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Various Non-Bald Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mikekoz13 on March 30, 2009, 05:28:17 PM

Title: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 30, 2009, 05:28:17 PM
..broke her elbow at school today. Seems the two teachers that were watching 96 children didn't see her slip and fall head first almost 5 feet off of a platform and land on her head and elbow.

Two teachers..... 96 First Graders...... Does this make sense to any of you guys?

I'm furious over this since I've complained of the teacher to student ratio on the playground before. Not only that, it was wet today and she slipped because her shoes were wet.... they shouldn't have even been outside.

Well it's a pretty serious injury and we  will be taking her to Hershey Hospital on Wednesday for surgery. The doctors in this area won't even consider doing the surgery.

Tomorrow I will be having a meeting with the Principal and then the school Superintendant to have them explain to me how they think two teachers can watch 96 kids. I better get some good answers and then some assuarances that there will be more supervision on the playground or they will be getting a call from a lawyer.

I realize that things happen to kids but this is an unsafe situation for all the kids. I don't blame the two teachers.... thay have their hands full on that playgorund. I blame the administration and the school district for not having more aids on that playground.

There will be some very unhappy administrators by the time I leave the school tomorrow. The teacher already called this evening kissing our butts.



Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: buuckkweet on March 30, 2009, 05:32:36 PM
Drop the hammer on em!!! :x!

You and your daughter  are in our prayers Mike. O0
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 30, 2009, 05:39:22 PM
Thanks Dean..... They will not be happy tomorrow.

This is the third serious incident in less than a year because of negligence at this school. An almost idnetical thing happened to my daughter's friend last year (although she "only" broke her arm and didn't need surgery), and my friend's wife fell late last winter on an unshovled sidewalk and broke her humerous bone in half.
The school never even called my wife's friend to apologize and check on her.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: SBG Math Guy on March 30, 2009, 05:42:33 PM
hey best wishes to your daughter.   Just take things easy.  What I have learned from those situations is that they will find some b.s. excuse and get away with it.   I hope they don't because bro it was your daughter's elbow, God knows something worse could happen to another child.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: schro on March 30, 2009, 05:43:19 PM
Hope the little Koz is doing well.

Student / teacher ratios are a big problem everywhere. I firmly believe the levels of administration in public education need to be trimmed down (notice how I said administration). With the active (AND WHAT SHOULD BE MANDATORY) support of parents in their children's education, the number for overpaid principals, district administrators, and superintendents could be greatly reduced, thus having more money available to keep the number of teachers employed to maintain a reasonable student / teacher ratio without raising taxes.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Alexander215 on March 30, 2009, 05:45:58 PM
Bro, I wish your daughter a speedy recovery when I was in elementary school the most kid/teacher ratio was 25/1 and that was pushing it, and there were ALWAYS volunteers to help out.

You need to make them pay for their negligence otherwise one day a child could be hurt worse, or even killed. Calling your lawyer definitely would not be out of question here.

Let us know how this progresses!
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 30, 2009, 05:52:35 PM
hey best wishes to your daughter.   Just take things easy.  What I have learned from those situations is that they will find some b.s. excuse and get away with it.   I hope they don't because bro it was your daughter's elbow, God knows something worse could happen to another child.



That's just it.... They won't get away with feeding me some line of crap. They may feed it to me but if they do, they will be very sorry.

I don't want to sue anybody.... i want the problem fixed.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Razor X on March 30, 2009, 06:06:22 PM
Sounds very painful.  I'll keep her in my prayers. 
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: andrew on March 30, 2009, 06:57:12 PM
Sorry to hear about your daughter's injury, Mike.  I don't blame you for being upset at the school.   If they were monitoring the kids properly, this could have been prevented.

Best wishes to your daughter for a speedy recovery.

Andrew
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: BReady on March 30, 2009, 08:23:13 PM
What I have learned from those situations is that they will find some b.s. excuse and get away with it.   I hope they don't because bro it was your daughter's elbow, God knows something worse could happen to another child.

Well you keep talking to the next person higher on the ISD food chain.  If all else fails, I would call up one of the AM talk shows.  We have a guy in D/FW name John David Wells and he loves that kind of stuff!  I am pretty sure they would listen to you a little more carefully afterwards. 

Mikekoz13, I hope daughter gets well soon... 
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Tyler on March 30, 2009, 09:38:46 PM
Sorry to hear about your daughter.  I'll pray for her speedy recovery.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: TheSlyBear on March 30, 2009, 09:51:16 PM
Best wishes for your daughter, mike!
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Jer on March 30, 2009, 09:58:16 PM
I hope all goes well with your daughter!

I also hope that you get things to change too at the schools because that really is an unacceptable situation.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 31, 2009, 03:05:59 AM
Thanks guys for all the well wwishes and Prayers.

I found out last night from my friend that fell and broke her humerous bone on the unshoveled sidewalk at the school that my daughter is not the second child to break their arm on the playground in the last year. She is the third.

I have already decided to write a petiton demanding more aid on the playground. I'll have every parent in town sign it.
I have also decided that the local news will be getting a call if I get mumbo-jumbo from the school today when I meet with them.

I'll decide about the lawyer in the next couple of days.


Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: hammerdrill376 on March 31, 2009, 03:47:37 AM
Our prayers are with your daughter Mike. I'm not a lawer but it sounds like a clear cut case of negligence on the part of the school to me.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: MikeM on March 31, 2009, 06:32:48 AM
Best wishes for your daughter's recovery.

...demanding more aid on the playground...

Be aware that an increasingly common "solution" to playtime liability issues across the country is not providing more adult supervision, but rather eliminating all recess or outdoor play.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 31, 2009, 07:10:17 AM
Best wishes for your daughter's recovery.

...demanding more aid on the playground...

Be aware that an increasingly common "solution" to playtime liability issues across the country is not providing more adult supervision, but rather eliminating all recess or outdoor play.

yeah I know this. But I'd rather the kids have no recess, thus more learning, than serious injuries.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: dijiridude on March 31, 2009, 08:24:49 AM
But I'd rather the kids have no recess, thus more learning, than serious injuries

please tell me you're joking
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Rob on March 31, 2009, 10:22:10 AM
It amazes me that the school even have five foot high platforms in the playground for children to climb on and fall off.  Over here most of our school playgrounds are flat and built on one level with nothing to climb on or fall off.  that way, the children usually need only the supervision of one or two teachers or assistants.  I would definitely say the school should review their playground health and safety.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: herronm on March 31, 2009, 10:58:59 AM
Mike,  I'm sorry to hear about your daughter.  I'll say a prayer for her speedy recovery.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: joergHH on March 31, 2009, 11:10:44 AM
Best wishes for your daughter!

J
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Stu on March 31, 2009, 11:57:31 AM
Mikekoz, I am really sorry to hear about what happened.  I know you are like me and don't like to jump the gun when sometimes, things just happen.  But it really sounds like a case of negligence.  School administators are such dopes.  I'm glad you are ready for the BS they will likely dish out.  We had an incident with our daughter on the playground.  The PTA had purchased some things for the school, including tetherball for the playground.  Our daughter wasn't paying close enough attention one day, and got hit in the head pretty hard... a minor concussion.  In this case, we didn't make a big deal out of it because it was partially her fault for not paying attention.  Of course the school was all freaked out (probably lawsuit paranoia)... their solution: remove the tetherball.

This is an all too typical response from bureaucrats... something happens... punish everyone rather than seek alternative solutions.  Public schools are hell bent on political correctness so that no one should fail or feel bad because maybe they aren't smart enough or athletic enough... so everyone is coddled.  The sad thing is, the kids know how to keep score and how they stack up against other kids... too bad administrators don't realize this as it does a disservice when our precious ones enter the outside world and are ill prepared to realize that they are not the center of the universe.  People must work hard and do fail.  Stick to your guns, my man, and take care of that precious girl.  Sorry for the long rant.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 31, 2009, 12:55:24 PM
But I'd rather the kids have no recess, thus more learning, than serious injuries

please tell me you're joking
No, I'm not joking. There is too mush BS that goes on in the schools these days. Extra recesses, a lot of field trips, parties, etc..

By the way..... nice first post.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: warhawk on March 31, 2009, 12:56:13 PM
hey mike:  i'm so sorry 2 hear about your daughter.  i'll B praying 4 a quick recovery. O0

WARHAWK O0
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 31, 2009, 12:58:02 PM
Stu-

It's amazing how much alike you and I think. Part of my whole point was to go there to make sure they DON'T remove that platform play area. Accidents happen.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on March 31, 2009, 01:10:58 PM
So I met with the Principal first this morning and much to my amazment she didn't try to feed me any line of crap or politically correct mumbo-jumbo.
She actually agreed with everything i said and suggested about the playground area.

Then i spoke to my daughter's teacher to reassure her that we didn't hold her to blame for anything. She was feeling a little guilty so we wanted to put that to rest immediately. She's a great teacher.

Then I went directly to the Superintendant's office just down the road. He had already talked to the Principal earlier in the AM about what happened and when I mentioned my name to his secretary he overheard and came right out.
I have heard that he is an honorable, kind man and he proved that statement to be true. He showed some real concern over my daughter's health and really liked several of my suggestions concerning the playground policies.
Both he and the Principal have assured me that there will be almost immediate changes in some of the policies. For one, there will be more supervision before the end of the week. Other suggestions I made will be looked into immediately.

I also assured all parties involved that I would not go away. I told them that I would be monitoring the progress of any changes and that I would be back if things did not change.
The threat to mobilize the parents in town as well as an innuendo on my part that we (the town) didn't want the local newspapers to catch wind of children breaking bones on the school playground made my points firmly.
I asked the Principal if she really wanted to be known as the "Principal of the school where all the kids break there arms". She hung her head and just shook it back and forth.

I never raised my voice or made threats. I was firm and forthright. They knew that I meant everything that I said.

We'll see what happens.


Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Wil87 on March 31, 2009, 01:18:58 PM
Sounds like you made a fine and compelling argument Mike....make sure you monitor the progress though!

Sorry its a bit late, but best wishes to your daughter, while it sounds like a nasty injury, kids are remarkably quick to bounce back!

Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Paul on March 31, 2009, 01:39:15 PM
My thoughts and prayers are with your daughter Mike.   Hope the surgury goes well and she has a speedy recovery.  NOW GO OUT THERE AND GET THOSE ADMINISTRATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Alexander215 on March 31, 2009, 04:28:32 PM

I asked the Principal if she really wanted to be known as the "Principal of the school where all the kids break there arms". She hung her head and just shook it back and forth.


Theres guilt for you.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Stu on March 31, 2009, 05:14:33 PM
Stu-

It's amazing how much alike you and I think. Part of my whole point was to go there to make sure they DON'T remove that platform play area. Accidents happen.

Maybe we're brothers from different mothers...  :/O

Anyway, I'm glad that so far it looks like you have them in your hands like putty.  As you are well aware, if you don't stay on top of the situation, they won't either, so stay on them like a pitbull.
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: wpruitt on March 31, 2009, 06:32:12 PM
Hope the surgery and recovery go well .... AND DON'T BACK DOWN
Title: Re: My Daughter..........
Post by: Mikekoz13 on April 01, 2009, 03:04:57 PM
Thanks for all the good words and encouragement guys.

No worries about me staying on top of it. My wife and I have been getting a lot of calls from friends asking if there is anything they can do. So here's how we decided they can help.

We're going to tell everyone to call the school and tell the administration that they heard about a third child breaking their arm on the playground. Then tell the administration that they demand more supervision on the playground. That this IS NOT acceptable and that they are worried.

Many voices will carry the day.