My kids' school is RIDICULOUS

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13

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  • _beachgirl_
    _beachgirl_ Posts: 3,865 Member
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    I asked why I couldn't walk and they said that they locked all the entrances/exits besides the front one to the car loop (for security reasons). Plus, the woman I talked to said that there was no way they could prove that I wasn't just parking on a side street and slipping in and circumventing the car pick-up line.

    They have created a traffic nightmare at that school, which is dangerous!

    TELL them, don't ask, that you will be walking your children to and from school every day. They cannot stop you, they cannot even stop you from parking legally on a side street to circumvent the pick-up line.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I asked why I couldn't walk and they said that they locked all the entrances/exits besides the front one to the car loop (for security reasons). Plus, the woman I talked to said that there was no way they could prove that I wasn't just parking on a side street and slipping in and circumventing the car pick-up line.

    That's ridiculous. Why does it matter if you circumvented the car pick-up line? Isn't that what any sane person would do? Is there some horrible, life-threatening consequence resulting from not driving through the pick-up line?

    A few years back when I lived in Houston, I had the misfortune of living right across the street from an elementary school. The quickest way for me to get to work involved pulling out of my apartment complex, driving half a block, and making a U-turn. But the intersection where I would make a U-turn (totally legal) happened to be where the school's traffic monitor posted up every morning. The entrance to the school's driveway was on the street running perpendicular, so this woman unilaterally decided that only parents dropping kids off at the school could make a left turn at that intersection. She would literally stand in the middle of the intersection so no one could do a U-turn there; your only option was to turn left down the street where the school entrance was.

    One day, I decided I'd had enough of her crap ... I was pretty sure she wasn't the governor of Texas or the mayor of Houston, so she had no particular authority over that intersection, in my humble opinion. So I began to make my U-turn while she glared at me and stood firmly in the middle of the street. And I kept turning until she moved herself out of the way. You just have to use force with some people ... especially stupid ones.
  • bikermike5094
    bikermike5094 Posts: 1,752 Member
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    After all the extra fees we have to pay this year, they cut busing for students who live 2 miles or less from school. I have to drop them off and pick them up...and since so many other parents have to do the same thing, traffic is out of control. For the last two days, I've sat in the pickup line for over an hour..not getting home until 4:30 when they get out at 3:20...and we live TWO BLOCKS AWAY!

    I called the school and asked if I could walk up and get them in the afternoons at least, and the lady I talked to was very rude and condescending. I told her that I couldn't afford to waste gas sitting in line for an hour, and that I'd get there and home faster if I walked, and she said "Yeah, you and 300 other parents" and hung up. :noway: :explode:

    I'm not trying to go all political here, but I don't see how this country has money for other, less necessary things, but can't afford to put kids on a bus to get to and from school ON TIME.
    You must live in Box Elder!!!!!
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    They can't stop you from walking to pick your children up. At least not in Canada.
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
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    Blame the welfare queens eating their bonbons and driving their Caddys and their LV purses.

    Yeah, let's point the finger of blame to someone else instead of the school district. And for the record not everyone on welfare can afford to buy expensive food, cars and purses. I used to be on welfare years ago and maybe I did it all wrong but I couldn't afford the extra nice things.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
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    Just walk and get them. Regardless of the attitude of the person you spoke to, there's no school rule or law that prohibits you from showing up at your child's school.

    I used to walk to my daughters' schools all the time when they were little. No one ever interfered. Until they got to know me, Security stopped me. I'm good with that.
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,236 Member
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    I asked why I couldn't walk and they said that they locked all the entrances/exits besides the front one to the car loop (for security reasons). Plus, the woman I talked to said that there was no way they could prove that I wasn't just parking on a side street and slipping in and circumventing the car pick-up line.
    I hope you have a strong PTA and if not you sound like you have a strong personality to get it started because basically parents can run a school if they unite and fight! Be strong and advocate. Don't give up.
  • JulieSD
    JulieSD Posts: 567
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    I live in a small city in (New Brunswick), Canada and I live less than 2.2 kilometers from our elementary school. Walking is encouraged, we actually have a day in the spring where we meet at a local park and walk to school together, parents, teachers, students and siblings that are too young for school.
    I usually drive my daughter and a few neighbor kids in the morning and there is usually 2 to 4 volunteer that open the doors for kids and the drive way/parking lot is a 'U' so we drive in, stop, doors get opened, kids hop out and then our doors get closed by the volunteers. Its very fast. In the afternoon, when I have more time, I walk to the school along with many many other parents. Some drive and park in the 'U' or on the streets. I can't even imagine not being 'allowed' as an adult to walk to get MY children.
    That is absurd. Clearly.
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    RoadDog said:
    Just walk and get them. Regardless of the attitude of the person you spoke to, there's no school rule or law that prohibits you from showing up at your child's school.

    I used to walk to my daughters' schools all the time when they were little. No one ever interfered. Until they got to know me, Security stopped me. I'm good with that.
    And Casper says:

    Dog,,, if a cat looking like you (or me!) could just walk up to a school and walk away with a kid and not get questioned by security that would scare hell outta me. No offense meant. Hehehe,,,

    How old are the kids in question here, and what's the area like? 5 graders 2 blocks in the 'burbs? No problem. Kindergarteners 2 long blocks along US Highway 50? Big problem.
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
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    Doesn't every upset anyone that the Japanese, Germans, and South Koreans are killing us in education.....while we spend billions and billions using our troops to protect their borders? I don't know about anyone else, but I think the Nazi threat has passed, maybe it's time to use our money here.
  • mamaDaisyJ
    mamaDaisyJ Posts: 395
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    How old are your kids? Can they walk it on their own if you can't go get them? I don't see why they won't let ya pick them up. Our town is also 3 miles or less = no bus. So that basically leaves everyone living in town to walk or pick up. Much smaller school though I'm sure, it still takes me about 25 minutes sitting and waiting in the car when mine don't walk.

    At her previous, larger school I used to park a couple blocks away and walk to pick her up for a bit of exercise.
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
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    An eye opener:

    "Not that facts make any difference. Somehow, a whole lot of parents are just convinced that nothing outside the home is safe. At the same time, they’re also convinced that their children are helpless to fend for themselves. While most of these parents walked to school as kids, or hiked the woods — or even took public transportation — they can’t imagine their own offspring doing the same thing"

    Check out a great book - "Free Range Kids" by Lenore Skenazy or website http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

    I don't know who you are and I don't know anything about you.

    But I love you.

    Ditto.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,683 Member
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    Yeah, let's point the finger of blame to someone else instead of the school district. And for the record not everyone on welfare can afford to buy expensive food, cars and purses. I used to be on welfare years ago and maybe I did it all wrong but I couldn't afford the extra nice things.
    Thank you. A blatant attack on people who may be down on times...........really irks me.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    There is no way to legislate common sense.
    I have found that schools only respond when you kick complaints as high as you can and if that doesn't work, then go to the local news media.
    It has worked for me.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    we have a charter school (k-8) here very similar to that. the parents wait in the car line and the principal calls their kids' last name over a loudspeaker before the kids are let outside by the teachers. however, the charter school's school board is entirely made up of parents. enough people complained so now a parent can walk up to the principal without being in the car line and the principal will announce the kids' names and they can walk home.

    it sounds like you need to talk with other parents and see if they are as disgruntled as you. if you are the only one, things probably won't change; if you can organize a group, things might.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    Two blocks away? Time to get in some exercise and start walking! =)
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
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    Yeah, let's point the finger of blame to someone else instead of the school district. And for the record not everyone on welfare can afford to buy expensive food, cars and purses. I used to be on welfare years ago and maybe I did it all wrong but I couldn't afford the extra nice things.
    Thank you. A blatant attack on people who may be down on times...........really irks me.

    Same here. People abuse every system from Welfare, the VA, Wall Street, PTA, it's human nature. But I'm starting to think that the percentages of "Welfare Queens" is starting to be exagerated a little. If you high unemployment, you have high welfare. I would dare say the majority of Welfare recipients aren't scumbags abusing the system. To be sure some are, but painting with such a wide brush is sort of a bad thing.
  • tracivee
    tracivee Posts: 56 Member
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    I think people aren't downing those on welfare legitimately, but let's face it MANY MANY MANY people on it are abusing the system. Those wasted dollars should be going toward bus service. Go work at a grocery store and you'll get a feel for how many of your fellow Americans you are supporting with your tax dollars. See what they're wearing, what kind of car they're driving, what kind of cell phone they have, etc and you'll start to feel like a chump. They have different priorities and no shame. They spend their money on fluff while taking money from hard workers through welfare programs.
  • CPhillips92
    CPhillips92 Posts: 3
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    To be honest, the school can't tell you no to walking your child home. First off, if you are the child's parent/legal guardian you are entitled to pick-up/drop-off your child as is convenient to you unless there is an emergency and the school is not permitted to release the children--say a gunman on campus.

    I would suggest being as reasonable as possible with this situation, I'm guessing the school staff is getting a lot of grief about the situation as it is, which is expected seeing as the decision was not voted on by parents first--who would be the ones inconvenienced by the decision. Talk to your city/county supervisior or mayor, someone who has the ability to change the decision if enough people petition him/her about it.

    An example: Kettle Run High School, est. 2008, decided they were going to have their graduation inside the school in the cafeteria for the graduates of 2010. As one of the graduates, I and my friends decided to petition the principal about the ceremony, as we wanted the graduation outdoors. We wrote up a petition, but also asked our parents to basically explode his inbox with emails "asking" to have the ceremony outdoors. We weren't unreasonable about it however, and we won out in the end.

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