Thursday, August 30, 2007

Same As Last Year (and every year before that!)

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Why must parents be given homework on the child's first day of school? Every single, flipping year my kids come home with a million papers for me to fill out. Nothing has changed. Fill out this form with your address and phone number. Fill out this form with your child's allergy list. Fill out this form with your emergency contacts. Nothing has changed! We live at the same house with the same phone number. My children have not developed any new allergies and if you can't reach me or my husband at any one of the 90 phone numbers I have listed then you can still call my father. He's still my emergency contact.

Now if something changes, I'll let you know. Why can't they send the forms home with a disclaimer: Does not need returned if previously received information has remained the same. If I were to change doctors, my medical records would be sent to my new physician. Every year during open enrollment to receive benefits we only have to fill out an addendum form.

This year my younger son brought home a worksheet that I had to fill out for one one of his teachers. I remember having to do the same homework for Austin. I had to list Jesse's strengths and weaknesses. I had to list his interests. I had to list what he is not interested in. Now that may sound like a great idea in theory. But in reality, these teachers have 25+ students per class. They teach probably 6 classes a day. That's 150 lists of likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses that they have to review. Please don't even begin to tell me that you're going to take them all into consideration. You're going to remember what applies to each child and take steps to incorporate them into your lessons plans?? I don't think so. And the best part, if I didn't fill out these forms, my child will lose points. We're not only grading you on your own merit, we're going to grade you on how well your parents can fill out the same form every year!



8 comments:

Supermom said...

Preach it girlfriend!

Not only did I have stack of forms to fill out the first day (and yes, reduntant)...

We had a TON of homework the first day of school. What's wrong with easing them in??

Third week of school and I'm dying. You think I'm joking. I almost had a mental breakdown last night trying to help him with all his dang homework.

Week three. Where's the tequila?!

Nunnie's Attic said...

I hear that! Geez oh man...plus all of these rules like: one bathroom pass a week (which I know is only in place for abusers) but what if ...

Austin's biology book is 3 inches thick. Forget it. Call me when the margaritas are ready!

Supermom said...

well, when the teacher has a puddle on the floor, maybe they'll reevaluate the one pass rule.

blessings said...

I only homeschooled two kids at a time and I couldn't keep straight which things they wanted for lunch! I don't know how teachers do what they do (because I would have committed acts of abuse within the first week if I had 25 kids in one room) but I agree, there's just too many things for us to fill out. And how about those HIPPA forms at the pediatrician?!!! =) Blessings... Polly

savvycityfarmer said...

Oh yeah...can't fight the system, cuz they always win, but you can spout off cuz we love ya for it

Terri Steffes said...

Gulp!! I am the principal of the school you described!! So, I learned alot from you today... why can't we say, update only... maybe my student information system will print out what we have, we could have you sign or initial it if there are no changes... make changes and initial it if there are changes... Ok, so you have maybe made ONE school better... sorry it wasn't yours!

Terri Steffes said...

P.S. Thanks for visiting my blog! I will be back to visit you, too!

Nunnie's Attic said...

I'm so glad that someone who can do something about the rhetoric is going to. Thanks!!

And I love your blog. I have it on my blog roll if that's ok.