I am an elementary principal of 800+ students in a K-5 builidng and would like to offer my two cents on some thngs parents can do to help schools.
I would urge you to keep some things in mind:
1. As a legal custodial parent, you have the right to get your child at any time of the day.
2. The most chaotic time to get a student is the last 15-20 minutes of the school day, especially young children. Please come and sit in your child's school the last half hour of the day on a Friday and see what an amazing job the secretary does to answer the phone, locate students for parents wanting children, getting dismissal information where it needs to be and dealing with staff members that are in the office asking questions.
3. It is best to call about 10 minutes ahead of time and have the secretary track down your son or daughter so they will be ready to go in the office area when you arrive if they have to be picked up at the last minute. We realize sometimes students must be picked up early, it can not be helped. Its the repeat offenders that drive you crazy.
4. Please do not have your son or daughter going 3-4 different places in a week. Our school sends out an email daily to homeroom teachers telling them where the child in their room is going that particular day. The email is usually 5-6 pages long except on Friday when it is 8-10 pages in length.
5. Our students that are picked up must be signed out (we use the cafeteria of our school away from the bus students) by the legal custodial parent or someone identified on their emergency medical form, no exceptions. We have to be able to locate students when a mistake is made, if the child should be on a bus but are not or if the child should be picked up by a parent but are on the bus.
6. Please do not be offended if we ask for an ID. Remember we are doing our best to protect your child from being taken by someone that should not have them. If you are a very small school, we probably know you, your spouse, grandma, grandpa, step mom or dad, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend of the family, etc... A larger school school faces a much stiffer challenge.
7. IF something happens to your child, I am responsible, my name is on the lawsuit, my teaching/administrative certificate could be taken, my name goes into the newspaper and on social media.
8. With all the things that have happened (school shootings) in the past few years, please understand that as a principal, I am terrified that someone will do something crazy at our most vulnerable time; arrival and dismissal.
9. If possible, only have your child going to a very limited number of places; home, daycare, grandparents.
The article states that the man did not want to wait in a long line of cars. If it is not an absolute emergency, please be patient and wait. I promise, it is not any schools desire to be problematic with you. We are only trying to keep the most precious thing in the world safe; your child. Will we make a mistake? Yes, we will. Is the mistake on purpose? No it is not.
In closing, I realize every situation is different. I am not wanting to take sides on this particular issue at all but I do want parents to realize some of the very few things we go through on a daily basis.
