Anonymous wrote:I am excessively nice to our front office staff because I often need things from them whether it's related to my kid or the PTA, but we've had some true bears up there. The grumpiest left last year thank goodness. What I try to remember is that they are CONSTANTLY interrupted while doing their jobs and if you're a person who doesn't easily swing between tasks that would be a real struggle.

I can assure you that they have almost nothing to do other than help parents and teachers. FCPS has paid private consultants a lot of money to tell them that they have too many warm bodies in the front office and they don't need them all. In the school where I worked, there was one woman who literally did nothing at all, ever, except torment the other secretaries.

There are really nice ones and really rude ones. I think that's true of any front line contact job like that. The problem is that there are SO many of them - way more than are needed, at least in fcps - and there is little accountability in that position and it's nearly impossible to get fired. That plus good benefits means people stay for life, especially if they suck at the job.

I am excessively nice to our front office staff because I often need things from them whether it's related to my kid or the PTA, but we've had some true bears up there. The grumpiest left last year thank goodness. What I try to remember is that they are CONSTANTLY interrupted while doing their jobs and if you're a person who doesn't easily swing between tasks that would be a real struggle.

Anonymous wrote:They are on the front lines dealing with moms, many of whom probably haven't treated them with very much respect and call them "secretaries". Really? Using "secretary" in 2021 is like using the word "stewardess" instead of "flight attendant" these days. You should refer to the front office school employee as the administrative assistant, not a secretary. Start by updating your vernacular, OP. It isn't 1982 anymore.

Secretary and Stewardess/Steward are job titles. 'Girl' and 'Air waitress' are insults. Tone down your outrage.

In most cases, you get what you give. I've watched Karens come in on their high horses and demand things for their snowflakes. When my kids get to new schools, one of the things I do early on is stop and say hello to the secretary and be pleasant. I set a favorable first impression before I ever need anything from her. In ES, I did this when I came to register my kids for school. I had to provide documentation of my address and it was easiest to run by the office and deliver it and be nice to the secretary. I haven't had issues with her in 3.5 years. I have heard from some that she's one of these types of secretaries, but I've never seen it.

So, try being nice to the secretary when you aren't demanding something from her and maybe you'll get a different response.

Ours have always been super friendly, so I don’t think you should generalize, OP. Sorry you haven’t had a good experience.

They are on the front lines dealing with moms, many of whom probably haven't treated them with very much respect and call them "secretaries". Really? Using "secretary" in 2021 is like using the word "stewardess" instead of "flight attendant" these days. You should refer to the front office school employee as the administrative assistant, not a secretary. Start by updating your vernacular, OP. It isn't 1982 anymore.

Ours is just the crabbiest woman on the planet.
But goodness she is effective and efficient at managing the paperwork and logistics of the school. So... I guess that's why we all just deal with her grumpiness.

The secretary at my son's ES had quite an attitude for a while.

She "didn't have time" to pass on a message one day, resulting in a kid going missing for a couple of hours. She pulled in her horns after that.

I do think this is a problem at a lot of schools, however as a school employee myself, I will say the "secretaries" have to deal with a lot more shit nowadays than in the past. They're expected to figure out sub coverage if no one picks up a job which is happening all the time right now, deal with parents trying to switch around their in person or virtual choices, troubleshoot phone calls about technology not working, field disciplinary problems, sit in the isolation room with feverish kids, administer medication if the clinic aide is out, and a bunch of other stuff that was not in their job description when most of them got hired.

Anonymous wrote:Ours used to be pretty bad. She's much nicer now. That happened after the school did some sort of survey and I think they got feedback on her - i can't imagine what else drove such a big change in a pretty short time.

I think some school secretaries view their job as taking care of the 'trains running' part of the front office entirely rather than that but ALSO as the "face" of the school to most parents. The latter's pretty darn important since way more people interact with the the secretary at the front office regularly (in a non-Covid year) than with the principal.

I e-mailed her and she basically responded like a mean first grader would. Really lady? Why?? We are all struggling.

Ours used to be pretty bad. She's much nicer now. That happened after the school did some sort of survey and I think they got feedback on her - i can't imagine what else drove such a big change in a pretty short time.

I think some school secretaries view their job as taking care of the 'trains running' part of the front office entirely rather than that but ALSO as the "face" of the school to most parents. The latter's pretty darn important since way more people interact with the the secretary at the front office regularly (in a non-Covid year) than with the principal.

Is it a title 1 school by any chance

They have to deal with Karens and their brats all day? Just spitballling....

Why are secretaries at school so rude? Can anyone explain this?