Yes, a parent ought to know what’s going on in their child’s life. Yes, as a parent, I want to know what’s going on in my children’s lives.
I approach that need by working hard to be the kind of parent that my kids feel like they can talk to about anything. And I know that no matter how much I might succeed, there will still be things that they’ll open up to their friends about before they open up to me. #onpoli #onted
If my kid is having trouble at school, then I want to get a call from the school. If my kid is causing trouble at school, then I want to get a call from the school.
If my kid is adopting new pronouns or coming out, then I want to hear about it from my kid, whenever my kid is ready to talk about it.
If I get a call from the school about that, then the school is violating board policy and my kid’s rights. #onpoli #onted
@mjmbca "If my kid is having trouble at school, then I want to get a call from the school." Now tell me how a school administrator make the phone call that is your kid having trouble at school because they have come out. Maybe school culture has changed in the last 30 years, but I suspect that coming out is still a stressful experience that does not receive universal support. How does a school staff explain that your kid is having trouble at school without being able to explain the reason?
@mjmbca
School: "Hello Mr. Blair, you child was involved in a fight during her Phys Ed class today. We would like to talk to you about arraigning an IEP for them to meet the states Phys Ed requirements."
You: "Why is my son having problems in his Phys Ed class? What is the problem?"
School: "I'm sorry that information is classified."
@antares Yeah, that’s not how those calls tend to go.
When you get a call about a kid getting into a fight, as I have, you might get an account of the injuries or the disciplinary measures, but that’s it. You don’t get an overview of why the fight happened.
If you want one, which of course I would, then you talk to your kid. And if your kid feels comfortable talking to you about it, which of course I’d hope mine would, then they will.
@antares Chances are, the office administrator making that call isn’t going to know what the fight was about anyway - and if a parent asks, “I’m afraid I don’t know” is a perfectly fair and plausible answer.
@antares Why would the staff need to explain the reason, let alone be obliged to?