Reply to Why can't a school trust my kid to take meds on her own during the day?

Forum Index » Schools and Education General Discussion

Reply to "Why can't a school trust my kid to take meds on her own during the day?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I agree it's dumb but as a PP said, it's CYA for the school.

OP, you can be outraged (and I agree with you) but however much you want to buck this policy, be aware that .if your child is reported by other kids as being seen with any kind of pills, she could end up suspended, at least if you're in FCPS. The fact the pills are OTC may not matter one bit. She could lose classroom time that as a senior she really needs. See this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-schools-discipline-under-scrutiny-after-teens-suspension-for-medication/2011/03/08/ABZBiZQ_story.html

A few years back, a girl in an FCPS middle school was suspended for [i]seven weeks [/i] because she left a bottle of antibiotics in her locker and other kids reported that they'd seen pills there. They were right to report what they saw--they couldn't have known what it was and it wasn't their job to ask--and she was wrong to have left the meds there, BUT there was absolutely NO consideration by FCPS of the type of medication involved or the fact this was merely an antibiotic for acne, not anything that could give anyone a buzz. She was suspended, period, and last I read about it, she was going to transfer to a different school, it had all been so distressing. It's a stupid, stupid way to handle a middle schooler's mistake, but it's how the school handled it.

So if your kid is seen taking a pill and gets reported, do not expect a pass when you step in and say, "It's just Aleve!" While an OTC is not a "controlled substance" (which is how FCPS reportedly considered the antibiotics), you might end up with a kid who at best ends up missing some school while it gets sorted out.

Going along with this policy sticks in the craw, but I'd go ahead and get a letter from the doctor about the endometriosis and the Aleve, and see if you can appeal over the school nurse's head for permission for your daughter to take the Aleve on her own; if not, leave it with the nurse and ensure she takes Aleve as she's going out the door on any day she even thinks she might have pain. Not ideal, not fair, but -- It's her last year of high school, and this isn't, as the saying goes, a "hill to die on" to prove a point. Not worth the risk, based on the track record of FCPS at least.
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics