My lovely youngest and I were talking this afternoon when she got home. It was a lovely afternoon and I was sitting on the porch when he got home so he joined me. We're talking away about his day and how things are going in school this year when he tells me something that made my heart leap out of my chest.
It appears that one day last week or the week before, on his way home from school, the brakes on the bus completely went out. They were travelling down a road and were coming up to a stop sign and when the driver hit the brakes, there weren't any there. Fortunately there was no traffic coming through the intersection. The bus continued to roll but would not stop. It ended up rolling through 2 intersections where oncoming traffic did not stop, one of which had a semi truck nearing them, but not close enough to hit them. It finally all ended when the bus approached another stop sign and the road ended and the bus simply rolled off the side of the road and managed to stop.
Am I wrong for being totally pissed off right now? I do understand that things happen to vehicles mechanically, and I do understand brakes going out. But isn't this something that should have been taken care of by preventative maintenance before it even happened? I mean, engine problems can and do happen with no notice, but brakes on school busses should be checked regularly!
This one has me miffed. I don't even know how to react to it or feel about it. How would you feel?
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Random post
This post is going to be a bit "gruff", but I really think it needs to be put out there.
First, please know that I in NO way want this blog to be a place where TPS is being slammed, my hope is that it becomes a source of information for those involved with TPS, whether they are a parent, a teacher, an administrator or someone outside looking for info about TPS.
That being said I'm hearing through my "sources" that several people received phone calls this week, myself included, that they have been waiting for since this school year began. It makes me feel better, but I also feel like I've been given a band aid. I can't help but wonder what has taken so long for these phone calls to be made and why it would take someone mentioning taking legal measures or pulling their child out of TPS for action to be taken? I'm glad my blog might be getting read by people who have this kind of "pull" but it saddens me too.
I understand that our school system is in "trouble". If you go over to Toledo Talk you'll find a story about some of the "injustices" going on in our schools, and people debating why this is happening. There are alot of good points in that thread and I highly reccomend that you go check it out!
But it comes down to every parent, teacher and administrator working for these children. I've seen children who are pushed aside, not only by their peers, but by teachers also, for simply being "undesirable" or too much of a handful. It is those children who need the extra help. But NO child, or their families, should have to fight for what legally belongs to them! It's time for our schools to step up to the plate and do their jobs. It's not just the teachers, it is the EINTIRE administration.
The discord that is going on in TPS right now is RIDICULOUS! If it's not the board members arguing at board meetings it's people who once held a "position" in a school telling parents they need to do things that will hurt the entire district simply to draw attention to their specific school.
Look at the entire NW Ohio area right now. How many large employers are shutting the doors and closing up shop? What will losing those jobs do, not only to the community, but to the schools? Maumee alone is talking about possibly losing more than $300,000 because of losing students because of Ford closing. Yes, I know they are not TPS, but why do you think TPS is doing so poorly? Look at how badly the entire area has been going down hill the past few years. Crime rates are high, unemployment is up and the inner city areas are getting worse and worse.
TPS is getting worse because the entire area is getting worse. No one looks out for anyone but themselves anymore. What happened to helping each other out? What happened to the old saying "Love they brother as you would love yourself"? I think this time of year more than any other brings out the worst in everyone because of the slam politics that we see on our tv's on a regular basis. Everyone is so worried about pointing out the bad that the other person is doing when in fact they're doing even worse things, it's just that no one has pointed them out yet.
I think the entire TPS administration, from Mr. Foley down, needs to step back and look at the past few years from our eyes, as parents with children who are going through this. Why do you think we are so angry and unhappy? It's easy, you do not communicate with us or each other. You do nothing but bicker and fight amongst yourselves, yet you expect us to be happy about it? I don't think so! I can guarantee that not ONE of you would be happy if you were having to go through what we are having to go through! You put these commercials on the tv about what a great school TPS is, yet when the news comes on we see clips of you arguing and acting like immature children at a board meeting and making the entire district look like it's being ran by idiots! JUST STOP PLEASE!!! If you want us to trust you with our childrens educations and treat you with respect, you need to first start working together and treating each other with respect. No one will ever always agree with each other, but every one in this world needs to respect that fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion even if it isn't the same as your own. We don't need "three for change", we need "five for the kids"!!!
Thanks for reading!
First, please know that I in NO way want this blog to be a place where TPS is being slammed, my hope is that it becomes a source of information for those involved with TPS, whether they are a parent, a teacher, an administrator or someone outside looking for info about TPS.
That being said I'm hearing through my "sources" that several people received phone calls this week, myself included, that they have been waiting for since this school year began. It makes me feel better, but I also feel like I've been given a band aid. I can't help but wonder what has taken so long for these phone calls to be made and why it would take someone mentioning taking legal measures or pulling their child out of TPS for action to be taken? I'm glad my blog might be getting read by people who have this kind of "pull" but it saddens me too.
I understand that our school system is in "trouble". If you go over to Toledo Talk you'll find a story about some of the "injustices" going on in our schools, and people debating why this is happening. There are alot of good points in that thread and I highly reccomend that you go check it out!
But it comes down to every parent, teacher and administrator working for these children. I've seen children who are pushed aside, not only by their peers, but by teachers also, for simply being "undesirable" or too much of a handful. It is those children who need the extra help. But NO child, or their families, should have to fight for what legally belongs to them! It's time for our schools to step up to the plate and do their jobs. It's not just the teachers, it is the EINTIRE administration.
The discord that is going on in TPS right now is RIDICULOUS! If it's not the board members arguing at board meetings it's people who once held a "position" in a school telling parents they need to do things that will hurt the entire district simply to draw attention to their specific school.
Look at the entire NW Ohio area right now. How many large employers are shutting the doors and closing up shop? What will losing those jobs do, not only to the community, but to the schools? Maumee alone is talking about possibly losing more than $300,000 because of losing students because of Ford closing. Yes, I know they are not TPS, but why do you think TPS is doing so poorly? Look at how badly the entire area has been going down hill the past few years. Crime rates are high, unemployment is up and the inner city areas are getting worse and worse.
TPS is getting worse because the entire area is getting worse. No one looks out for anyone but themselves anymore. What happened to helping each other out? What happened to the old saying "Love they brother as you would love yourself"? I think this time of year more than any other brings out the worst in everyone because of the slam politics that we see on our tv's on a regular basis. Everyone is so worried about pointing out the bad that the other person is doing when in fact they're doing even worse things, it's just that no one has pointed them out yet.
I think the entire TPS administration, from Mr. Foley down, needs to step back and look at the past few years from our eyes, as parents with children who are going through this. Why do you think we are so angry and unhappy? It's easy, you do not communicate with us or each other. You do nothing but bicker and fight amongst yourselves, yet you expect us to be happy about it? I don't think so! I can guarantee that not ONE of you would be happy if you were having to go through what we are having to go through! You put these commercials on the tv about what a great school TPS is, yet when the news comes on we see clips of you arguing and acting like immature children at a board meeting and making the entire district look like it's being ran by idiots! JUST STOP PLEASE!!! If you want us to trust you with our childrens educations and treat you with respect, you need to first start working together and treating each other with respect. No one will ever always agree with each other, but every one in this world needs to respect that fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion even if it isn't the same as your own. We don't need "three for change", we need "five for the kids"!!!
Thanks for reading!
Monday, September 18, 2006
A bit disappointed
OK, so we're into what, the 4th week of school now? Although school has gone along smoothly with really no complaints, I'm seeing no follow through at all from the meeting at the end of the school year last year with the SAT team at my eldest childs school. I have left 2 messages at the school personally for the head of the SAT team, as well as one phone message and have yet to receive a reply to any of my messages even acknowledging that they were at least received. I'm going to try one more time tomorrow personally going into the school, if I get no results from that by the beginning of next week then I see where I have no other result but to contact the attorney we talked to at the end of the year last year who asked us to get back in touch with them if this exact situation happened. I do understand that the first few weeks of school are a bit hectic for every staff member, but I was assured at the meeting in May that I WOULD be contacted no later than the 2nd week of school by the SAT team. Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Schools and 9/11
I'm just curious as to what everyones opinions are on this topic. I do understand that 9/11 is an important day in US history and that it will be talked about just as we talk about the World Wars, Viet Nam etc.
My reasoning for this topic is in my eldest childs middle school yesterday they kept bringing the happenings of 9/11 up. It wasn't done in a class room setting to "study" it, it apparently kept coming over the PA system. They were reading off quotes from fire fighters and other people involved in the attacks.
Now, I can understand talking about this in a class room, you have your peers around you and you can discuss the feelings you are having, but to keep coming across the PA system doing what they did, I don't feel it was appropriate. My eldest had a really hard time with 9/11, and still does, and the announcements they kept coming across with really stressed them out yesterday to the point that they simply couldn't function in class any longer and I was called to take them home.
Yes, I will admit that this child is a sensitive child, especially compared to other kids in the same age range. I think the problem was simply that the announcements were bringing up feelings and emotions that had no place for an outlet. I know that it's not the schools problem to deal with my childs emotional baggage, but I sure do wish they would have been able to have discussed this in class rather than doing it the way they did it.
I personally did not watch any news yesterday because I knew how much coverage would be given to the 9/11 anniversary and I just didn't feel like feeling the way I knew it would make me feel.
Anyway, am I wrong for feeling this way or does someone out there also feel that it should have been done differently?
Thanks for reading!
My reasoning for this topic is in my eldest childs middle school yesterday they kept bringing the happenings of 9/11 up. It wasn't done in a class room setting to "study" it, it apparently kept coming over the PA system. They were reading off quotes from fire fighters and other people involved in the attacks.
Now, I can understand talking about this in a class room, you have your peers around you and you can discuss the feelings you are having, but to keep coming across the PA system doing what they did, I don't feel it was appropriate. My eldest had a really hard time with 9/11, and still does, and the announcements they kept coming across with really stressed them out yesterday to the point that they simply couldn't function in class any longer and I was called to take them home.
Yes, I will admit that this child is a sensitive child, especially compared to other kids in the same age range. I think the problem was simply that the announcements were bringing up feelings and emotions that had no place for an outlet. I know that it's not the schools problem to deal with my childs emotional baggage, but I sure do wish they would have been able to have discussed this in class rather than doing it the way they did it.
I personally did not watch any news yesterday because I knew how much coverage would be given to the 9/11 anniversary and I just didn't feel like feeling the way I knew it would make me feel.
Anyway, am I wrong for feeling this way or does someone out there also feel that it should have been done differently?
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
My Apologies!!
I just want to apologize for not posting last week. As I'm sure all of you that have kids in school know, it was a CRAZY week getting them back into school and school habits on top of getting myself ready for work and still taking care of everything that needed to be taken care of. On top of that we have our family reunion on Labor Day so I was busy helping with that too. This week is looking to still be busy, but not as crazy so hopefully I can post something a bit more!
I hope that everyone's first week back at TPS went well. Ours was quite good for a change, so I'm hoping it will continue to go as well. I seen alot of consitency in my oldests school over the uniform issues when I was called one morning because a belt was forgotten. As I was waiting for my child to come and get their belt the office was in a frenzy calling other parents over uniform violations and other parents were popping in to correct said violations. As long as they stay consistant with enforcing the uniforms I will not complain, but will instead back them on it. My main problem is that one kid can get away with something, but another kid can't, and I'm not even referring to my child because I have taught them that even though we personally do not care for the uniform code, it is one of those rules in life that we have to live by.
So, I guess that means that I will stop complaining about the uniforms. I may not like them, but I do admit that they make getting ready in the mornings MUCH easier!
Gotta head out and get to work, have a great day all!
Thanks for reading!
I hope that everyone's first week back at TPS went well. Ours was quite good for a change, so I'm hoping it will continue to go as well. I seen alot of consitency in my oldests school over the uniform issues when I was called one morning because a belt was forgotten. As I was waiting for my child to come and get their belt the office was in a frenzy calling other parents over uniform violations and other parents were popping in to correct said violations. As long as they stay consistant with enforcing the uniforms I will not complain, but will instead back them on it. My main problem is that one kid can get away with something, but another kid can't, and I'm not even referring to my child because I have taught them that even though we personally do not care for the uniform code, it is one of those rules in life that we have to live by.
So, I guess that means that I will stop complaining about the uniforms. I may not like them, but I do admit that they make getting ready in the mornings MUCH easier!
Gotta head out and get to work, have a great day all!
Thanks for reading!
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