Clara "If your child sees you not getting along with the principal/teachers then what message are they getting? " ive been wondering the same....sadly, they have learned to question authority (admin, NOT teachers, thank heavens) at a much too young age. and Ace1, no i am not angry, i am sad that they dont seem to care more. and maybe if they were paid their due, they would do a better job, tahts my train of thought. as in the corporate world , at least you get merit pay. a teahcer gets the same pay no matter how good they are. i think the system lends itself to just squeaking by....those that go the extra mile for the same pay and no bonus, are the star teachers. and i have had a couple, so no complaints there. my travails have been with admin, exclusively. anyway, thanks for all your inputs. and if you knew the WHOLE story, you would fall off your chair. alas, i cannot share it here with you. good luck to you all, sounds like you have less issues, but everyone has something they see could be done better. ref the playground report showed a deficiency in the level of mulch, and mulch is what cushions falls (obviously). the equipment was fine,it was the mulch which was sorely below the levels normal. my experince i can share is, find out what your school requires, the min amount mulch, and see what you do have it out there on the grounds and ask how often they check the levels. it can matter a lot, if a kid falls just the wrong way. every inch of mulch can cushion many more inches of fall...you know, an ounce of prevention......