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The school does have after-school day care right in the building but Mom won't sign her child up "because it is too expensive" and the school can't force her to do that or to charge Mom for late pick-ups from the public school.
A little side story. The day care is open until 6:00 PM and has a very strict late pick-up policy. Ii changes $5 A MINUTE for late pick-ups and the parents must pay the late charges in cash before the child can be admitted back into day care the next school day. I once discussed this with the director and she said that they used to have a huge problem with parents coming late when they charged $15 for each 15 minutes. Now at $5 a minute they rarely have a parent that is even a minute or two late.
Yes, it is too bad that the classroom teacher who needs to wait with Special Snowflake can't get extra money for it or even an "I'm sorry that I'm late" from Mom.
It seems to me the solution is to change school policy (even if it requires a change in state law) to provide for a penalty for late pick ups. Our local public library will call the police if children are not picked up by closing.
After thirty plus years in special ed this still seems odd and unfair to me.
No one would ever consider asking/demanding that other professionals do their jobs for free.
"You must love being a financial advisor. Please spend five hours going over my records and setting up a portfolio for me, but, of course, I don't need to pay you (because you do it for the love of finances)."
"You must love being a hair dresser. Please wash & cut my hair, color my hair and do a fancy up do for me, but, of course, I don't need to pay you (because you love your job and want me to look my best)."
"You must love being a doctor. Please do my surgery, but, of course, I don't need to pay you (because you do it for the love of medicine)."
Those examples sound pretty silly, but most people would be absolutely shocked to hear about some of the "extra" things/services/special privileges/beyond the call of duty requests that (some) parents of special education students demand for their child.
A friend of mine teaches severely cognitively delayed students. One parent is routinely late (four days out of five) in picking up her child from school at dismissal. Usually it is about 10 to 15 minutes Hmmm, guess who needs to stay and watch the child? You are right the special education teacher.Once or twice a month the mom is 30 to 60 minutes and then it may be the secretary or principal who needs to stay late with the child (after the first 15 minutes).
The mom doesn't even apologize, just says things like "I needed to pick up a prescription for Special Snowflake" or "I was taking a nap because it is so hard to care for Special Snowflake at night".
Every month or so the school gets tough on Mom about being late and Mom will be on time for a two or three weeks and then starts being late again. This has been going on for three years.
One recent early dismissal day (the students get out two hours early) Mom never showed up until 15 minutes late for the normal dismissal time (ie. 135 minutes late). Her phone was turned off and no one else would get the child. Mom told the teacher (who had been watching the child while she should have been writing reports & doing report cards) "Oh, I forgot that it was early dismissal today but you are probablyvery happy that you got some extra 1 to 1 time teaching Special Snowflake today." ARRRGGGG!!!!! As you probably can guess, the teacher was not "very happy" to have the extra 2 hours and 15 minutes with Special Snowflake.
Thank you for letting me vent.
BTW Most parents are reasonable, grateful and thankful for any extras but there are a few that just "blow my mind" with their unreasonable demands and sense of entitlement.
At my school if a parent is that late, we call social services.
I had a parent whose child was involved in an academic team I coach for free. It gets out at 4. Her mother showed up once at 5:30. Well, once can happen due to an unforeseen event. The next week she showed up at 6. I told her that if she cannot get here on time her daughter cannot participate. She told me that since she was an elected official I should be accommodating of her schedule. I let her know that my principal had suggest I can the local police or social services next time the parent abandoned her child. She was never late again.
It seems to me the solution is to change school policy (even if it requires a change in state law) to provide for a penalty for late pick ups. Our local public library will call the police if children are not picked up by closing.
Thats an option for public schools as well. Teachers are allowed to call social services or even the police.
Thats an option for public schools as well. Teachers are allowed to call social services or even the police.
I know that Mom constantly being late to pick up her child has been reported to social services and I believe that one time when she was really late the principal called the police. Neither seemed to make a big effect on the Mom.
I know that Mom constantly being late to pick up her child has been reported to social services and I believe that one time when she was really late the principal called the police. Neither seemed to make a big effect on the Mom.
Perhaps it might get things moving if they were called every time. She really seems out of touch with her responsibilities. It's almost as if she thinks that someone else should be responsible for her child without any input on her part. Not a good situation for the child. It makes me wonder if other basic needs are being sidelined.
I know that Mom constantly being late to pick up her child has been reported to social services and I believe that one time when she was really late the principal called the police. Neither seemed to make a big effect on the Mom.
Picking her child up at the police station had no effect on her?
Here if you call the police or social services they come, get the child, and the teacher leaves.
I did suggest to Mom that she contact one of the local Universities and she may be able to find a graduate student who could do (at least some of the things) for free to gain some practical experience.
The interesting thing is that this has happened before (although not as dramatically).
One parent wanted me to design a home tutoring program, monitor the data, teach other trainers how to implement it, etc for $10 an hour. Correction she wanted me to do the program with her child & demonstrate it to others for $10 an hour. She said that I should "design the program and monitor the data at home on my owntime". Typically, professionals with my qualifications get paid $40 to $50 an hour to do that type of programming, designing, direct service and training others.
The Mom actually got angry with me when I said "No". She said "Don't you love children with special education needs and want the best for them?" Well, yes I do, but I also want to get paid for my work. I wonder if that Mom would say the same thing to a doctor or attorney. "Don't you love medicine/the law and want to do what is best (and not charge me anything)?"
BTW In her neighborhood 14 year old kids normally get paid more than $10 an hour just for babysitting one child and she got angry when I told her "No". It is puzzling.
I think there is a lot of this on Craigslist. I don't use it anymore, but when I did I had similar experiences, although from companies and not parents. In one case someone was looking for someone to do a whole lot of programming and community stuff, design everything for their educational program from entry assessment to curriculum, etc., and then they wanted me to put all that together for them with a "bid" and they would decide whom to hire. In other words, they wanted someone to do the job first, and then they'd decide if they would pay them. They claimed it was going to be some great, permanent position with benefits. It pissed me off. I'm a professional and I don't work for free or give away free work in exchange for being allowed to apply for a job.
Perhaps it might get things moving if they were called every time. She really seems out of touch with her responsibilities. It's almost as if she thinks that someone else should beresponsible for her child without any input on her part. Not a good situation for the child. It makes me wonder if other basic needs are being sidelined.
That is very true. I was a long term sub aide in that room totaling four or five months over the past two years and during that time I don't think that Mom ever actually apologized to anyone for being late for pick up each day. In fact she frequently acted like she was doing the school a favor by allowing us extra time with her daughter.
The police met Mom at school and talked to her they didn't take the daughter to the police station (partly because you need someone with the child at all times that can handle her special health needs, medications & seizures).
A little side story. The day care is open until 6:00 PM and has a very strict late pick-up policy. Ii changes $5 A MINUTE for late pick-ups and the parents must pay the late charges in cash before the child can be admitted back into day care the next school day. I once discussed this with the director and she said that they used to have a huge problem with parents coming late when they charged $15 for each 15 minutes. Now at $5 a minute they rarely have a parent that is even a minute or two late..
I was recently asked to tutor a child after school. I told her mom i normally do not tutor after school, but I would make an exception. I just ask her to be at school at 4:00.
On the way to the front of school, the girl told me she was gonna ruin my day. Her mom had gone out of town, and her sister was gonna pick her up, but her sister was at her boyfriend's a half hour away.
Well I was ther till 4:45.
Unbelievably the mom called the next day, and asked when was I tutoring after school again. No apology, no nothing,
My response was "never." She got angry. I did, not care.
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