We had our big end of the year field trip today, and despite clear communication that all permission slips were due yesterday I found myself in the main office at 8 AM on the phone with a parent. One hundred people waited on two charter buses as an irate dad informed me that he had sent in the required paper work several weeks ago.
It didn't matter that not only had I personally reminded the student several times that he needed to turn in his permission, nor that I had called the dad the evening before to say that if his son brought in his forms this morning he would still be allowed to go. I explained then exactly what he needed and he assured me that he understood and would do what was necessary. Now he reverted to the story that they had submitted the forms weeks ago along with their payment.
"We only sent the permission slips home last week," I said.
"He has to go! It wouldn't be fair to leave him behind," his dad insisted. "This is not his fault."
"We can't take him without the form," I apologized.
"I sent that form, I know it!" he told me.
We went back and forth a couple of times until finally I said, "I can't make exceptions. It's not my rule."
And with those magic words I realized that I needed to hand this phone call off to someone with more authority. "Just a moment," I told him. "I'm going to let you talk to an administrator."
In the end, the administrator let the kid go. She emailed his dad a copy of the slip, he faxed it back, and she emailed it to me at the location of our trip.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am no hardass when it comes to deadlines and such. I believe that if something is worth doing, then it's worth doing as long as it's possible.
Even so... this case? Ridiculous.
It didn't matter that not only had I personally reminded the student several times that he needed to turn in his permission, nor that I had called the dad the evening before to say that if his son brought in his forms this morning he would still be allowed to go. I explained then exactly what he needed and he assured me that he understood and would do what was necessary. Now he reverted to the story that they had submitted the forms weeks ago along with their payment.
"We only sent the permission slips home last week," I said.
"He has to go! It wouldn't be fair to leave him behind," his dad insisted. "This is not his fault."
"We can't take him without the form," I apologized.
"I sent that form, I know it!" he told me.
We went back and forth a couple of times until finally I said, "I can't make exceptions. It's not my rule."
And with those magic words I realized that I needed to hand this phone call off to someone with more authority. "Just a moment," I told him. "I'm going to let you talk to an administrator."
In the end, the administrator let the kid go. She emailed his dad a copy of the slip, he faxed it back, and she emailed it to me at the location of our trip.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am no hardass when it comes to deadlines and such. I believe that if something is worth doing, then it's worth doing as long as it's possible.
Even so... this case? Ridiculous.
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