Feedback on school

[mirmartinez]

Hello,
I am looking for opinions on a dispute between DH and I.
Our son is entering third grade, his elementary school is hosting students from our district’s other elementary school while they all remodeled.
This resulted in auxiliary class rooms (trailers) being used to accommodate the overflow. My son’s third grade class will be held in an auxiliary class room and his teacher is from this other school.
My DH is very angry; he feels that our son should be in the building. Out of 8 third grade classes, three are in these trailers.
Personally, I do not see an issue here, I believe that he will receive the same quality education as students in the building and he will have the added experience of the trailer.
Dh wants me to call and demand them to place our son in another classroom. I said no way. He keeps going on about how I am wrong, am I?

 

[lovesmurfs]

DS and DD both have been in auxilliary trailers (due to expanding school district). They're fine (pretty nice, in fact), and the kids get a rush by telling people they're in the mobiles (like being on the frontier or something). You wouldn't get a choice of teacher normally; the teacher is certainly certified and qualified. I would tell DH to relax.

 

[loco4dis]

I understand your husband's point, that this is your son's school and he perceives that school visitors have bumped him outside. Personally, I think the visiting school should have had ITS kids assigned to ITS teachers, whatever room they were in, but school administrators rarely do logical things like that.

However, I agree with you that your son will be just fine. When they go to the library, PE, etc., they'll get to go outside and the kids will think that's kind of cool. I actually taught in a portable building for a couple of years and I found it very relaxing, away from the hustle and bustle of the building. By the time my kids came in, they were relaxed and ready to start. And, your son is very likely to have classes in the future in portables, so your husband might as well get used to it. Good luck.

 

[Mkaz]

Maybe you could compromise with your dh. Can you call the school and find out why your son was placed in an auxiliary classroom with a teacher he is not familiar with? This might give your dh some peace about it.

Just a suggestion. Good luck!

HTH

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

Our dd was in a portable last year for 4th grade. She did just fine. I know there were some kinks to work out because the school remains locked during the day and a key was required to enter the building for any reason.

She had a great teacher. He was a great before the portable and being outside didn't make him less of a teacher. The education doesn't change because of not being a school building. I would let it go and treat this year no differently.

Good luck!


Rachel

 

[Kae]

We called them Cabins and the kids say they don't mind being in them. And your DS's teacher might be one of his favorites someday, When DS was in 3rd grade they had to add another teacher & he got moved to the new teacher I was bummed because I really wanted DH to have the other teacher but he loved the new one.

Kae

 

[Magic Mom]

hhhmmm good question, I can see both sides. I think before I made any decision, I would want to check out the condition of the trailers. Do they have working AC and heat? Are they large enough to fit the amount of students? Do the teachers have a way to contact the front office (phone connection, radio, etc)? How far are the trailers from the main school buildings? DO they have chalkboards, desks, bookshelves etc......all general questions to see what, if any, difference it would mean being in the trailer vs. the building. My mother taught in a trailer for a year, and it had no AC (in Florida), it had a roof leak so there was mold growing everywhere. She complained and complained, but finally had to quietly suggest to students that unless their parents got very very vocal, nothing would be done.
I'm not suggesting your child's classroom has those problems, it just came to mind with this topic.

To me the bigger concern is the teacher from the other school. Is she going back to that school during THIS year? If that's the case I would want my child switched to a teacher from your school. I like as much consistancy as possible, and playing musical teachers doesn't fly.

 

[golfgal]

Will this teacher be at the school all year? If so, I wouldn't worry about it, if this teacher is only going to be there part of the year and your son and any other kids that normally attend your school will have to move to a different teacher part way through the year, I wouldn't like it.

 

[freckles and boo]

This is not a big deal UNLESS the mobile is in poor condition like some of those in our district are. At our elementary school there are three mobiles and they hold the three sixth grade classes. (There is a very good chance that to solve this problem the sixth graders will be moved up the the Jr. High next year. ) They have water problems, leaking roofs, and limited natural light.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

our school also has theese trailers. I think they are nicer than the classroom in the bldg. Trailers have a/c and their own rest room. My only concern would be if his teacher is from the other school then will that teacher be leaving mid year?

 

[GJM]

Our school just got 11 portables (they call them cottages). All the new teachers were going in the portables. My DS did not want to be in a portable. I am not sure how I really felt about it.

My thing was as long as it had everything else that the classrooms in the school had I would be OK.

I told him I would rather him have a great teacher in a portable then a not so great teacher in the classroom in the school.

He didn't end up in a portable this year - but he may in the next coming years.

 

[SC Minnie]

Three of our schools have some portables. They are all nice with every amentity that the regular classrooms have. They are close to the main building and joined with a covered walkway and have a sidewalk. Its not that big of a deal.

 

[swanmom]

My DD spent 4th grade in a 'mobile' and LOVED it! The classroom was bigger, newer, air-conditioned (which the older school bldg was not) and MUCH, MUCH quieter. She was disappointed when she had to go back into the regular building the next year!

 

[ilisao]

Maybe you could compromise with your dh. Can you call the school and find out why your son was placed in an auxiliary classroom with a teacher he is not familiar with? This might give your dh some peace about it.

Just a suggestion. Good luck!

HTH

I don't know what being unfamiliar with a teacher has to do with it. I mean, at some point, all kids are with unfamiliar teachers. My kids are not familiar with their teachers this coming year, and they are teachers that are permanantly at the school. The bigger concern would be if they are going to have that teacher all year vs. getting a new one mid year.

As fars as the trailers go, I would never sweat that issue as long as they are in good condition. And as far as I am concerned, as long as these kids are being hosted at the school, they are part of the school. There is no us vs. them and if kids permanently at the school gets a trailer, so be it.

 

[mirmartinez]

Here is some additional information.
The portables will only be used this school year; our school is 3 years old (why we moved here). The other elementary school is under extensive remodeling and it will be completed by the next school year.
They have AC and heat, and the school has constructed footers around them. They do not have windows.
To use the bathroom, they will have to go inside the main building; the doors will remained unlocked during school hours.
He will have his teacher for the entire year. Also, I have never heard a bad thing about any of the elementary school teachers in our district.
School starts on Monday; at this point the portables are not classroom ready. My son will be in the art room until they are student ready (week or two). When they are ready, I will request a tour and my son will no doubt inform me if he is uncomfortable.

 

[mirmartinez]

I don't know what being unfamiliar with a teacher has to do with it. I mean, at some point, all kids are with unfamiliar teachers. My kids are not familiar with their teachers this coming year, and they are teachers that are permanantly at the school. The bigger concern would be if they are going to have that teacher all year vs. getting a new one mid year.

As fars as the trailers go, I would never sweat that issue as long as they are in good condition. And as far as I am concerned, as long as these kids are being hosted at the school, they are part of the school. There is no us vs. them and if kids permanently at the school gets a trailer, so be it.

I agree, that is why I do not want to call.

 

[loco4dis]

Here is some additional information.
The portables will only be used this school year; our school is 3 years old (why we moved here). The other elementary school is under extensive remodeling and it will be completed by the next school year.
They have AC and heat, and the school has constructed footers around them. They do not have windows.
To use the bathroom, they will have to go inside the main building; the doors will remained unlocked during school hours.
He will have his teacher for the entire year. Also, I have never heard a bad thing about any of the elementary school teachers in our district.
School starts on Monday; at this point the portables are not classroom ready. My son will be in the art room until they are student ready (week or two). When they are ready, I will request a tour and my son will no doubt inform me if he is uncomfortable.

OK, portables with NO windows I would have a HUGE problem with. Why in the world would your district purchase those? College students, even high school students, can endure a windowless room for a class or two, but for a 3rd grader for the entire day, no way. Moreover, with no bathroom, I think there is a real safety issue with the kids going back and forth alone to the building. In all likelihood, the teachers will be very strict about bathroom use, which can be a real problem for 3rd graders, especially boys. Honestly, there are nice portable buildings with windows and bathrooms. Do your administrators not understand children at all? I change my mind. I would DEFINITELY ask to have my child moved. No windows? Are you kidding me? That's not a portable, it's a cell. And when you visit the principal, take note of and comment on how many windows she has in her office! I bet it's more than none.

 

[GJM]

Honestly - the no window thing bothers me.

Our portables have windows and bathrooms in each of them. Plus they built a cover walk way that connects from the school to the portables.

How could they get portables with no windows?

 

[mickeyboat]

I was in a portable with no windows for a class in high school. I didn't have a problem with it. But I wonder what it would be like to be there all day long. Maybe the teacher will let them have a few more "breathers" outside, or keep the door open for fresh air on nice days.

In the end, I think your son will be fine.

Denae

 

[lovesmurfs]

Here is some additional information.
The portables will only be used this school year; our school is 3 years old (why we moved here). The other elementary school is under extensive remodeling and it will be completed by the next school year.
They have AC and heat, and the school has constructed footers around them. They do not have windows.
To use the bathroom, they will have to go inside the main building; the doors will remained unlocked during school hours.
He will have his teacher for the entire year. Also, I have never heard a bad thing about any of the elementary school teachers in our district.
School starts on Monday; at this point the portables are not classroom ready. My son will be in the art room until they are student ready (week or two). When they are ready, I will request a tour and my son will no doubt inform me if he is uncomfortable.

I would definitely question the issue of the doors remaining unlocked. This would bother me from a safety standpoint. Our mobiles (no windows either -- gave the teacher another surface to post kid artwork and projects) were locked, and the doors to the school were locked. When the students had to go in the building, they had to be buzzed in -- the teacher also had a key.