I keep threatening to HomeSchool my kids. Problem is, I truly lack the patience, the imagination, and at their levels in school: the ability. Madison is doing math I barely passed in High School. Sydney is doing Biology that I vaguely recall having in school and something about a fetal pig... which I don’t even know if they still do in classes now. And now she’s talking about being a surgeon, potentially a Neurosurgeon... so I feel the pressure that the teacher has to be pretty great and know his or her stuff, cause we’re literally talking brain surgery potential here.
That being said, I am sick and tired of money hungry schools. And I’m not talking about the PTA or PTSA, although why my family has to fork over money for each member is beyond me. I signed my girls up, you don’t give me a membership ID, so that cool list of discounts I can get are their word against mine, I don’t carry that particular receipt around in my wallet. I have a hundred other ones which makes me a great target for a pickpocket... “Oh, look how thick her wallet is, bet she has a ton of money in there?” Hah!!!! Suckers! The only things I have in there are receipts for school stuff and moths that will take an eye out they move out of there so fast!
Every year, money just bleeds out of us as we just try to successfully send our kids to school. It’s endless: pictures, supplies, insurance on laptops, clothes, shoes, PE clothes or for Madison dance clothes and Sydney, volleyball gear, then there are the fees for joining a club or being in band, and then there is always another round of supplies needed. Because the first set is our best guess to try to get them through the first month, by then either a list has come home or Back to School night happens and then there’s a whole other list. But then you have the fun stuff to do, like dances and sporting events. Everything has a price, from football games to school dances - bigger the dance event, bigger the price. In two weeks, my girls are playing a band concert...I have to pay ten bucks per person for that, but didn’t I just fork over a ton to get your band thing going? I mean I get that this is a newer school, smaller program, smaller funding - but does it all really have to come from my pocket? Can’t you guys apply for a grant or something? Just askin’ - uh, for a friend. I love to support! Go Band! (Where is that sarcasm font anyway?) Thing is, I am all for music. I love the place it has in the lives of my kids, I just can’t fund the kind of instruments that we just have to have.
Yeah, the constant need gets to me, not that I don’t understand the need. And it could be much worse, but there are reasons for some of the roads we take - like our middle kid would pass out from the heat in marching band. And the required $1800 price tag almost made me pass out. I was light headed just from hearing the price, mixed with sheer gratitude that Volleyball worked out because Sydney wanted to do Marching band as an alternative, her heat issues and that price tag would have seriously put a damper on that potential for sure. Everything has a price; Volleyball did...but it wasn’t like band.
So yeah, these things get wearisome. But nothing makes me consider homeschooling like the Administration running these schools in these districts. I’m sick to death of these people having more say over my kid than they let me have. I don’t get to say my kid is sick and with me; nope, I am no longer reliable or responsible for my kid. I can’t be trusted! Facts aside, how do they know? Haha. But seriously, the schools are so busy pinching pennies that I have to provide a note from someone more responsible than me if I have to take them out of school. If there is doctor’s note then the only excusable absence is for death in the family. If one of my kids is ill and wants,to leave early, I have to take her to the doctor and get a note for it, or it isn’t excusable. I have to plan ahead. If there is a potential that they might not make it through the day, they have to just stay home sick for the whole day, no partials here. It’s ridiculous! That’s how badly the district wants their money, because if you have two unexcused absences parents get a nasty gram sent to the house suggesting punishments for student and parents alike. It’s not about the quality of education, it’s about getting paid for each butt in a seat. If it were about safety; a phone call would happen at the beginning of a class, not ten hours later by an automated machine. It’s about the money. The girls are hanging on just wanting to finish and I can’t blame them! High School, I too am holding on, only wanting them to be finished with High School because of the school and the district. How sad. Ready for them to be done so I can be done with the school.
And why did I feel the need to pick on band? Simple. The freshman class was required to attend a Career Day event in the Performing Arts Center between periods 1-3. Who hit my kid with an unexcused absence? Band. It’s always band. For Madison, it has always been a mistake in band... Sydney now has the same issue. So I have to call and point out that she was there at school and that it has to be corrected, then I have to check in the morning to make sure. Cause I have nothing but time to do all this. Okay, time maybe - but patience...not likely.
The frustration is real for sure! Why do I like Bradley’s school? I just email his teacher he’s absent and she says ok, and then that’s that. Who knew that when they said sometimes he would be the easiest...it would be totally true. I refuse to think about High School with Bradley. Won’t even consider thinking about Middle School right now. One day at a time for Bradley. Actually, one day at a time with the girls too, sometime that’s just the best answer over all.
Another crazy day, into a crazy night and now a quiet night, just waiting for me to sleep with everyone else. Until tomorrow folks... Good night! Thanks for tagging along.
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