I've been away for a while (really busy in several areas of my life) but this was important enough I thought it needed to be reported here.
Snacks Crossing Elementary School made a serious, potentially dangerous error in the care of my 6 year old daughter. I'm writing this now, after I've calmed down a bit.
Tuesday, August 10th, I went to Snacks Crossing Elementary School (MSD Pike Township) to deal with some last minute paperwork issues for her first year of school. One of the things was to make sure the school had the proper permission and notice that she was to be picked up after school by her daycare and not take the school bus home. I watched them write her name and the name of the daycare on a list in the office and received verbal confirmation that they knew the daycare. I then stopped by the daycare to make sure she was on their list as well. All was in order, or so I thought.
Yesterday, at about 3:30 in the afternoon I get a call from a neighbor. My daughter was sitting outside the house and crying. Apparently she had been delivered home by school bus even though nobody was home and the school knew that nobody would be home. According to the neighbor she had a sticker on her shirt with her bus number. The school, despite instructions to the contrary, put her on the school bus rather than sending her with the other children from that day care.
Had it not been for the kindness of a neighbor this could have ended very badly. It still terrifies me to think how badly.
Is this really the kind of care we can expect from our public schools?
And following that, I personally took Athena to school this morning. I spoke to {name withheld} in the office. While I was standing there, I watched her (again) write Athena's name, day care, and that she was going to be picked up by the day care on the list. I also handed her the written note I had prepared and printed from the computer--again. I pointed out that without the intervention of the neighbor this could have had a very bad ending. Since the only difference between this time and Tuesday was that this time {name withheld} had a very angry parent standing in front of her, I did not consider this, by itself, entirely adequate so I took further steps.
After speaking with {name withheld}, I waited until the time to take children back to their classes (7:55) and took Athena personally back to her class. We were there before the other kids so we waited until the teacher came back with the other children. I then spoke to the teacher, {name withheld2}. I told {name withheld2} what had happened--that I had been in Tuesday to get Athena listed for the day care and that on Wednesday, the first day of classes, she was put on the bus for home. She was then let out at home when nobody was there. A neighbor then noticed her and basically came to her rescue. I was called at work and the neighbor was willing to take Athena to the day care. I also explained to her that without the intervention of that neighbor the incident could have ended very badly indeed. While I was there, I watched as she wrote Athena's name and the day care on a sticker to put on her shirt so that she would get to the right place. {name withheld2} then gave me her cell phone number to use if there are any future problems and I couldn't get through to the school itself (line is busy, voicemail is full, etc.) I again pointed out that if the neighbor had not come to Athena's rescue this could have ended very badly indeed.
In both of these cases I used my wife's "blow up" last night to advantage. I mentioned that they were probably lucky to be dealing with me since I was the "calm one." (My anger tends to run cold, my wife's very hot indeed.) Of course, I could have used that approach even if she hadn't blown up the way she did. "Good cop, bad cop" has an long tradition.
After leaving the school, I went to the daycare. I spoke to the administrator. I reminded her what had happened the previous day and mentioned that there was one area in which they fell short: when Athena wasn't there to be picked up they should have immediately called me. This was a mistake and I wanted assurance that it would not happen again. They are aware that if Athena is ever not there to be picked up, I need to know immediately. In return, if Athena isn't going to be there--home from school, say--we need to call them and let them know. Once more I emphasized that without the neighbor coming to Athena's rescue this could have ended very badly indeed.
I have also sent versions of the letter to the editor that I sent last night to the four local "network" TV stations (CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox).
We'll see if anybody picks up on it.
Snacks Crossing Elementary School made a serious, potentially dangerous error in the care of my 6 year old daughter. I'm writing this now, after I've calmed down a bit.
Tuesday, August 10th, I went to Snacks Crossing Elementary School (MSD Pike Township) to deal with some last minute paperwork issues for her first year of school. One of the things was to make sure the school had the proper permission and notice that she was to be picked up after school by her daycare and not take the school bus home. I watched them write her name and the name of the daycare on a list in the office and received verbal confirmation that they knew the daycare. I then stopped by the daycare to make sure she was on their list as well. All was in order, or so I thought.
Yesterday, at about 3:30 in the afternoon I get a call from a neighbor. My daughter was sitting outside the house and crying. Apparently she had been delivered home by school bus even though nobody was home and the school knew that nobody would be home. According to the neighbor she had a sticker on her shirt with her bus number. The school, despite instructions to the contrary, put her on the school bus rather than sending her with the other children from that day care.
Had it not been for the kindness of a neighbor this could have ended very badly. It still terrifies me to think how badly.
Is this really the kind of care we can expect from our public schools?
And following that, I personally took Athena to school this morning. I spoke to {name withheld} in the office. While I was standing there, I watched her (again) write Athena's name, day care, and that she was going to be picked up by the day care on the list. I also handed her the written note I had prepared and printed from the computer--again. I pointed out that without the intervention of the neighbor this could have had a very bad ending. Since the only difference between this time and Tuesday was that this time {name withheld} had a very angry parent standing in front of her, I did not consider this, by itself, entirely adequate so I took further steps.
After speaking with {name withheld}, I waited until the time to take children back to their classes (7:55) and took Athena personally back to her class. We were there before the other kids so we waited until the teacher came back with the other children. I then spoke to the teacher, {name withheld2}. I told {name withheld2} what had happened--that I had been in Tuesday to get Athena listed for the day care and that on Wednesday, the first day of classes, she was put on the bus for home. She was then let out at home when nobody was there. A neighbor then noticed her and basically came to her rescue. I was called at work and the neighbor was willing to take Athena to the day care. I also explained to her that without the intervention of that neighbor the incident could have ended very badly indeed. While I was there, I watched as she wrote Athena's name and the day care on a sticker to put on her shirt so that she would get to the right place. {name withheld2} then gave me her cell phone number to use if there are any future problems and I couldn't get through to the school itself (line is busy, voicemail is full, etc.) I again pointed out that if the neighbor had not come to Athena's rescue this could have ended very badly indeed.
In both of these cases I used my wife's "blow up" last night to advantage. I mentioned that they were probably lucky to be dealing with me since I was the "calm one." (My anger tends to run cold, my wife's very hot indeed.) Of course, I could have used that approach even if she hadn't blown up the way she did. "Good cop, bad cop" has an long tradition.
After leaving the school, I went to the daycare. I spoke to the administrator. I reminded her what had happened the previous day and mentioned that there was one area in which they fell short: when Athena wasn't there to be picked up they should have immediately called me. This was a mistake and I wanted assurance that it would not happen again. They are aware that if Athena is ever not there to be picked up, I need to know immediately. In return, if Athena isn't going to be there--home from school, say--we need to call them and let them know. Once more I emphasized that without the neighbor coming to Athena's rescue this could have ended very badly indeed.
I have also sent versions of the letter to the editor that I sent last night to the four local "network" TV stations (CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox).
We'll see if anybody picks up on it.
