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Private school's odd new pick up and dismissal policy
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Anonymous
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Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and new to private school. My two children just started at a local Montessori school, they love it there and their teachers are fantastic.
They have instituted a strange policy this year, basically they want all the parents to pull up in a line in front of the school in the morning and sit in your car to wait for a school staffer to come and collect the child(ren) from the car. Then during dismissal we all line up again and the teachers/staffers bring the child out and buckle them into the car seat, you are not supposed to get out. Also, the teachers are not supposed to talk to the parent at this time and if you have a question you need to call the school. As if this is not bizarre enough, one parent was reprimanded for parking down the road and walking to collect her child on foot. Apparently she did not feel comfortable with someone else being responsible to buckle her child into the car, and she wanted to buckle her own child in. They told her that she was not in compliance with the school policy and that she must pick the child up in her car. This is basically being instituted by a particular new teacher who also happens to be the daughter of the owner of the school. The other teachers are not comfortable with this arrangement and I would imagine most of us parent aren't either. There is no communication face to face with the teachers, the parents cannot get out of their cars and chat with each other, and the teachers are now responsible for the children's safety when they leave the school. The whole thing is very awkward, the parent who has been picking her child up on foot was told that if she didn't comply she would be released from her contract early. She got her attorney husband involved and sorted that one out. What do you guys think of this, am I the only one that thinks this is weird? What should I do? The school itself is wonderful, and it is a shame that this particular person is making things difficult for everyone, and it is very unfortunate that she is the owner's daughter. Regards, Confused Parent |
Anonymous
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LOL. This is called Kiss and Ride. Many many schools do this, public and private. You'll get used to it.
What would you want to talk to the teachers about during this time? I agree that it's not a time for discussions about your child, just as you wouldn't stop the teacher in the hall and start asking them questions about your child's performance. However, I do find it out that you're not allowed to park and walk your child to the door. Maybe they'll relax that rule. |
Anonymous
| probably an issue with the neighborhood. Many schools have this kind of pick up and drop off policy. And there is nothing like waiting in a carpool line while moms stand on the sidewalk blabbing and holding up the line. |
Anonymous
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Ah, Ok. Didn't realize it was normal, I have been living overseas for 15 years and have never run into this before.
Is it normal for the staff to buckle your child into their carseat? What seems so weird to me is that my son's teacher got in trouble for telling me that he bumped his head during playtime while buckling him into the car. The only conversation I have had with the teachers is by telephone. It all just seems very impersonal, which surprises me for such a small school, especially one that I am paying a hefty tuition for. It is not a bad neighborhood, the school is in a pleasant residential area so not sure what prompted this. I guess I'll just have to get used to the don't talk to anyone way of doing things. |
Anonymous
| sorry should have been clearer - the neighbors have probably complained about parents parking all over the neighborhood, blocking driveways, that kind of thing. There are some schools (Potomac, Field) that have required buses or carpools built in to their zoning agreements with the city. |
Anonymous
| I don't think that the PP meant it was a bad neighborhood. She meant that neighbors could be complaining about cars parked in front of their homes and stuff like that. |
Anonymous
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I am with you now.....
It may have had something to do with the fact that people were using the school parking lot to circumvent the ped crossing across from the school. Maybe they didn't want kids in the parking lot to be in danger..... Makes sense. So in this Kiss and Ride situation, who buckles the kids into their carseat? |
Anonymous
| In the k+r's that I've used, the child buckles him/herself if old enough (starting around pre-k or kindy, usually) or the teacher buckles the child. The parent is always instructed not to leave the car. I've heard of some K+r's that tell you to pull into a parking spot and then you get out and buckle your child. Why don't you want the teachers buckling your child? |
Anonymous
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Thanks for the info.....
I don't necessarily have a problem with them buckling the kids in, but it just seemed so strange to me. I never encountered this overseas, it was always the parent's responsibility to get the child in and out of the car and to make sure the kids got to their class safely. Even in the Kiss and Ride, it was not forbidden for the parent to get out of the car momentarily to help their child in or out of the car, or to ask someone a quick question as long as you didn't abuse it. It will just take a bit of getting used to, it didn't help that most of the staff were not happy with the arrangement so things are a little tense at the moment. I am sure they will work it out and it will all settle into a comfortable routine. Part of the problem for me is that the school has not provided a viable solution to the lack of face to face communication. Hopefully they won't mind me pulling into a parking space and going in on occasion. |
Anonymous
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My kid's preschool had always had the option of parking and walking in, or doing carpool line, and last year they went to mandatory carpool line (there was an exception for people who walked from within the neighborhood). The result was a very long carpool line, a lot of smoggy cars, and an eroded sense of community. It became a lot harder for new parents to integrate into the community and for any of us to bump into each other casually. The school really didn't have a choice, though, as it was done to appease the building owner. This year circumstances are different and we're back to having options, which I much prefer. I agree that you shouldn't regularly expect to discuss big issues which teachers at pickup, but my children's teachers usually say something about their day as they put them in the car, and it's good to hear.
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Anonymous
Do you have any idea how long it would take if each parent in the line got out of his or her car and buckled the kid in? Do you know how long you would be waiting in line if the 50 cars in line in front of you did that? |
Anonymous
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Yes, I could completely understand the necessity in a big school, even though it worked just fine in the other countries I have lived in. This is a VERY small school, and not especially necessary from what I can see.
Thanks for the help! |
Anonymous
| Is this Aiden? They have a very strict, keep parents away from the school kind of thing. This may be normal for montessories but it is not normal in general. |
Anonymous
| Not normal for montessoris. All my kids went to montessoris, different ones (we moved several times) plus, I was a montessori kid myself. This is not typical, though I can see why a particular school would do this. |
Anonymous
| What's the concern with another adult buckling the child? Do you really think they can't figure out how to buckle the car seat? Its not that hard. |