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I wouldnt be happy if my dh worked 16 hours a week ; he now works 50. But this is a small school and therefore we do not have the after school activities that a bigger school may have ; We have bowling once a week, music is done during the school hours except for the concert this week, do not have clubs etc. It is a very small parochial school with almost very little extra circular activities.
I do think that maybe she could go to one game per sport every season. Bowling has been going on since sept and she has yet to come to support the school. I have agreed that she needs a life outside school ; we all need it. I have absolutely no problem with that at all. But my question is weather it is fair to expect her to go to one or two out of school activieties for the support of the kids.
Going once or twice a year seems reasonable. However, if you check your original post, you'll notice that isn't what you said. You mentioned that she DID attend the band concert but was only able to stay for one song... and you still weren't satisfied! May I ask, how many children does she have and how old are they? Do you know if her spouse works or if she is a single mother? Is it possible that this is a childcare issue, where it is difficult for her to come to evening events? Perhaps her husband works the opposite shift as her and she has to get home to watch her children in the afternoons?
Again, I think there are some reasonable concerns in what you've posted: the concern over math and science performance (though even then, it's questionable if you can really "pin" that on the principal... I'd worry you'd just as soon get the math and science teachers in trouble) and uneven handling of discipline (if it involves your child directly.) But I worry that if you go in and complain about trivial matters like not coming to an entire concert or not staying for bowling, it may come across to the leaders in charge as if you're searching for any excuse to complain about this woman simply because you don't like her. If it was me, I would really try to get to the root of what was the biggest issue, and let the small stuff go.
Going once or twice a year seems reasonable. However, if you check your original post, you'll notice that isn't what you said. You mentioned that she DID attend the band concert but was only able to stay for one song... and you still weren't satisfied! May I ask, how many children does she have and how old are they? Do you know if her spouse works or if she is a single mother? Is it possible that this is a childcare issue, where it is difficult for her to come to evening events? Perhaps her husband works the opposite shift as her and she has to get home to watch her children in the afternoons?
Again, I think there are some reasonable concerns in what you've posted: the concern over math and science performance (though even then, it's questionable if you can really "pin" that on the principal... I'd worry you'd just as soon get the math and science teachers in trouble) and uneven handling of discipline (if it involves your child directly.) But I worry that if you go in and complain about trivial matters like not coming to an entire concert or not staying for bowling, it may come across to the leaders in charge as if you're searching for any excuse to complain about this woman simply because you don't like her. If it was me, I would really try to get to the root of what was the biggest issue, and let the small stuff go.
Her children are in college and thats all I know about her personal life. I also said that she didnt show up for the beginning band and stayed for one song for the experienced band.
I dont want to complain about any excuse at all ; I feel that I have given her 3 years and while there have been minor things in the last two years, I have left them go. Last year 5 teachers retired, some others left and I wonder how long it will be before the whole school closes. I also worry about the kids educational requirements and them being behind their peers at different schools a lot.
Her children are in college and thats all I know about her personal life. I also said that she didnt show up for the beginning band and stayed for one song for the experienced band.
I dont want to complain about any excuse at all ; I feel that I have given her 3 years and while there have been minor things in the last two years, I have left them go. Last year 5 teachers retired, some others left and I wonder how long it will be before the whole school closes. I also worry about the kids educational requirements and them being behind their peers at different schools a lot.
Yes, but what specific complaints do you have? You said you wrote a letter to the Archdiocese, right? And they didn't do anything? I think that puts you in a tough position.
Are there any actionable complaints that you have, or specific data that could help illustrate your point? Maybe it would help to get that written down. Right now I'm hearing that 5 teachers retired (that's hard to blame on anyone), that you don't feel they are doing well in math and science (by what measure and again, how can that be pinned specifically on her?), and that the teachers bad-mouth her in front of the class (which again, is more likely to get those teachers fired than her.) I think the complaint that she comes to this concert but not that one, etc, doesn't really stick out as being that alarming... it sounds like grasping at straws.
She may very well not be the world's best principal, but I'm not hearing anything that out of line either. I think if you're going to raise an issue about this, you need to get your ducks in a row and be able to come to the table with something real to complain about. Or just transfer to another school if you're highly displeased with this one.
My son's school has a new principal. Many parents are not happy with her. I've heard kids, including my own, say they don't like her. I don't know how the teachers and staff feel, but the atmosphere up at the school is just 'different'.
Our old principal was WONDERFUL! There was never any doubt that he LOVED all the kids in his school. He LOVED being there and it was not just a job for him. He showed up to most after school activities and always looked HAPPY to be there. You knew that he cared deeply about the children, their education and providing a safe and comfortable learning environment.
The best way I can describe the difference between our old principal and the new one is:
The new principal SAYS all the right things. All the right words come out of her mouth, but NONE of it comes from her heart.
That's hard to quantify on paper. If I had to put in writing everything that is wrong with our current principal, I would be hard pressed to come up with anything tangible.
My son's school has a new principal. Many parents are not happy with her. I've heard kids, including my own, say they don't like her. I don't know how the teachers and staff feel, but the atmosphere up at the school is just 'different'.
Our old principal was WONDERFUL! There was never any doubt that he LOVED all the kids in his school. He LOVED being there and it was not just a job for him. He showed up to most after school activities and always looked HAPPY to be there. You knew that he cared deeply about the children, their education and providing a safe and comfortable learning environment.
The best way I can describe the difference between our old principal and the new one is:
The new principal SAYS all the right things. All the right words come out of her mouth, but NONE of it comes from her heart.
That's hard to quantify on paper. If I had to put in writing everything that is wrong with our current principal, I would be hard pressed to come up with anything tangible.
Bingo ; you hit the nail on the head. The old principal really loved the children, always listened to them, always took into consideration the needs of the children even to the detriment of the parents. She was this wee nun who genuinly LOVED the children and it showed.
The new one seems to be doing a better job of trying to cover her rear end more than anything, but just dosnt seem to give out the caring vibes.
Bingo ; you hit the nail on the head. The old principal really loved the children, always listened to them, always took into consideration the needs of the children even to the detriment of the parents. She was this wee nun who genuinly LOVED the children and it showed.
The new one seems to be doing a better job of trying to cover her rear end more than anything, but just dosnt seem to give out the caring vibes.
Which may all very well be true, however when something is so difficult to quantify, it's hard to expect anyone in a position to do anything to take action, right? It would be like if the principal called CPS about you and said you were a bad mother. When they asked if she had seen you hitting your kids, being neglectful, cussing them out, whatever, they need to hear something more concrete than not feeling the bunnies and rainbows when they're around you. There are different parenting styles. There are different personalities and styles to being a principal as well. Her style doesn't work for you, but that may not make it "wrong" or something they could dismiss her for.
So, in short, she may not do things the way you wish she would, but that doesn't mean it's anything actionable. Plus, I would be careful that if you do choose to do anything, you stick to things you can write down and quantify. If you come in with a chief complaint of, "She goes home once her work hours are over, unlike super-nun who stayed until 11 PM every night," they're likely going to laugh and dismiss everything you're saying. That one quibble makes all the others seem petty.
The elementary principal that most impressed me was the one who came into my children's school and let it be known that she would try to know the name of every student within her first year. She did it too, by walking the halls, visiting classrooms, and spending lots of time on the playground.
When the board tried to move her out 2 years later (to another school) The B of Ed meeting was packed with parents demanding she be allowed to stay. She did.
When we moved to FL I don't think my kids even knew the name of the principal!
Amazing enough, a few months ago I spoke to the principal about one son. She replied that she would send his homework home with my other son. Didnt acknowledge his name or anything. After 3 years, I would think that she could have called him by his first name. But of my sons have unusual names and most of the teachers know them.
The old principal would answer the phone at all hours, knew each parent almost by their voice on the telephone and definately knew the children ; welcomed them into the school daily and acknowledged them by first name/.
Principals are there to manage the school, provide administration to the staff, and perform supervision as needed. Where ever I worked, the prinicipal performed those tasks, and left the going to games, and stuff like that to Deans, and assistant principals. I hardly ever even saw the principal of the school I worked at, except once at a very tense IEP meeting.
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