My son was involved in an incident at school on Friday afternoon but this isnt the issue. This morning I received a call from the principal asking was my child at school because they wanted to speak with him about the incident. I answered yes. Her reply is oh he is? We called his classroom but the teacher said he wasnt in class" This was at 8:49am. She then said someone would walk down to class to double check. I asked her to give me a call either way. 20 minutes pass by no phone call. While waiting I decided to drive around the neighborhood just in case I notice anything out of the norm. Im panicking because I dont know whats going on. I then drive to school because I still hadnt heard back. When I arrive he is in the office. I asked him "Where you in class?" He said yes. I go into the office where the principal and asst principal are and asked "Why didnt you at least call me to let me know he was here". Her response in a very nonchalant tone was. I hadnt got around to it. I was livid. I told her you do not call a parent stating their child is missing and not let them know it was a mistake. We had words back and forth I cant remember it all but I feel this was inappropriate and irresponsible on her part. I did not receive one apology. All she kept saying is she hadnt got around to it. My question is am I over reacting if I file a complaint with the Administration? I believe school officials need to work together to ensure success with students education. This is the first time I ever met the principal but we are definitely off to a bad start. I feel she is unprofessional and uncompassionate. My child rides the school bus. He and his sister leaves home at 7:25am every school morning. When I received the call all I could think is Oh my God has he been kidnapped? Is my daughter also missing? Am I being overly sensitive or should I complain. Im also almost 7 months with a high risk pregnancy so it could be hormones but Im still upset about this. I just need some advice.
I would have reacted the exact same way, including driving to the school!
I have to say, I would report it.
The principal was definitely insensitive and should know better. I don't know that I would necessarily report it but I would feel out if this is common practice or an oversight. If it is a general attitude then I would report it.
After you have had a chance to calm down consider setting up a time to meet with the principal. Apologize for your possibly hormonal reaction but then express your concerns that the school seemed unaware that their approach to this matter was insensitive and caused undue stress and worry for you. Ask about their procedures for tracking a child in school and when they contact parents. Seems to me they should never have called you unless they were sure your son was not present. If the principal continues to "blow off" your concerns, then proceed with a formal complaint.
time for a sit-down conversation with both the principal & the district superintendent. Have on paper a timeline depicting your side of the story. Explain how emotionally-upsetting the event was for you, & ask how this can be prevented from happening ever again.
Most important of all.....be calm & collected. Do not make accusations, but ask for justification & clarification of how the entire event was handled.
I would bring it to someone's attention, her JOB is to esure the safety of the students in the school and to PROPERLY inform the parents when an issue comes up and is correctly handled. COMPLAIN honey I know I would.
yes, complain, but let me tell you.. administration or not, they all cover each others butt. So, make sure u speak or complain to the person way way on top. don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Good luck. And also tell them, you're pg you panicked you got scared your blood pressure could have gone up, or if i did tell them it went up.
This has nothing to do with being hormonal. What she did was inexcusable. Any loving mother would have panicked. Please file a complaint.
I would be absolutely livid, especially if it came about the principal was meeting out petty "punishment" via you (aka make you worry and more angry with your son) to your son for whatever the trouble was on Friday... or equally worse intimate that she thought you would never worry, because if you were a worrying/loving mother your son wouldn't be getting into trouble.
THAT SAID
It's also possible it IS possible that you son had arrived in the office and no one had bothered to let her know he was there yet.
If the first... write down the entire conversation and either take it to the school board or save it as documentation for later in case there were other problems.
Two words - Kyron Horman. With that said - It's scary for any parent at this point of time. I would be livid too - didn't get around to it for a simple phone call. I don't know how far away from the school you live, but drive time and the fact that they gave you the opportunity to start to freak out and panic. I'm sorry that this happened to you. If you feel compelled to write a complaint - do it....
What ever had previously should have no bearing on the principal being civil and compassiate. She should of called you. I would go over her head and report her.
If she doesn't understand the seriousness of what she didn't do that is scary.
In an age were parents are scared of their children being taken as the walk in their neighborhood the teacher has to repimanded in some way. I would not be satisfied with "I am sorry" because she is not. If she was she would of said it and sees nothing wrong with what she did.
Also this has no bearing but I am curious how old are your children.. I kind of thought they were in grade school.
Not calling wasnt rude, but, she was stupid, unprofessional and inconsiderate. I would report her to administration and make a complaint. She led you to believe that your child was not in school where he belonged. If he was in class, he should have been logged into the attendance system and the principal would know that he was somewhere in the building. She should not have panicked you and certainly should have "gotten around to it"
You are not over reacting by filing a complaint. Good luck
i generally come down on the side of the overburdened, harassed, underpaid, deluged school professionals in this sort of thing. every parent think their own child deserves extra consideration.
but this is not a case of mama bear overload. they can't just call you with a potential panic situation and then be too busy to let you know not to panic.
i don't know that i would go over their heads (if i didn't get some satisfaction i might well do so) but i would be in there having a deadly earnest come-to-jesus meeting with them.
for shizzle.
khairete
suz
That's horrible to put that kind of panic in you and not call you back I would have given them about 10 minutes maybe 15 to call back just incase he wasn't in the classroom but in the bathroom, recess, or something else. I would have been livid. I think you are being perfectly reasonable. I'd complain to someone that is over head.
I'm pretty laid back when it comes to everything, but that is completely inexcuseable. With a possible missing child, she should have gone to the classroom herself and then called you immediately. I would report her.
I can understand the mistake, but not apologizing profusely is unacceptable. You're right - she SHOULD have called you immediately. But everyone makes mistakes so if she did, I would accept her apology if she indeed apologized. This is the point I would make with the school board when you contact them - that she needs to be more careful but even mistakes happen and she didn't seem to care.
That would really piss me off.
They should have called you, and failing that, should have apologized sincerely. Having said that, however, I urge you to FIRST write a letter to the principal explaining your feelings. I used to be a teacher, and can tell you that teachers and administrators greatly appreciate if you first take your problems / complaints to the person responsible and only move up the chain if you don't get a reasonable response in a reasonable time. I know that you already voiced your concern to the principal, but in the heat of the moment she may not have had time to reflect and frame a response. Give her one more chance before sending a letter to higher administration.
LaTrina,
Personally I feel you have every right to file a complaint. If the principle calls you and tells you your chils is not in class ... it is THERE responsibility to let you know it was a mistake as soon as possible. I would not have been able to contain myself, had i been in your shoes. There are too many sick people in this world and it is becoming too common to hear of child abduction. She deserves to have a complaint filed and i would demand the Administration advise me of what the disciplinary action that was taken , was. Good luck.
I think I would complain also- I am also pregnant and if I got a call like that I know I would be in tears as soon as I hung up the phone and completely panicked 20 mins later! and not just because of hormones(although some of it might be!)
If you are complaining in written form, I would keep a copy for yourself and send one to the principal also- if you are doing a verbal complaint- I would invite the principal to attend the meeting(take your husband with you if you need support) so she can see how upset this has made you. It sounds as if she thinks it is no big deal. yes, she made a mistake- but she should have apologized right away.
Good luck!
~Carrie
I would write a letter and tell her exactly how leaving you hanging made you panic. Tell her that you find it unacceptable that she did not call, have some one call, nor understand why any parent would be very concerned that thier child was missing from school. Tell her that you further find it inexcusable that the whole "missing" child incident must be so common place that she called you to find out where your child was prior to starting to search for your son leaving precious moments unchecked when a child could be in danger. Attendence records should be a priority, and that the school had no idea if your son was there, or not, for that long is unacceptable.
Ask for an appology for thier mistake, and ask that they send you an explanation regarding what the school is going to do to improve thier accountablity for your children, and all the children's safety as you send your child to be in their care every day.
Tell her that you require a written response within 10 school days, or you will take your saftey concerns to the superintendent.
At the end, tell her that as a human being, you would also like an appology for her unprofessional and callous personal behavior, and that you will be willing to over look this bad impression in the future if she is willing to take responsiblity for how poorly she handled the whole incident and appologize.
Martha
PS. Don't call anyone, write...and be as nice and polite as you possibly can, but make your point and demand a written response within a specific time frame.
I think that it is time to call the school and ask for a meeting with the principal. Both of you have had time to calm down and think about what happened.
I would approach it from the point of view that you were worried, had NO idea what was going on and that you are hoping that they actually have a procedure in place to handle a situation like this. All of this needs to be done calmly, matter of factly and not with anger or accusations. You want to work towards making sure that something like this never happens again to you or to any other parent in the school!
Pregnant hormones or not...I cannot imagine getting a call like that from the school and then sitting and WAITING to find out what was going on!!!