Anonymous wrote:This is our first year in the public schools (elementary school - previously kids were in Catholic school which had its own different set of problems). I’m not at my kid’s school too much, but when I’m there I’m shocked at the attitude of the front office employees. They have some sort of complicated computer system to sign in, it’s an automated computer system which scans your ID and has a barely functional touch screen to select your purpose at the school. It seems like every time the prompts are a little different. And all the front desk ladies do, even mid-day when phones aren’t ringing off the hook and kids aren’t coming in a little late, is sit at their desks and shout at you “no don’t press that button ... you need to press the one below it” “you have to scan your ID - NO NOT LIKE THAT!” “It’s not PRINTING BADGES RIGHT NOW! We have to give you a STICKER!!!”

How do they get off speaking to adults that way? And if they’re that rude to adults, how are they treating the poor kids? This is at an above-average regarded elementary school too, so not a lot of behavioral or parental issues. It’s just a bad attitude from the very first interaction with the school and a presumption that every person who is visiting the school doesn’t belong or is causing a huge inconvenience.

They aren't all rude. It depends on the school. Schools with crappy principals and a toxic work environment have rude staff, and usually rude teachers as well. They are miserable places to work, where bullies become favorites and good people leave as soon as they are able. If the office staff is universally kind, that's a good indication that the school culture is nontoxic.

We used to have these front desk ladies and they would call down to your room and ask/ tell a teacher to cover sub during their planning period( like we have a choice right). When we go back to the office a couple weeks later to make sure we got paid for it they get mad that we are asking for payment at all as are forbidden to document extra hours on our time sheets. So they say we would be paid but then it is a beurocratic nightmare to get 20-30 bucks. Point being, when my admin comes to observe they have no idea that you just used your planning time to cover their butt for FREE as they hack your entire career record negatively . This is called lack of support! Lol

Our experience with front office staff at both public (DCPS) and private (DC, middle school) has been good. Competent, professional, and definitely well-trained in how to deal with somewhat overbearing parents. I would not cross our middle school admin but she is very clear as to her expectations and engages in a very professional manner with parents and guests.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our schools office is sweet and helpful *shrug

Same. I find it so odd that you have had this experience at ONE school and you generalize it to “the schools.”

+1. Office staff at our DCPS elementary school are so nice.

I've now been at 2 different schools Kindergarten, The school staff was so horrible that I switched schools and now First grade the new school the principal and teacher are great, but again the admin front desk staff is horribly rude.

I always dread any interaction with the front office staff at my DD's middle school. I've had to pick her up about four times from school early the past year (dr's appts, she was sick one time) and one of the women audibly sighs when she has to pick up the phone and call the classroom for DD. I thought it was just me, but DD one day mentioned (I hadn't said anything about my experience) that this same woman does the same thing when she turns in her note in the morning requesting early pick-up. Sighs and eye roll.

Another time there was a last minute issue on photo day, where DD was texting me saying she wasn't allowed to have her photo taken. I went online and found out my order hadn't gone through, yes my fault but when I called the front office to tell them I had just paid online and to please let DD have her photo taken, this same woman was not interested in helping me at all. No photo for my DD.

I should mention that I am always exceedingly polite and patient when dealing with this school.

By contrast when I've called the county's main education office a couple of times over the years, the staff have been helpful.

My DS's private HS front office staff is remarkable. Always pleasant, always helpful. I just had an issue where my DS couldn't find his school ID and it was the only photo ID he had for taking SATs tomorrow. When I called that front office, they jumped into action and we had an ID the next day. I can only imagine the nightmare it would have been if we had the same issue in the public HS.

OP, you sound like the kind of person who thinks “resting bitch face” means someone hates you. Sometimes busy, frustrated people inadvertently come off as rude. Maybe it’s not about you? Also, what sort of energy are you presenting to the front office staff?

Anonymous wrote:Our elementary school front office workers are absolutely friendly and lovely. They make an effort to recognize every parent and which kids you belong to.

It sets the tone for the school and I'm very grateful that we have a school where employees like that are valued.

Same here!

I would be grumpy if I had to deal with entitled parents all day too. Am just glad someone is willing to do it!

Our elementary school front office workers are absolutely friendly and lovely. They make an effort to recognize every parent and which kids you belong to.

It sets the tone for the school and I'm very grateful that we have a school where employees like that are valued.

Anonymous wrote:OP, the sign-in machine is a safety device. The front-office staff don’t have to verify every guest speaker, professional trainer, substitute teacher, and job interviewee. It benefits you because it keeps people from sneaking into your school and interacting with children inappropriately. Also, it helps the school with family conflicts, like custody battles or when a distant relative with a personality disorder isn’t supposed to contact (or kidnap) children. When something bad does happen, the school has a record of who was on campus when, so that communication with law enforcement and providing records under subpoena is easier.

The front office staff already had full-time jobs before the check-in machine came into play. As you mentioned, the phone is ringing off the hook, and numerous people are marching into the office. But these staffers had no part in the design or acquisition of the barely functional machine. I think what you’re perceiving isn’t rudeness, it’s frustration. Also, when people transition from one task to another and back again rapidly, their brains often forget conventions like small talk and to check in on making a pleasant facial expression.

If you can do your best to offer humor and empathy, the staff may appreciate and remember you.

You can do those things. But, also expect to be treated with some kindness and civility by the staff in return. While they may not like the multi-tasking nature of their jobs and may be frustrated by the additional duty of policing the entry point (via a camera outside and the badge machine in the office, at least at our school), these are things that, to be blunt, are not my problem. They are the face of the school. They should act like it. I get they have frustrations but that is life, truly.

OP, the sign-in machine is a safety device. The front-office staff don’t have to verify every guest speaker, professional trainer, substitute teacher, and job interviewee. It benefits you because it keeps people from sneaking into your school and interacting with children inappropriately. Also, it helps the school with family conflicts, like custody battles or when a distant relative with a personality disorder isn’t supposed to contact (or kidnap) children. When something bad does happen, the school has a record of who was on campus when, so that communication with law enforcement and providing records under subpoena is easier.

The front office staff already had full-time jobs before the check-in machine came into play. As you mentioned, the phone is ringing off the hook, and numerous people are marching into the office. But these staffers had no part in the design or acquisition of the barely functional machine. I think what you’re perceiving isn’t rudeness, it’s frustration. Also, when people transition from one task to another and back again rapidly, their brains often forget conventions like small talk and to check in on making a pleasant facial expression.

If you can do your best to offer humor and empathy, the staff may appreciate and remember you.

Anonymous wrote:This is our first year in the public schools (elementary school - previously kids were in Catholic school which had its own different set of problems). I’m not at my kid’s school too much, but when I’m there I’m shocked at the attitude of the front office employees. They have some sort of complicated computer system to sign in, it’s an automated computer system which scans your ID and has a barely functional touch screen to select your purpose at the school. It seems like every time the prompts are a little different. And all the front desk ladies do, even mid-day when phones aren’t ringing off the hook and kids aren’t coming in a little late, is sit at their desks and shout at you “no don’t press that button ... you need to press the one below it” “you have to scan your ID - NO NOT LIKE THAT!” “It’s not PRINTING BADGES RIGHT NOW! We have to give you a STICKER!!!”

How do they get off speaking to adults that way? And if they’re that rude to adults, how are they treating the poor kids? This is at an above-average regarded elementary school too, so not a lot of behavioral or parental issues. It’s just a bad attitude from the very first interaction with the school and a presumption that every person who is visiting the school doesn’t belong or is causing a huge inconvenience.

From over 10 years as a teacher and administrator, the well regarded "above average" schools have the MOST "parental issues" - because they're all self important entitled jerks like YOU.

Anonymous wrote:This is our first year in the public schools (elementary school - previously kids were in Catholic school which had its own different set of problems). I’m not at my kid’s school too much, but when I’m there I’m shocked at the attitude of the front office employees. They have some sort of complicated computer system to sign in, it’s an automated computer system which scans your ID and has a barely functional touch screen to select your purpose at the school. It seems like every time the prompts are a little different. And all the front desk ladies do, even mid-day when phones aren’t ringing off the hook and kids aren’t coming in a little late, is sit at their desks and shout at you “no don’t press that button ... you need to press the one below it” “you have to scan your ID - NO NOT LIKE THAT!” “It’s not PRINTING BADGES RIGHT NOW! We have to give you a STICKER!!!”

How do they get off speaking to adults that way? And if they’re that rude to adults, how are they treating the poor kids? This is at an above-average regarded elementary school too, so not a lot of behavioral or parental issues. It’s just a bad attitude from the very first interaction with the school and a presumption that every person who is visiting the school doesn’t belong or is causing a huge inconvenience.

You just described the front office staff at my high performing FCPS ES. It's absurd how the staff - really, it's one woman- is able to speak to other adults/parents who are coming in to help out the school.

AAP school in Burke?

Never had that problem at my kid’s public elementary. The staff was warm, pleasant and helpful.