A PSA for teachers/school administrators/etc

[Gina]

Unless my child is throwing up, bleeding, or has a fever, please DO NOT CALL ME AT WORK!! Has common sense just left the building completely? Bosses love it when employees get phone calls at work to tell them their kid's saxophone has a key that needs repairing. Think it through. And SEND A NOTE HOME!!

Thank you, that is all.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Sorry -- I guess I disagree. My kids are very poor at giving me notes and papers sent home.

While email is my preferred method of communicating with my kids' (5th and 10th grades) teachers, I would not mind the phone message.

 

[Magic Mom]

For every parent that says "Don't call me unless it's an emergency," there is another demanding to be called for for anything and everything. Schools can't win.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Sorry -- I guess I disagree. My kids are very poor at giving me notes and papers sent home.

Then I guess they need to learn by suffering the consequences of not giving you notes and papers, IMHO.

 

[Gina]

There are notes sent home, there is email, there is texting, there is Skyward (the *very* effective grades/assignments/projects/messages program our district uses), there are about 100 other ways to communicate that would get a non-emergency message across in a non-obtrusive way. To call someone at their job with such a ridiculous message is, well, ridiculous!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

There are notes sent home, there is email, there is texting, there is Skyward (the *very* effective grades/assignments/projects/messages program our district uses), there are about 100 other ways to communicate that would get a non-emergency message across in a non-obtrusive way. To call someone at their job with such a ridiculous message is, well, ridiculous!

 

[Ember]

I couldn't agree more. That said, do you know how many times I've faced irate parents because I didn't call home when:

- the child failed a test
- the child had a minor bloody nose that stopped within minutes
- the child got into the scuffle with another child
- the child hadn't returned a field trip form
- the child forget their agenda
- the child was coughing, sneezing, sleepy, etc.
- the child was sent out of the classroom for inappropriate behavior
- and on, and on, and on...

Some parents want to be personally informed of EVERY TINY THING while others don't want the call except for emergencies. There really is no way to win...

 

[JerseyJanice]

If you have a job where you can't take non-emergency calls, it would be a good idea to contact the school and make a note of that in your kid's file.

Some people have their own phone extensions at work and appreciate hearing from school.

 

[Gina]

If you have a job where you can't take non-emergency calls, it would be a good idea to contact the school and make a note of that in your kid's file.

Some people have their own phone extensions at work and appreciate hearing from school.

I would think that it would be safer to assume that calling someone at work for a non-emergency is not okay... and if it is okay, *that* parent can have a note put into their child's file.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I would think that it would be safer to assume that calling someone at work for a non-emergency is not okay... and if it is okay, *that* parent can have a note put into their child's file.

Not with today's helicopter parents.

 

[Ember]

Not with today's helicopter parents.

Oh, it's true!

 

[Magic Mom]

I would think that it would be safer to assume that calling someone at work for a non-emergency is not okay... and if it is okay, *that* parent can have a note put into their child's file.

Why would someone want to put their job on the line to prove a point? If you CAN'T have non emergency calls at work, then you should take the steps to make sure it doesn't happen. If that means informing the school and having them put notes in the child's file, what's the big deal?

 

[HM]

I understand the OPs frustration.

However, I do have my own phone line and don't find it a problem to get calls.

At my kid's school (HS) the teacher's ask what your email and phone numbers are and then ask what is the best method of communication with you. They are good at following their instructions.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I couldn't agree more. That said, do you know how many times I've faced irate parents because I didn't call home when:

- the child failed a test
- the child had a minor bloody nose that stopped within minutes
- the child got into the scuffle with another child
- the child hadn't returned a field trip form
- the child forget their agenda
- the child was coughing, sneezing, sleepy, etc.
- the child was sent out of the classroom for inappropriate behavior
- and on, and on, and on...

Some parents want to be personally informed of EVERY TINY THING while others don't want the call except for emergencies. There really is no way to win...

I misread your 4th item as "the child hadn't returned from a field trip." Must not try to read without my glasses.

We have an automated calling system in our schools now that I really like. Our son was late for school (we overslept)...actually I took him in at 8:05 (school starts at 7:30), and later in the day my home phone and cell phone rang at the exact same time (they called DH's cell phone as well) to inform us that he was late and what time he arrived. If it was a problem for DH to get a call on his work phone, I guess he could just call the school and change the info. But I do like that they're keeping track of these kids, esp since we've had a few bomb threats lately, and letting parents know.

 

[aprilgail2]

If you have a job where you can't take non-emergency calls, it would be a good idea to contact the school and make a note of that in your kid's file.

Some people have their own phone extensions at work and appreciate hearing from school.

I don't have my own extension but I don't care if the school calls and they have to page me...they have my cell number so they can call that too- I get calls all day long on it anyway so whats one more call from the school LOL.

 

[Gina]

I couldn't agree more. That said, do you know how many times I've faced irate parents because I didn't call home when:

- the child failed a test
- the child had a minor bloody nose that stopped within minutes
- the child got into the scuffle with another child
- the child hadn't returned a field trip form
- the child forget their agenda
- the child was coughing, sneezing, sleepy, etc.
- the child was sent out of the classroom for inappropriate behavior
- and on, and on, and on...

Some parents want to be personally informed of EVERY TINY THING while others don't want the call except for emergencies. There really is no way to win...

I can totally understand how some parents are like that... That's where something like Skyward comes in handy, at least for the academic stuff. I feel really bad for the teachers who have to deal with the parents hovering over their kids' actions every single moment!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

OT, Aprilgail2, but I love your avatar. What beach is that?

Back on topic, I have my own phone extension and voicemail at the office, so I don't mind hearing from the school, especially when it's not because DS is sick or in trouble.

 

[Ember]

I misread your 4th item as "the child hadn't returned from a field trip." Must not try to read without my glasses.

Oh dear, I think that would definitely warrant a call home! "Yes, hello, is this Tommy's mum? I, er, seem to have misplaced your child... Were you particularly attached to him?"

Seriously, though, I'm paranoid on field trips and do a head count every few minutes. They also have ID tags with their first name, class, school, my name, my cell number (which I carry) and the school number. No one's not coming back on my watch!

 

[aprilgail2]

OT, Aprilgail2, but I love your avatar. What beach is that?



.

I took that from our hotel room balcony in Myrtle Beach! We loved it there!!

I misread your 4th item as "the child hadn't returned from a field trip." Must not try to read without my glasses.

.

Actually thats what I thought it said too!

 

[golfgal]

For every parent that says "Don't call me unless it's an emergency," there is another demanding to be called for for anything and everything. Schools can't win.

I would think that it would be safer to assume that calling someone at work for a non-emergency is not okay... and if it is okay, *that* parent can have a note put into their child's file.

I don't know anyone that couldn't take a call like this at work. No one I know would have to fear for their job if the school called about this--unless of course they spent 8 hours on the phone with the teacher or something really silly. You could be thankful that your teacher cares enough to call. If your job is that precarious you need to call the school and let them know that work number is for emergencies only and to call your cell or home number for non-emergencies. Schools are automatically going to call a work number during the day because that is where most people that have a work number ARE during the day.