Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not a registered nurse, but a licensed vocational nurse, that still has to pass a test and is licensed.
Dream on! A good friend of mine is a health room parapro (many call her the school 'nurse'), and she has a few weeks of training by the school district, period. Now my friend is very bright and she generally handles situations very well, from what she tells me. But she has no medical/nursing background, and she is not a college graduate. She is supervised by an RN who is rarely in the building and has several other schools as well.
BTW, any nurse who isn't busy "9 times out of 10" is unnecessary to the system. I, in fact, don't believe that. My friend runs all day long.
The thing that bothers me about this, as a mother, is that sometimes a kid can really feel like crap without having any outward appearances of being sick. I know when my son says he has a headache, it's because his sinuses are impacted from his deviated septum. You can't see blood or vomit, but my child is in pain. You know? It's not up to some teacher (myself included) to make the determination of whether or not my child really needs to see the nurse.
Actually, it was the NURSE that told us, the teachers this. Of course, we do use discretion. If the kid looks like s/he puked or was on the verge of it, we'll send him/her. But, if the kid looks fine? Nope, sorry.
I teach in a public highschool and I very rarely let students go to the bathroom during class time. There are several reasons for this. For one thing, that is why they have a passing period. I manage my time so that I do not leave the classroom during class time and I do expect the students can do the same. The real problem is that, when one student leaves, it is disruptive to the whole class. Everyone stops what they are doing and follows the kid with their eyes as s/he leaves AND when s/he comes back...double disruption. Additionally, I have to fill out a pass-book each time. If there are 35 students in the room waiting on my interaction and/or leadership, then it is very rude to put 34 on hold while one gets a pass. Finally, it will never be ONE; as soon as one pass is written, there is what I call "the domino effect," whereby suddenly half-a-dozen other students realize that they, too, need to use the bathroom.
I figure, if I can "hold it" for the duration of the class period, so can the students. (I came to this realization when I was 9 months pregnant and teaching on the 4x4.)
I would also like to say that all parents really should be treating your childrens teachers as professionals. "Yelling" at the teacher, for any reason whatsoever, is very inappropriate. Would you like someone to come to your workplace and YELL at you if they disagreed with a professional decision that you had made? There may be disagreements and discussions, but a school is a professional setting and yelling does not belong in a professional setting.
Most people who I know who are teachers, could be doing something else for a lot more money, but really felt called to make an investment in the children of the community (YOUR children). However, especially in public schools, your teachers are currently under a lot of stress. They are overworked and underpaid and many very good teachers are considering leaving the profession. If something is not done to take better care of teachers and if teachers do not start getting the respect that they deserve, you will soon find your children in the hands of...well...people who really can't do anything else. And, although most of the teachers I know are caring, educated professionals who have the best interests of children at heart... I have seen some of the other kind, too. I would not care to leave my children to them.
Just something to think about...
Also... I don't know where you are where starting salary is 50K. Where I am starting salary is 30 and since I began teaching 6 years ago (Second Career, much less well paid, but much higher job satisfaction) my kids have qualified for "free or reduced lunch" every year. And I am a fulltime, fully accredited teacher working full time (really...I work much more than full time hours, as most teachers do...but full-time salary...)
Oh wow, another saintly teacher with a steel bladder. Good for you. Just because you are willing to damage your bladder doesn't mean my children should suffer.
And you are right about the salaries, I looked and it is only 45k right out of school, not 50, and lets not forget teachers get more vacation time than most professions unless they choose to work over the summer and get paid extra. Also since most teachers are still in unions, their benefits are better than most. I bet you dont pay 6k out of pocket for your healthcare premiums like I do.
I wouldn't have yelled at the teacher if she had respected the wishes in my letter the first time. To me, a healthcare professional, she has no business not sending my sick kid tup the school nurse, just like it is not the school nurses job to teach the kids.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
Dream on! A good friend of mine is a health room parapro (many call her the school 'nurse'), and she has a few weeks of training by the school district, period. Now my friend is very bright and she generally handles situations very well, from what she tells me. But she has no medical/nursing background, and she is not a college graduate. She is supervised by an RN who is rarely in the building and has several other schools as well.
BTW, any nurse who isn't busy "9 times out of 10" is unnecessary to the system. I, in fact, don't believe that. My friend runs all day long.
you don't live here, so don't try to act like you know the policies of my school district. I know a couple of nurses that went to work for the schools here to be close to their kids. They are nurses, sorry that Colorado doesn't think it is necessary. Maybe the school nurse is not busy because the teachers refuse to send kids to her.
Oh, and for my school district teacher salaries you can Google judson isd teacher salaries and see the scale.
you don't live here, so don't try to act like you know the policies of my school district. I know a couple of nurses that went to work for the schools here to be close to their kids. They are nurses, sorry that Colorado doesn't think it is necessary. Maybe the school nurse is not busy because the teachers refuse to send kids to her.
Oh, and for my school district teacher salaries you can Google judson isd teacher salaries and see the scale.
Funny, upthread you said an LPN. You might check out the credentials of some of these people in your kid's health room.
I am not the one who disputed anything about salary, and I really don't care.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 12-27-2010 at 09:10 PM..
Reason: Fixed quote
you don't live here, so don't try to act like you know the policies of my school district. I know a couple of nurses that went to work for the schools here to be close to their kids. They are nurses, sorry that Colorado doesn't think it is necessary. Maybe the school nurse is not busy because the teachers refuse to send kids to her.
Oh, and for my school district teacher salaries you can Google judson isd teacher salaries and see the scale.
Funny, upthread you said an LPN. You might check out the credentials of some of these people in your kid's health room.
I am not the one who disputed anything about salary, and I really don't care.[/quote]
the salary part was for the other poster, forgot to add it and I'm doing this on my phone.
FYI, lpn's and lvn's are licensed nurses. I didn't call them rn's. I have worked with lots of both though the nursing board here is trying to push lvn's out.
Your situation I really have not met before, but I think the practice of school is wrong, you should lodge a complaint to them.
I tried to get an appt with the principal, but never got a call back. Problem seems resolved since my daughter was allowed to go to the nurse with ear pain since then.
I really don't know if its the school pushing teachers to keep the kids in class or the teachers who think they are nurses, but I am just monitoring it at this point.
Oh wow, another saintly teacher with a steel bladder. Good for you. Just because you are willing to damage your bladder doesn't mean my children should suffer.
And you are right about the salaries, I looked and it is only 45k right out of school, not 50, and lets not forget teachers get more vacation time than most professions unless they choose to work over the summer and get paid extra. Also since most teachers are still in unions, their benefits are better than most. I bet you dont pay 6k out of pocket for your healthcare premiums like I do.
I wouldn't have yelled at the teacher if she had respected the wishes in my letter the first time. To me, a healthcare professional, she has no business not sending my sick kid tup the school nurse, just like it is not the school nurses job to teach the kids.
you don't live here, so don't try to act like you know the policies of my school district. I know a couple of nurses that went to work for the schools here to be close to their kids. They are nurses, sorry that Colorado doesn't think it is necessary. Maybe the school nurse is not busy because the teachers refuse to send kids to her.
Oh, and for my school district teacher salaries you can Google judson isd teacher salaries and see the scale.
Whoa, in a high school, teenagers need to hold it in for 45 to 50 minute periods. They can go to the bathroom during passing periods. They can also go during their lunch periods and usually, they will be allowed to go if they have a study hall.
Now, if your child has a special bladder problem that's one thing. If not, then it makes no sense for him to go out during a short period when he is supposed to be learning the subject being taught.
In elementary school things are a bit different, but the teacher you were talking to teaches high school.
Btw, our ISD used to have RNs, but they no longer do. Money saving is a big thing. I'm in the Houston area. I don't get how they can get away with not having nurses given the number of special needs children. We even have kids with shunts.
I have no idea where you get that *most* teachers have unions either. Texas does not have unions. It is a right to work state.
Here's the map for right to work states. 23 states are non-union. Of course, in many states, the teacher's unions are very much in bed with the administration and don't really protect teachers at all.
Any of you teachers/ dept of education employees out there who can answer this please do.
Here's the situation. I have 2 children, 4th grade and 1st grade. Both of them have been denied to go to the school nurse by their teachers a total of 4 times. 2 of those times, my daughter had a high fever (over 102) when we picked her up after school.
Where can I complain about this? I am going to the principal on Monday (already yelled at the teacher, and yes I did yell). I work in healthcare and what the teachers are doing is illegal if they were in the hospital. I am thinking about filing a complaint with child protective services and the Texas department of education.
What do y'all think? I can't believe that in this day and age, that a teacher thinks they have the training to triage my children. If it has already happened to my children 4 times, it makes me wonder how many children are being kept at school sick and are being refused a medical evaluation (the school has a full time nurse as far as I know).
p.s. My son has been instructed to call us if he is ever denied going to the school nurse again (he's 9 and has a cellphone). I can't give my 6 year old a cell phone yet (though I am seriously considering it).
I have also been told by my son that they deny bathroom breaks. They have scheduled breaks and the children are expected to hold it until the next break. Is this school or prison?!?!
It's pretty much prison. People will try to tell you it's school, but when you are not there monitoring what they are doing, you would not believe what goes on . . . they think they have the right to dictate biological functions . . . (it would be "too much trouble" to let each kid decide when to go to the bathroom. You are supposed to go at recess and if you don't have to and have an emergency later, you are punished for it and told to wait).
Teachers think they are gods and they alone dictate what the kid can do. If they don't want the kid to go to the nurse, the kid doesn't go to the nurse. Period. It's very sick. And the teachers are protected up the butt by the teacher's unions.
Do you think the kids are protected for one minute? Who is protecting the kids? Where is the "kids union?" Most parents are too busy to hang out and see what goes on. It would make your head spin.
Principals are not in charge of the teachers, as you might think. The principals are administrators . . . teachers are ruled by the teacher's unions and they can pretty much do anything they want. You do realize that, don't you? You can complain to the principal all day, but the principals are just figure heads. Same with the PTA's. School curriculum is set by the state. The state makes the rules, NOT THE DISTRICT, NOT THE SCHOOLS, NOT THE PRINCIPLES AND NOT EVEN THE TEACHERS . . .
The answer: The best private schools you can afford or home schooling or schooling when your kids get old enough to decide for themselves. Until then, it is abuse, pure and simple.
Originally posted by imcurious It's pretty much prison. People will try to tell you it's school, but when you are not there monitoring what they are doing, you would not believe what goes on . . . they think they have the right to dictate biological functions . . . (it would be "too much trouble" to let each kid decide when to go to the bathroom. You are supposed to go at recess and if you don't have to and have an emergency later, you are punished for it and told to wait).
Teachers think they are gods and they alone dictate what the kid can do. If they don't want the kid to go to the nurse, the kid doesn't go to the nurse. Period. It's very sick. And the teachers are protected up the butt by the teacher's unions.
Do you think the kids are protected for one minute? Who is protecting the kids? Where is the "kids union?" Most parents are too busy to hang out and see what goes on. It would make your head spin.
Principals are not in charge of the teachers, as you might think. The principals are administrators . . . teachers are ruled by the teacher's unions and they can pretty much do anything they want. You do realize that, don't you? You can complain to the principal all day, but the principals are just figure heads. Same with the PTA's. School curriculum is set by the state. The state makes the rules, NOT THE DISTRICT, NOT THE SCHOOLS, NOT THE PRINCIPLES AND NOT EVEN THE TEACHERS . . .
The answer: The best private schools you can afford or home schooling or schooling when your kids get old enough to decide for themselves. Until then, it is abuse, pure and simple.
Please.
I go out of my way to make sure my kids are safe. How dare you imply that I abuse children! And since you're already lying, why don't you accuse us of beating our students while you're at it? You have no clue what you're talking about!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
