I can't believe I'm almost 40, and I
tattled on somebody! [img]tongue.gif[/img] All these months of taking the high road and getting zip, other than personal grace, this one time I snapped and allowed myself a guilty pleasure. I was surprised at how easy it was to lower myself to her level!
I called the super--very nicely, and asked him if the BOE's policy about local businesses/parent owned businesses advertising in our schools had changed. He said they hadn't, and naturally asked why I was asking. I replied I'd received a phone call asking if I'd seen a certain flier in my son's knapsack, which I hadn't and when I saw what it was for and who was sponsoring it I surprised. Of course he asked for details, which I...
reluctantly gave up [img]tongue.gif[/img] .
He's got a good poker face (well, in this case voice), but I could tell he wasn't happy, and in fact he did say, "[he has] a problem with this." I mentioned I'd received several calls from irate parents who'd helped me go door to door in the beginning of this year who wanted to know what was going on, and that I was curious as well. He said he hoped I realized that sometimes things get past even the best of us, but that our principal WOULD be getting a call from him.
I was very accomodating, and I told him I wouldn't be calling the principal--I didn't want it to seem as though I was rubbing her face in it--but that I DID consider this a slap in the face. I said that the most disturbing aspect of it for me was that she forgot something that was a very important, especially seeing as we just had a HUGE meeting about "following rules," and this particular situation was something we'd gone through just a Few months ago!
I also made a comment about it being unfortunate that there would be many out there who would see this as a direct attack on my group--that our principal is seeming to play favorites and allowing them to buck the system. He assured the situation would be take care of, and I left it at that.
My VP did ask the principal if she knew about the flier, and had she approved it, to which she icily replied, "Yes, I heard Mrs. [Kmamom] called Superintendent X (I really wish my name hadn't been brought into it, but oh well) and I take full responsibility for the flier going out(that was a mildly surprising--I figured she'd claim the other group never showed it to her). My VP then asked how she could have done that--seeing as this was something we'd already gone through with her, and we'd just had a marathon meeting "warning" us to toe the line. Again she replied it was a mistake, and that it wouldn't be happening again (I wouldn't doubt THAT
). My VP then also asked if she realized that would be perceived as the principal thumbing her nose at us, and openly playing favorites, to which she replied, "Yes, I do," or something along those lines.
No apology, no embarassment, no reassuring gestures to us that this was nothing personal, it just got past her--nothing. Just an acceptance of responsibility. Not that she owes us more than that I suppose, but I figured she'd be a liitle more politically savvy than that. I figured she'd at the least say she felt badly, or that she hoped we didn't take it personally. NADA. What I find particularly annoying is that EVERYONE ELSE, herself included, is allowed to make mistakes and be forgiven, but not me and my fellow rabble-rousers.
I almost felt badly when I called the super--ALMOST. But just this one time I wanted HER to know what it felt like to get a call like I get ALL THE TIME from her--and this time I was actually JUSTIFIED in making the call. All her calls are motivated by BS and control issues dealing with things we're doing she may not be crazy about, but technically has no jurisdiction over.
Another tempest in a teapot--but boy I hate that this woman gets to me this much, and that she has as much power as she does over me!