RPM9 - It's wonderful you have such an open and inviting school!!! YEAH!!! I know a someone whom it took 3yrs to get into the school to run an engineering course. Even after all his positive volunteering, the school sees him as an exception and still keeps parents out of the school. Programs can only be run by teachers who must be paid extra salary to do so which costs money compared to parent volunteers.
At my son's K-1 school, parents are not allowed on campus until after November. The last year my son was there, the Principal issued a mandate that siblings are not allowed in school for any reason. Her reason was that it spoils the lure of school for the siblings having become familiar with it already. The PTA had to ask to make the meetings an exception b/c if everyone had to get sitters to go to the PTA meetings, not many would show up. Not being able to bring a sibling keeps many parents out. I was nearly accosted by a teacher once b/c I was there for Parent PE day which is held in the gym and you enter the rear of the school so you don't walk down the halls. Well, DS's teacher asked me to take something to his classroom which is on the 1st floor, literally up the stairwell from the gym, and a teacher cornered me. I had to go flag down the teacher to say it was OK for me to be there. Now this is a well to do district - violence is NOT an issue - safety is not an issue - it's just one more way to make parents feel unwelcomed in the school. I mentioned running some science classes for the kids to the Principal and she rolled her eyes at me on the part about it being run by parents. GASP! OH NO not the parents!
