Parents Who Bully the School

[Anonymous]

Why was this posted on this particular forum? It looks like the article focused on the bullying of teachers/administrators by independent school parents. This isn't to say that this kind of thing doesn't happen at public schools as well because it certainly does -- particularly in higher SES districts. Perhaps the Schools & Education General Discussion Forum would make the most sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've observed in DCPS, the leadership and admins tend to perceive high SES parents as "bullying" schools when they request basic flexibility that would likely be freely accorded in a better run, better thought through school system, whether urban or suburban.

Examples include asking if schools will accommodate students taking excused absences for well-documented foreign travel (while keeping up with school work diligently), students whose parents wish to opt out of "mandatory" elementary school language classes in one world language because kids are being raised to speak, read and write another, and students with learning disabilities whose parents would like them to take some classes with a higher elementary school grade and others with a lower grade (some principals will allow this approach, some won't).

There's a reason that Grosso and Charles Allen lobbied to get the Chief Student Advocate position at OSSE funded, and it's not because parents are doing most of the bullying in the system!

....says the entitled intimidator...."Entitled Intimidators make no bones about what they want: special treatment for their child. They demand that rules be waived, exceptions made, policies upended"...I mean can you get more exemplary of this then the above statement? Classic.

Nice try.

New to this thread, but it looks like you're suggesting no-one should be allowed to propose new ideas, and using "anti-bullying" as a shield against improvement or change.

[Anonymous]

I don't bully but I do pester. Cause there is a big 9to my child) issue they aren't addressing. I'm more of a nag than a bully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I've observed in DCPS, the leadership and admins tend to perceive high SES parents as "bullying" schools when they request basic flexibility that would likely be freely accorded in a better run, better thought through school system, whether urban or suburban

This. High SES parents at our school are called "bullies" for advocating on behalf of all children in the class--ie, for pushing the school to do things it ought to be doing for all kids.

[Anonymous]

This happened at a charter where we were for two years. It opened my eyes to how thoroughly, and easily, many urban school leaders push around low SES parents, dictating to them on every little thing like they're kids. Really made me angry. It's very difficult to change a school culture, eh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've observed in DCPS, the leadership and admins tend to perceive high SES parents as "bullying" schools when they request basic flexibility that would likely be freely accorded in a better run, better thought through school system, whether urban or suburban

This. High SES parents at our school are called "bullies" for advocating on behalf of all children in the class--ie, for pushing the school to do things it ought to be doing for all kids.

This is all fine and good but only if there is consensus among parents around the things the school "ought to be doing for all kids." You see these granola types that want all organic, non-processed foods for every occasion. Case in point, the bologna sandwich incident at LT or that parent who nuts over Trix yogurt. Fine. But maybe not everyone is on board with that. Take your crusade elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Team parents are bullies
SES parents are bullies
Disciplined children parents are bullies
Special need parents are bullies
Heck, teachers are bullies
PTSA clique are bullies
Boosters are bullies
Freshman class parents are bullies
Senior Class moms are bullies
Close neighborhoods to the schools are bullies
The business partners are bullies
Alumni groups of certain schools are the worst bullies of all

[Anonymous]

This thread seems to support the premise of the article pretty effectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread seems to support the premise of the article pretty effectively.

OP here. Just laughing at the truth of this last comment. And yes, the article was meant for this specific board.