The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Firstly, apologies to any teachers on the forum - I am sure that you wouldn't do this..... Gosh, I am so annoyed with Rosie's school! They told us that they had finished with their teacher training days for the year, so I used my last two days of holiday in half term to be with Rosie. Last night - she had a letter explaining that they were transferring a training day from next year over to 3rd December so that staff could learn a new computer system. This leaves me in a bit of a situation... Ian (Rosie's Dad) can't work from his home that day because he's in London, Phil needs to work from his house, which is a building site, so not suitable for Rosie to be there for the day, I have to work.....and there's no-one else to look after her. My folks live an hour and a half away, my mother is busy that day with a long-standing arrangement; my father has kindly offered to come up and spend the day with Rosie, but it's an early start and a long drive for an oldster. I can't afford childcare and have no-one else to look after Rosie for me. I spoke to her teacher this morning , who was surprised about there being a problem; I said that I suspected that I wouldn't be the last parent to complain about it. And suggested that they could have some of the TAs looking after the children while the teachers rotated their training, rather than all of them taking all day to train. It sounded like this was a novel idea to them ...she is getting the head teacher to call me later today.....*drums fingers* Am I the only one who thinks that schools don't think about single and/or working parents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 No, you're not the only one that thinks that. Ours take inset days whenever they want it seems, same as clsing the school when it's too hot, or too cold at a moments notice. I'm lucky, I work permanent late / night shifts so it doesn't affect me but I see lots of other Mums having a nightmare (and nearly always end up with other kids with us for the day to help out!) Could Rosie not stay the previous night at your parents then your Dad could drive her back at his leisure during the day? Still, it beats me why they can't do their training in the 6 week summer holiday. Or the two week end of term break. Or the week half term, or the two weeks at Christmas, but that's just me! (sorry if I've offended any teachers, I know you work very very hard and you have to deal with some awful awful kids, but so do I and I only get 19 days leave a year, and I have to work 24 hour shifts for the pleasure!) Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Could Rosie not stay the previous night at your parents then your Dad could drive her back at his leisure during the day? Mrs B Good idea Mrs B, but they are an hour and a half away and she's with her dad the weekend before as we've had to swap a weekend (3rd is a Monday), so it would mean me driving her down there rather late on the Sunday night after he brings her back Our school is staffed and has it's catchment area mostly within walking distance, yet it always closes at the first hint of snow - there have been 8 extra days closure this year due to teacher training, a gas leak and snow. I work a 40 hour week and get just 20 days hols per year, which I take during the holidays to spend time with Rosie. It's a nightmare and puts a strain on what is already a difficult arrangement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Oh, AND the last inset day was taken because it was going to be 'rather a long term'(!!!!) Waste of an inset day methinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Clare you have my utmost sympathy I have the same problems with Inset? Days They are the bane of my life It is even worse with Harry at senior school, they have 2 days attached to EVERY half term and any events at the school open days, parents evening, plays, they close the school for the whole day We have no family anywhere near to us and he is too young to be left on his own all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Oh, I forgot to add that they close the whole school for elections too That arrangement sounds a nightmare Debs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xraylady Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Am I the only one who thinks that schools don't think about single and/or working parents? 'Fraid it is exactly the same deal this side of the pond, also I raised my 2 older kids as a single mum. The extra training days that litter the calendar , the note found in the backpack Weds "school will let out at noon this Friday due to. . ." & most of all, the parent/teacher conference appointments that are helpfully assigned to you at 11:15am next week I know that the staff work hard, professionals dealing with often ambivelent, frequently absent parents with an I-could-care-less or frivolous attitude, and they have to come up with some methods to cope with increasingly complex & bureaucratic demands from the state. I just feel that the way to coax more overworked, overstretched, well-meaning parents into regular direct involvement with the childs school is not by pretending that Mummy is at home doing housework all day. Now I am remarried & have my little 5 yr-old going through the school system again. My husband has his own business & can rearrange his schedule to accommodate her school. I'm afraid my previous frustrations & stress often play across my face when we get another of these scheduling challenges My husband says I am too rigid & should look at it from the schools point of view I guess my reactions come from the past - this is his only child, so its hard for him to understand how overwhelmed I used to feel, when needing to accommodate unexpected schedule changes from my older childrens schools. Maybe as a society we could look at our children holistically - they are not schoolchildren vs sons & daughters - but whole human beings, whose development & education is only harmed by trying to segregate the needs & interests of school-life vs home-life. There. Done with my rant state-side I feel much better now! I wish you all the best as you attempt to pull off yet another last-minute miracle without losing your job I surely know just how you feel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 It's sort of the same - but the opposite for me. As I only work two days, I sometimes have to go in and attend an 'important' meeting on my days off, which leaves me with a dilemma of what to do with Stefan. At £34 a day, the nursery is out of the question. I'm sure many teachers wouldn't mind going in on the occasional day during a 'holiday' (I use the term loosely) if they were paid for the day. They don't get paid for their holidays. Their wages are spread over 12 monthly payments. I'd keep on to the school Clare. As you say, being a single parent makes it harder for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 It does do my head in Sarah - got a letter yesterday in her school bag asking all parents to pop in for 'coffee and a chat'....at 2pm tomorrow My immediate boss is lovely and wouldn't hesitate to tell me to bring her in to the office, and Rosie is very well behaved. But I just know that there would be utterances around the other departments... we have clients in most days too, I wouldn't be able to spend any time with her and she'd be bored stiff with keeping quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I'd keep on to the school Clare. As you say, being a single parent makes it harder for you. I'm still waiting for them to call Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 My girls are older & at secondary school, so I can happilyleave them for a while & they will come to no harm, in theory. But, the school didn't even bother to tell us parents last inset day - oh, & the following week when they closed at 12.30 for open evening. They left it to the children to tell us, & even though I have 2, between them they STILL managed to forget to tell me I came home from Tesco to find them eating noodles & watching Friends reruns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I often don't get Rosie's school notes - 'someone' takes them out of her bag when he collects her from school and they don't get passed on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 It would seem our school doesn't do notes any more - it is using pupils to pass on messages insted, & you know how reliable teenagers are Didn't even tell us parents whose children are on the school coach that the coach had been booked early for goodness sakes. Single parents must find it really very hard to juggle their lives around,& it sounds like you school is making things really difficult for you.How inconsiderate - a letter to the Governors,perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I had thought about a letter to the governers if the head doesn't come through, but most of them are 'stay at home parents' from the PTA, so i'm not sure how much sympathy I'd get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) You might be in a minority,but you are a parent too & your points are very valid. if you make a complaint to the Governors i think they are duty bound to look into it properly. Ever considered being a Governor yourself? Edited November 8, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Thanks for that info Sarah - that's cheered me up. Governor meetings are in the afternoon after school - so out for me. I love getting involved in things like that, but I've got enough going on at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 That sounds a bit discriminatory with the Governors Clare they are making it so a particular 'type' of parent can't become one - why People who work or are single parents have a voice too and there is not a single one on the committee Schools hack me off as an employer Not as bad as it used to be as I had someone who came in at the start of every year with all these dates for inset and or training days which was almost every other week with his children We all don't get paid for our holidays it is still divied up between 12 months and we all have to cope with our training around that why can't schoold organise it within these times or pay overtime like the rest of the countries profession if extra time is required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 That sounds a bit discriminatory with the Governors Clare they are making it so a particular 'type' of parent can't become one - why Thats exactly what I was going to say Louise - its not right,is it? My girls School closes at 2.30 every friday for teacher training,which is fine. Cuts down on the teacher training days at least,& gives the pupils an hour to get on with their homework,in theroy any way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I don't see why they can't do the training after school hours. The governers seem to consist of parents, teachers, the head and a representative of the local church (also has children at the school). There is a ballot when a place comes up, but it's usually peopel involved in the PTA that get suggested. I don't want to join, just to make things fairer for working and single parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 My girls School closes at 2.30 every friday for teacher training,which is fine.Cuts down on the teacher training days at least,& gives the pupils an hour to get on with their homework,in theroy any way [/color] That's a good idea Sarah - I might suggest that... I don't think they'd be happy about giving up all their extra days off though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Well, you shouldn't have to join to get your point across But I think you need to be quite firm & make it know that even if you are in a minority,you expect your views to be taken seriously by the governors & appropriate action to be taken. Hark at me - I couldn't even stop my school from making the pupils take in every book,every day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Don't worry sarah - I'm very good at getting my point across! I haven't heard from the head yet, so I assume that he's not going to call me today,,,perhaps I'll bump into him at the concert tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 When I was a school governor I brought up the point that we should pay for childcare for governors/prospective governors who have childcare problems (which might put them off being a governor in the first place)a bit like you Claret. The motion got passed, & so childcare costs will be paid- even to Grandparents who are doing the babysitting, it does not have to be a registered childminder etc. does your school have that policy? Maybe it's not worth you getting involved now that Rosie has less than 2 years to go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Clare, what a complete nighmare Stick to your guns and let us know how you get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...