Wow this sounds like socialism gone bad!! I am so glad this is not one of my problems!!
First off our children are on campus before school supervised by Aides (and teachers--we are not union obviously) 50% of our students do not ride buses and can arrive to school 20 minutes before instruction begins. As for volunteering in the class, library, and such I would fight tooth and nail to back the union down. The unions have no right to tell a parent how to be involved with their children in the childrens 'work place'. If your principal will not stand behind you I would be at the next school board meeting with a stick! --Please let us know how this turns out---maybe you could create titles for these positions that are not treatening to the union
Room Mom
Room Party Mom----Library Mom----Cafeteria Manners Mom---???? Good Luck to ya
I know I've mentioned this before, but check and see if you are a Title I school. Being a Title I school really gives parents more power on these things then you can imagine. To be a Title I school you need to have over 50% poverty rate. This means that over 50% of the students are on free or reduced meals.
If you are a Title I school you are entitled to a copy of Title I, I suggest you find out and if you are, get a copy and read it.
I am new to this site and am doing some research on other school districts regarding some issues that we are having difficulties with in our district. It is not so much dealing with staff, but dealing with the teachers'and food service workers'unions. We have had several parents in our district offer to volunteer in various aspects of the school. Some have volunteered for cafeteria duty, some in the library, others have made efforts to provide extra help to students who are struggling academically. All have been turned down because the unions "had a problem with it." (Our superintendent's words) In addition, when the children arrive on the buses in the morning, those who don't eat breakfast in school must sit on the buses for 10-15 minutes before they are permitted enter the building. Those who do not eat in the morning cannot go directly to class because the teacher's contracts states "no contact" with students prior to 9am. As you can imagine, this plan does not work out well. Students confined to the bus in the morning are unruly and poorly supervised by the drivers. A group of parents volunteered to organize a better plan to manage this time. Once again, due to union complaints, they were turned down. The union's position has been that if there is a need for help in the cafeteria, the classrooms or library, a paid position should be created to fill that need. What has happened however, is that parents are being denied the opportunity to participate and be involved with their children's education. We, as a PTA would like to address this issue with our board and we're currently in the investigative stages of learning how these volunteering issues are managed in other districts. Has anyone encountered resistance from unions in this area? Also, for those of you who have a breakfast program, how is this managed in terms of students who do not eat? Where are they while their peers are eating? Thanks in advance for your help!
