Quote from: SpikeAn interestingly related, unrelated tidbit: Today on Snopes I read that it is true that Alabama has, as a state, outlawed fractions and decimals in teaching math.

Apparently teaching 'irrational numbers' leads to problems in teaching logical (rational?) thought and by removing fractions they no longer have to worry about the lowest common denominator.

Well Spike, seems it's a good thing I'm in a much more respected area of the south, then.

:rolleyes:

ETA: Oh thank god for the rolleyes smiley! How I miss it!

It's not just the publics.  I, too, have a story.

My wife and my Mom went to enroll my daughter at the local Montessori.  RIGHT AWAY, my wife says, "My daughter's not potty-trained.  Will that be a problem?"

The receptionist replies, "It's up to the individual teachers."  They look over the the contract, see nothing in it at all about potty training requirements -but plenty about not discriminating-, and sign up.  Check for $900.00, on the barrel head.

Naturally, once the papers are signed, the call comes:  "State regs say we can't take her if she's not potty-trained.  Sorry."

Ready?

"Also, no refunds."

Okay!  So!  We call and we're, like, "Look, you told us it's up to the teachers, then AFTER we sign, you THE STATE says no?  What's up?"

And they say, "Well, it's a state licensing issue, and we know you'd love to send your daughter here, but we don't feel she's developmentally ready for our school."

Injury?  You'll be bunking with insult.

Have they met my kid?  Nope.  Have they SEEN my kid?  Nope.  How do they KNOW my kid exists?

$900.00 check.

Not developmentally ready my ass.  This child is correcting her own grammar and reciting by memory and drawing logical conclusions all day long.  She can't pee in a bucket yet, though, so...

Ah, yes.  A polite and curt e-mail expressing our utter dissatisfaction with their business practices, and suggesting that their claims on non-discrimination are questionable, sits now in their hands.  If that money is not returned, there is an attorney.  There is a newspaper.  There is a local TV station whose news producers LOVE this kind of thing.

I truly believe that the school, being private, is within its rights to pick-and-choose students -- as long as they're upfront about it. To say "uh, maybe" then say "no, kiss your money goodbye" is not at all cool on any planet, even fucking Montessoriworld.

My daughter stays in daycare.

I guess I can't comment with full knowledge on how it is in your country, but here there can be some very good public schools. My daughter goes to one where they run a Reggio Emilia stream--very nice place with competent, dedicated teachers (even if some of them do say haitch).

I think that everybody should be required to teach some school, and that nobody should do it full-time. Then we'll see who can do it and who can't.

Rotwang, I hope they give you your money back. And treating your daughter like that is awful.

Any chance you can get her interested in the potty by using what the school said? Sounds like she's more than smart enough to understand reason...

Yeah that sucks. We send our kids to a Montessori, but all of ours are out of the  diapers stage. (Luckily it seems.)

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!"Also, no refunds."

That should only apply if you were to end things, like deciding at the last minute to go elsewhere while they've been holding a spot.  I can understand if they didn't want to deal with un-potty trained kids but they should have been consistent.
 
They're being royal dicks.
 
 
Sosthenes, school systems are all over the place in terms of quality.  A single city might have a dozen school districts, each with their own rules on some things.  Then there will be a state board above them, then national level stuff.  All the levels creates a ton of bureaucratic bloat, each district has to have their own team.
 
A common strategy for a failing district is to try to find the best top administrator they can and pay them a ton (hundreds of thousands for some big districts).  Then a few years later, they get frustrated and go out and get another high priced administrator.

Quote from: Bradford C. WalkerThe teachers are hit-or-miss, but administration has (in my experience) been nothing but a bunch of shitheads wasting space better used by people that have a fucking clue who are in turn yanked around by fuckwitted politicians that play Indian Giver with the education system (and, are in turn backrolled by those same "future employers" who don't want citizens that can think, but trained monkeys to use as grist for their mills- and monkeys aren't entrepreneurial types).

If you keep that up, there won't be much of a reason for me to post, since it's just redundant.

Thanks, Shewolf.  Lily understands the potty -- she's just stubborn like her parents.  I'm not sure what you mean by 'using what the school said', though.

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Thanks, Shewolf.  Lily understands the potty -- she's just stubborn like her parents.  I'm not sure what you mean by 'using what the school said', though.

Dont mean to speak for others. But I think she meant it could be a motivator for your child. She exicted about going to school. Tell her that they wont take because she hasnt learned the potty. Perhaps that would motivate her.

Actually, Lily had no idea it was happening -- because we weren't sure it would.

Well, you could try telling her that you looked into different places, but they all wanted her to use the potty.

Or if she would rather, let her stay in day care.

Oh, we're working the potty.  Every time she sitsonte potty, she gets a reward: a prize from the Pooty Time Surprise Box, or she gets to watch "Star Wars" or "Doctor Who".

Lily loves Cybermen.

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Lily loves Cybermen.

Whos doesnt? Commies thats who.

Quote from: RoninWho doesn't? Commies that's who.

that, and the quote which spawned it, is one of the reasons i love you folks.  

no kids here, so i can't empathize, but i can sympathize.  

good luck shewolf, and doc

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Okay!  So!  We call and we're, like, "Look, you told us it's up to the teachers, then AFTER we sign, you THE STATE says no?  What's up?"

Find out if they have some sort of enrollment period, open house, or parent's day, take the day off of work, and stand out front with a sign that reads, "Ask me about how this school ripped me off," and tell your story to anyone who asks.  If you do it right, they'll give you back your $900 to make you go away.  

For added fun, if they look anxious to make you leave, refuse the $900 and tell them that you like you spot in front of the school and plan on coming back again and again and see if they offer you more.  Don't ask for more or that's blackmail.



I wouldn't send my daughter there if I heard your story.

As for shewolf's original problem with school not letting her child start, the answer is probably to find a pre-K or private Kindergarten if she can afford it and it's not too late to enroll.

I'm seriously hoping I can afford private school for my kids when they reach that point.  The stuff I've heard about the public schools frighten me -- forget about enrollment problems, how about elementary school kids getting STDs while trading sexual favors on the school bus?  Yeah, I heard about that happening two towns over from where I live.