Thank you RES for at least having the guts to speak the truth about the way our bus route and the unprofessionalism of the school's representation was during this first week of school.
I am glad that at least some folks put there had a good experience with this school system. However, if you folks would have heard the outrageous excuses the principal gave to the parents who had to endure this, you would have been JUST as outraged.
The lack of communication between the school system, the community, and the parents is totally horrible. Basically, we are in a state with Crapola for money, and a genre of people who couldnt give a fig newton about organization, and teachers who have clsses that are probably over crowded. Why SHOULD they care? Its all they can do to manage to get thru a day of school, let alone teach the class. I mean heck, the school system that our daughter attended (where we moved from) NEVER haad this problem, and the county was the same size. However, THAT area KNEW how to manage their funds, AND CREATE funding, and cashflow to manage. It was not difficult, nor was fundraising too much of a chore. This system HERE is just plain LAZY. And they dont care. It shows, very evidently. The school busses may get behind because of the "domino effect" of being late in this area, but there is NO excuse for having 9 children in the Park Hall library, waiting on a bus to get either fixed or back to the school.
My husband and i cannot figure out which story the principal told both of us on separate phone calls. I called asking about THE bus route in question at 4:30. our child was a t the school, and the kids on this very bus route were in a classroom or library watching a tv. Being that i was asking about any bus troubles at the time i phoned, it would have been very helpful for the receptionist who answered the phone to let parents know that theere was a bus ( the route number that i had mentioned to her) that was having either trouble, or running exceptionally late.
When our child asked 3 teachers standing together in a hallway if she could either call home, or use some change at a possible pay phone in the school ( if there was one at park hall...her old school had pay phones) our child was told no to either question. THIS is what struck the anger fuse.
I still stand by my observation that this school system, county, and state, have the cruddiest budgets, and their priorities arent all up there where they should be. If the staff at the schools werent so worried about their so-called "professional days", and their out of control egos, our children might be taught something. ( our childs teacher thinks that just becasue she has taught for 25 years or so, that shes just the cats meow, and nothing could top THAT).
If there was a better sense of organization, communication, and a bigger sense of caring, this school system wouldnt be as bad off as it is.
I would gladly introduce my childs' old school system to ST Mary's county school system to help get the out of this RUT they seem to be in. I am SURE that ST Marys county schools could learn a TON of efficient ways to get tasks accomplished, and benefit the children of this area. But somehow, I think that they just wouldn't give a rats butt about that. I guess they think that parents dont care. At least thats the impression my husband and I get when we spoke to the principal and teacher. But then, again, the principal told my husband one version of why our child was almost 2 hours 15 minutes late getting home, and then told me a toatlly DIFFERENT story about why our child was late. Her stories WERE NOT the same. And we just LOVE and ADORE sending our child to a school that lies to us, and makes excuses.
If we could afford it at the moment, yes, we would enroll her in another school, and gladly pay more for her education. We are working hard on doing just that.
And hopefully, with our perserverance, and hard work, and teachign our child a little more from at home while she's at Park Hall school, she might be able to accomplish whatever her heart desires in life, and become the awesome young woman she is capeable of being.
However, if left up to the attitudes of this county, and the administration and staff in this area, if things are left how they are now, and dont improve, too many children who DESERVE the chance to excel in life, and personally, will fall thru the loop holes of this system.
I only have ONE degree. There may be typos in this post. And I dont claim to be the smartest person in the world, however, I KNOW what I want for our child.
And if things are left the way they are in this county, the malaise will spread, and the achievers, our children, wont get a chance to shine like the stars they truly are.
Gawd, I hope this made sense to anyone who has read this post this time.
In the end it all comes out. There are those of you who will defend the school to its bitter NEGLIGENT End. As everyone here seems to be MISSING the POINT!!!! The point is simply that I was LIED to in person at the school by the assistant principal. Also Last year by the Principal. Park Hall is simply TYPICAL SOMD standards. I have lived other places and have NEVER ever been Lied to by the school officials. Not to mention the fact that they are ARROGANT when dealing with the parents of their students. It is more than obvious to this parent that in the end I will be forced to witdraw my child and send her to a school that will account to ME as the Parent with RESPECT not Contempt!!!This is TYPICAL for SOMD!!! These people believe that everyone who sends their child to a public school is a "SMIB/HICK" with no brain or fight and will believe everything that they are told. Well HELLO Park Hall I WILL NOT BE falling in with the rest of the SMIB Flock!!!
