using a volunteer out of convenience to deal with an issue that is completely and solely there own responsibility.
Something must be changed here and I plan to start the wave. My disclaimer is this: ‘I am not in any way, looking for personal or family recognition…’ Yet, I promise to make the papers with this. I WILL make a noise, and plan to link any public writings concerning my battle to this blog.
Wish me luck. (I’m gona need it.)
posted by mattandriver at 10:44 PM
2 Comments:
jeff it's part of how underfunded our schools are. nothing in this country that has merit finds people willing to pay for it. short of encouraging more volunteers (even bigger joke)we have got to fight for a complete overhaul of the system with adequate funding to follow or it is all a lost cause. i am going through this right now on healthcare, and i think it really comes down to what our priorities are. and right now they suck.
good luck.
"volunteers", as you say are a joke..
I'm proud to say that I am one, but also, admittedly, part of an a breed that in on the endangered list.
Post a Comment
<< Home