Parenting: Today I was sat down by the principal and the PTA.

[RandySF]

As I have said many times, we love our son's school. What I did not say so loudly was that there was a certain issue with which we were not happy. It was not a problem with the teacher or the classroom, but rather an issue of how the school was run. I talked to the principal once before, but there was no resolution. I won't go into detail for privacy concerns, but suffice to say, it was important enough that I screamed bloody murder to not only the principal (AGAIN), but the Safety Office and the Parent Advocate's Office (both offices report to the Assistant Superintendent) . On top of that, I posted a complaint to a message board. Two weeks passed until this morning, I was cornered by the principal and the PTA president and invited to the office. Now, I had not visited a principal's office since the 7th grade, so I admit that I was taken aback. No time was wasted before they brought up the subject of my online review, but it was clear that they got the message and a plan was implemented as of today to resolve the problem.

No matter how reassuring the principal tried to be, there was no hiding the angry look on her face. I also do not doubt that, had I not gone online and crossed not only the school administration, but the PTA, nothing would have happened. So today's lesson is that if you want something done on behalf of your school-age kid's well being, you better be ready to go to the wall, and you better not be afraid to become your principal's adversary.

[msongs]

1. never meet with people like this unless you have a witness with you nt

[MADem]

2. Write her a polite letter thanking her for taking action, hoping for continued good rapport

between you, and pledging to her that you will remain engaged in, and proactive about, issues that affect your child's edcation.

It's sweet and simple. It doesn't quite say "Ya shoulda done what I asked the first time around," nor does it say "If you fuck up again, I'll out you again," but it does make it clear that you won't put up with anyone screwing with your child as a consequence of your activism.

It also puts her on your team, in a backhanded way, even if she didn't want to be there.

[d_r]

3. we are so lucky

the teachers at our school and the administrators are great people who are easy to talk to and are 100% dedicated to the kids first. Is it really that uncommon?

[ObamaFTW2012]

4. Public school employees are paid with our tax dollars

therefore they are our employees. When I speak to them, I frame my state of mind around that fact. When they do a good job, I compliment them as I would any good employee. When they fail to do their job, I convey my dissatisfaction with their failure in a similar manner.

Remember, school administrators aren't authority figures to parents, only students.

[roguevalley]

5. don't back down. be an advocate and monitor your child. Get them

to tell you how their days go. Be unafraid.

RV, been there, done that. alot.

[mzteris]

6. I crossed my son's principal -

she ordered one his teachers to "not talk to him", banned me from the building without a "security guard", and tried to get him re-assigned from the gifted to the learning disabled program. Completed ignored the recommendations of his teachers, the gifted coordinator, and the school counselor. Lied to the school board. Got her friend the Assistant Superintendent to conduct a sham investigation who also lied to the schoolboard.

We could have taken them to court, and probably "won", but by then, my son pretty much hated the place.

And that, my friends, is (the short version of) how we wound up homeschooling.

Best. Decision. Ever.