Looking for a legal opinion - education related

[MAH4546]

Don't waste your time. In no way, shape or form do you have a case. Move on and let it be.

And, yes, I do have a law degree.

 

[travelbug]

You should be fired. Your punishing a child for the mother's actions, that is abominable.

Huh? Did I miss something? I didn't see anything about punishing a child.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm curious OP... you were in the room when the drawing(s) was made. So you knew HOW the drawing was going to be done (even split between boys & girls). Did you raise any objection BEFORE the drawing was started, much less completed? Or did you just get upset AFTER you found out your DD didn't make it?

Also, in your opinion, what would be the BEST outcome now? Your DD makes it. But they only have 20 "girl" slots. So how do they pick which girl gets dropped?

My suggestion... confirm with the school board that if two boys drop out, they'll go to the waiting list for girls to fill in. After that, let it go. Do you really think having DD attend all day K as opposed to 1/2 day will help HER that much?

 

[okeydokey]

You should be fired. Your punishing a child for the mother's actions, that is abominable.

As to the OP - the above poster is what you have to look forward to with the public education system. Believe me, you will have larger battles to fight.

Janis

Fired for what? For remembering that the mom was a complete ninny?

 

[SaraJayne]

Fired for what? For remembering that the mom was a complete ninny?

Sounds like that poster doesn't like public schools.

 

[Arielle22]

OP,

Even if names were put in a hat and pulled, your DD still might not have gotten in. I advise you to drop it.

MY DDs are in public high school now and when they were first starting school there was no all day Kindergarten. We sent our girls to the half day session and then they went to an after school program.

It could be worse. Yesterday's Boston Globe had a big story on how schools are chosen in Boston. Some kids pick the top 5 schools they want but get in none of them. I don't know what criteria is used but some people theorize this is why Boston is losing its middle class who have children.

 

[azdizzymom]

This is just another case of a parent who thinks that her child deserves it more then another child. If her child had gotten picked she wouldn't have even thought about this and she wouldn't care. She just would have been glad that her child got in and that would be that.

So it's not that she really CARES that they did it that way. She just cares because her child was one of the ones who did not get picked.

We just like to sue over everything. Why don't we save the legal issues and the lawsuits for things that really matter and that are really important?

You hit the nail on the head. If her child had been picked she wouldn't have cared how the spots were chosen. Also, OP as someone else stated when you saw how the drawing was going you should have raised this stink BEFORE it was done not afterward. With your attitude your child is going to think she deserves everything and when things don't go her way something bad was done to her.

I agree that teachers do remember the parents who raise a stink. They don't hold it against the kids but they know the whining, complaining pain in the posterior parents!

Grow up and let your child enjoy WHATEVER KINDERGARTEN CLASS SHE GETS IN!

 

[dogluva]

You should be fired. Your punishing a child for the mother's actions, that is abominable.

As to the OP - the above poster is what you have to look forward to with the public education system. Believe me, you will have larger battles to fight.

Janis

OMG-she did not say she punished the child. She just remembered the temper tantrum the mother had. Nothing like reading into something. More teacher bashing, again some how we are always to blame.

 

[dis-happy]

I would just leave it! You are going to make a stink and as others have said be labeled for the ENTIRE TIME your child(ren) are in that school! Teachers know exactly what parents complain, whine and raise fusses. Same goes for administration.

Or worse yet, the OP may be shooting herself in the foot as far as the waitlist goes. I could see an adminsitrative person sticking her child's application on the bottom of the pile as any new openings come up. When you have to work with people that you want to help you it's far better not to burn bridges.

 

[Becky2005]

Or worse yet, the OP may be shooting herself in the foot as far as the waitlist goes. I could see an adminsitrative person sticking her child's application on the bottom of the pile as any new openings come up. When you have to work with people that you want to help you it's far better not to burn bridges.

I'm thinking if people drop out as she says may happen and her DD gets in, all of a sudden -- this is not going to be a pressing issue anymore for her to pursue.

I'm pretty sure it's legal because she has said it has been brought up before at the board meeting and they continue to do so. My thinking is they specifically seperate the boys/girls with the drawings BECAUSE if they put them all in one group that could be considered discrimination and this way having equal number of slots for both genders.

I'm assuming it's using the same basis that there has to be equal number of sports for boys & girls to not be discrimination.....therefore if there are 7 varsity boy sports there must be 7 varsity girl sports too. Same concept even if they have to drop another girl or boy sport to get the equal numbers.

 

[sam_gordon]

Another thought...

Wouldn't the break down of girls vs. boys slots need to equal (if it needs to equal anything) the percentage of kids district wide? I'm thinking maybe there are 250 girls and 250 boys district wide (numbers made up), even if only 21 boys and 26 girls signed up. Maybe that's where they got their percentage? If that's the case, then yes, doing a 50/50 split IS fair and not a case of discrimination.

 

[TenderDonkey]

Another lawyer here – I would take your case and a $7500 retainer and tie it up in the court system. In the end though it was a fair lottery. Every child had an equal chance of being selected. Sometimes you just have bad luck. It’s almost like betting on black and then suing because the table should have had more black numbers after they take your money.

 

[Lewisc]

Another lawyer here – I would take your case and a $7500 retainer and tie it up in the court system. In the end though it was a fair lottery. Every child had an equal chance of being selected. Sometimes you just have bad luck. It’s almost like betting on black and then suing because the table should have had more black numbers after they take your money.

You'd be stealing money if you charged a retainer. The OP said:

There were 26 girls for 20 slots and 21 boys for 20 slots. SO- girls had a 76.9% chance of getting in, boys 95.2% chance. And the waiting list goes by gender also, so if a boy drops, the first boy gets in. I feel this is extremely unfair

In other words every child didn't have an equal chance. I don't know if discrimination laws, including title IX, allow a district to have slots for girls and boys.

I do know your post suggests you didn't read the OP very well.

 

[GinnyEmma]

You'd be stealing money if you charged a retainer. The OP said:


In other words every child didn't have an equal chance. I don't know if discrimination laws, including title IX, allow a district to have slots for girls and boys.

I do know your post suggests you didn't read the OP very well.

And they wonder why lawyers have the rep they do.

 

[allison443]

And they wonder why lawyers have the rep they do.

Yes, until you need one yourself....

 

[GinnyEmma]

Yes, until you need one yourself....

Lol, I love our lawyer. but that statement is the epitome of pathetic.

 

[allison443]

Lol, I love our lawyer. but that statement is the epitome of pathetic.

 

[sam_gordon]

In other words every child didn't have an equal chance.

You don't know that. You're comparing this to kids that applied, NOT kids in the district. The ratios can be (and probably are) greatly skewed. I bet the boys to girls ratio district wide (all eligible kids) is closer to 50-50. It might be 49.5-50.5 or 51-49. I'm guessing that's where the district got their ratio.

 

[Lewisc]

You don't know that. You're comparing this to kids that applied, NOT kids in the district. The ratios can be (and probably are) greatly skewed. I bet the boys to girls ratio district wide (all eligible kids) is closer to 50-50. It might be 49.5-50.5 or 51-49. I'm guessing that's where the district got their ratio.

Every child that applied didn't get the same chance to enroll. I know that from the OP. I don't know, nor do I care, if the disparity is because of the sex distribution in that school age group or if it's because there is a disparity as to the % of girls vs boys who are interested in full time K. Either way the girls applying have a lower probability of being accepted then the boys.

What I don't know is if having 20 girl slots and 20 boy slots is considered discrimination or if it's permitted.

 

[GinnyEmma]

For a lawyer say they would take money on a case they knew they would lose just out of greed...pathetic.