DCPS Field Trip Permission Slips

[Anonymous]

PP, here. Gah, that's its not it's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a legitimate question and I truly wish the parents who end up hijacking a thread with mean-spirited comments would take a few breaths before typing and sending. It just makes the discussion uncomfortable for everyone else. I am a lawyer (although not a contracts lawyer) and was dismayed about the changes to the form. It is truly an attempt to exempt the school from all liability, even those actions which were done negligently. Although I cross things out every time I send a trip form back and have not yet been asked about it, as a lawyer, I am supposed to be held to a higher standard as to what I am signing and feigning ignorance would not work. We should get a law firm to look at the form pro bono (for free) and provide guidance on its soundness. I am sure the lawyers who crafted it were only interested in protecting DC public schools.

Ok. Lawyer here. Sorry, it's just so simple. Schools (because they are under the control of gov't municipalities) are NEVER liable for ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE.

Public schools are liable for GROSS NEGLIGENCE. You are not signing away any liability for ordinary negligence--DCPS never had this liability. They are just being overly thorough to avoid frivolous lawsuits. How could you be a lawyer and not know this very basic concept of contracts law? This is 1L material. No one needs to hire a firm to study this.

As you've probably noticed since you've revived the old thread--field trips went on as before--the legal world did not stop turning because you didn't sign the forms.

[/quot
You sound really proud to have figured out the "simple" answer to enlighten the board (or was it just to make the previous posters feel stupid/uninformed/not lawyerly). Unfortunately, your explanation is just simplistic and misses the nuance of the situation. Finding the nuance is how we big-girl lawyers get the big bucks -- sorry that part really is so simple. Here goes (try to follow) - the truth is that many DCPS field trips are supervised not only by DCPS staff, but also by classroom aides (technically employees of the PTA, not the school system...and, therefore, not under the control of a gov't municipality and not exempted from ordinary negligence). It is certainly plausible that a parent would be uncomfortable signing such forms.

Simmer down, wow. Review the law of agency. If you are a big girl lawyer, then you know this. The parent volunteer on a field trip is held to a different legal standard than an ordinary employee of DCPS, you know that, right? There is always going to be nuance in liability--the issue here is that there is nothing about the new form that was sent out that changed the status of any of the parties. It was just a cover your ass form from the jittery legal department in response to a school that is under going a renovation construction project.

[Anonymous]

13:26 Since you seem to be such smart big-girl lawyer
which is totally great, btw, why don't you give OP your email address, and give them an INFORMED opinion, instead of flaming me here. Have you seen the form, even?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:26 Since you seem to be such smart big-girl lawyer
which is totally great, btw, why don't you give OP your email address, and give them an INFORMED opinion, instead of flaming me here. Have you seen the form, even?

I think you misunderstood...actually, I agreed with the legitimacy of the OP's question (to question these forms is the right thing to do). I was responding in a sardonic/tongue-in-cheek way (therefore, the big-girl lawyer joke(!)) to the poster of referred to herself as "Lawyer here" and then proceeded to 1) tell us all just how simple the situation was (even as she overlooked the key element at hand) and 2) suggest that the OP was essentially stupid and ill-informed to even be asking the question.

I think you missed the point -- I have a lot of respect for the OP...not so much for the self-important-lawyer-mama who's intent was to make the OP feel diminished by asking her question.

[Anonymous]

A zoo trip is always fun especially for DCPS kids.

[Anonymous]

Oy. Can we start this thread over? And maybe the "Clash of the Lawyer Egos!" could stay away?

[Anonymous]

In regards to Filmore: your child's regular school teacher is on the campus and accessible to the Filmore teachers at any time. As a first grade teacher, I have been pulled out of the teacher lounge at Filmore to address behavior problems, illness, etc.

[Anonymous]

Weird, so many kids hate Filmore and complain all year about it (last week, high fives all around that it was finally over for the year). PS, not all of our classroom teachers go to Filmore (the teachers rotate). Just another satisfied Filmore parent here.

[Anonymous]

Back to the topic, I'm glad someone is actually reading these consent forms and that some are refusing to sign. Kudos especially to the mom who crossed out the form upon admission to the hospital for childbirth. I always feel that I am the only one who reads the "fine print" and considers what it means.

No, I will not be signing this form for my kids. I will sign a simple form giving permission to take my kid on a field trip and to provide first aid if needed. And no, I've never sued a school or anyone else for that matter. I'm just not keen on giving blanket permission to the school to be as neglgent with my kid.