Why I Hate The Principal

My daughter started kindergarten this year and I have already had to go up to the school several times. I know they are tired of me already. She was not getting along with a little girl in her class, and I met with her teacher about it. The teacher told me that the other little girl had a very strong personality and that she would keep her eye on them.

Well not 3 weeks later, this little girl scratched my child in her face so bad that I think it will probably leave a permanent scar. So I came to the school and asked to meet with the prinicpal who made me wait 15 minutes while she littreally shuffled papers in her office -- I know this because I could see her. She knew I was angry and I guess she called herslef buying some time for me to calm down--but it wasn't like I came to whip her ass (my husband had talked me out of that the night before) Then she finally calls me into her office at which point I explain the situation to her.

So there I was with my two page letter about how badly they had handled this situation especially when I had warned them about it, in addition, I included pictures of her face, a copy of the State of Maryland Public Schools code of ethics, documents from the U.S. Department of ED on bullying and harassing, documents from the Department of Justice on violence among girls and my formal complaint to Maryland Public Schools for violent and bullying behavior. Needless to say I was in full protective Mommy mode.

The principal tells me that she was not aware of the situation and she would get back to me that afternoon, she kind of brushed me off like she did not have time and I was over reacting. That was at 7:15 in the morning. By 9:00am I had received 5 phone calls from the school, the nurse, the assistant principal (twice) and the principal (twice). The first call came from the assistant principal at 8:00am - -I think after they read my letter and by documentation they realized that they were not dealing with one of those chicken head mamas and they needed to get their act together.

So the principal asked me if it would be "convenient" for me to come the next morning to meet with the other child's parents and I said fine. We all meet the next morning and the other parents say almost nothing. The mom is just sitting there looking pissed with her arms crossed. While I am quoting statistics on school violence, bullying and admonishing the principal for the way it was handled. I told her I should not have to teach my child to fight because you are not doing your job and I should not have to change the way I am trying to raise my child because of inaction on her part - in those exact words.

I stated in my letter that if they did not handle this appropriately that I would be filing a complaint with the school board and the county commissioner's office. So when she asked us during the meeting how we should resolve the situation - and I believe she meant this as rhetorical question that she planned to answer herself - I immediately stated "The girls need to be in separate classrooms and my child should not be moved because she was the one assaulted while under your care and she was not the aggressor in this situation"

So the other mom is just GLARING at me but still not saying much. And then the principal asked me to leave the room so that they could discuss disciplinary action for the other child. So I waited outside and in the end they put the other girl in another class. But I know that they probably have my picture on the wall up at the school saying RUN IF YOU SEE HER ASS COMING!

They just did not realize who they were dealing with, but I bet they do now!! The thing that I really hated about the principal was that she really came off as one of those people that wants to appear smarter than they really are. For example she spoke very slowly and deliberately as if we, the parents, were children she was trying to control. Now I had already decided that I did not like her because of the way she brushed me off until she read my letter and felt threatened. But to top it off during our meeting she kept saying "pacifically" instead of "specifically" and it was driving me insane!! Did she mean by the ocean--realated to the ocean?? WHAT??

She also spent a great deal of time blaming the teacher and the school nurse both of whom were new to the school and went as far as admonishing the teacher in front of us and then telling us that it was her first year as a teacher - which to me was both uneccessary and demeaning to the teacher (who is actually a really good teacher.)

The thing is that I just moved to this neighborhood and I checked out this school prior to enrolling my child and it seefairlyke a farily decent school and now I am feeling really disappointed. I am thinking about having my car reposessed so that I can afford to pay for private school next year but I guess for now I will just try to sleep in the bed I made.