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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I guess I’m finding these responses a little odd. I have volunteered at the school for many years, and have always felt very appreciated. No, we never got weekly summaries of their school activities, but this is public elementary, not daycare. The transition to elementary school can be hard, but public elementary schools just do not communicate as much as private daycares and preschools. And these complaints about the school’s and PTA’s websites not being up to date enough... Do you know they are managed by staff who are 10-month and currently not being paid to work? Some teacher or administrator is literally updating the website from home. And the PTA website is done by overworked volunteers. How much do you do for the PTA? Would you like to do the website? This school is free, and its focus is on educating the kids — now bilingually — not marketing and customer service.[/quote]

This is the PP who wrote the book above :)  I'm glad you have felt appreciated as a volunteer.  I didn't have that experience, but once again I just started last year, and plan to try again and in different ways this upcoming year.  Actually, any tips would be helpful.  I completely understand why a first year teacher (which is what my son had) who is already scrambling to start a new immersion program in a new school in their first year of teaching would not have time to task manage volunteers.  My concern comes from the potential that this will continue with my child's specific grade every year because the teachers will always be scrambling in their first year of teaching this way.  I'm sure you can understand how you'd feel more connected after many years of feeling appreciated as a volunteer.

I also think you are overstating my expectations of a public school system.  I actually stated the opposite of what you said - that I DON'T expect a weekly or even monthly update.  But to never get any information home the entire year is unusual.  I just spoke to a friend who works as a first grade MCPS teacher and she has an app that she uses to communicate with her parents on. She told me she tries to update it with at least one little tidbit or photo daily (!!) but if she can't, at least a few times a week.  I also have a friend who worked at OTES for 12 years but is now elsewhere, whose child is in my son's grade at OTES and she is extremely surprised and disappointed by the lack of communication with parents, based on her own experience working as a teacher in the school.  Of course it is not a private daycare, but getting a quarterly update on what your children are learning and not having to rely on the 5 year old to tell you is not too much to ask.  Add to that unanswered e-mails, there was no way to be involved in my child's year at all.

Do you remember that survey MCPS sent home mid-year about the school/teacher's performance?  MOST of the questions surrounded whether you felt you had a good handle on your child's education, and whether you felt involved in the school if you wanted to be.  It's not unreasonable or holding the public school to the standard of a private daycare to want the same things that the county is clearly striving for.

As for the website, once again I feel like my bar is pretty low.  We are in the digital age; the website has taken the place of sending home correspondence.  I didn't go to the website to nitpick - the school sent home a letter directing me to the website, and then it was not updated since last year.

I don't want to dislike the school, and I don't.  I'm hoping this year will be great, and I'm certainly going to be more proactive now that I've gotten my sea legs.  I joined the PTA last year, but this year I plan to really take an active role.  But communicating with parents is and always has been a part of the job description, and I think I'm rightfully disappointed that we had a radio silence Kindergarten year, especially since our children are the guinea pigs for a "pilot program."[/quote]

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