Is this school newsletter too rude?

[RudeHead]

NC as obviously outing to other parents. This week's primary school newsletter had the following from the head^^ about parents' evening...

Thank you for all the positive comments that teachers received yesterday. They all work so hard for each child in their class. Though I have noticed that there are too many parents not attending the parents meeting and making individual appointments with teachers before and after school This will not be allowed. We start at 1.30pm and finish at 7pm so whatever job you have, you can still make the consultation. I have to keep the workload down for our teachers. If there is a reason why you cannot meet on the designated parent consultation, which is dated in September, then please write to me.

AIBU that this is unacceptably rude? I feel like I should write in or something. I get her point but surely there's a better way to make it?

My plumber, builder, dentist, orthodontist, hairdresser, garage...all offer services which are at times that are convenient to them, not necessarily to me.

Every teacher knows when they start the job that they'll have to attend parents evening

Every parent should know that having a child entails responsibilities including attending parents' evening.

As a shiftworker I would absolutely send a snotty email to the school in response to such a newsletter, which basically asks parents to explain themselves if they cannot attend in the allotted times. In fact, the upcoming parent's evenings are both on days when I will be working back shift, so I will miss them. I need a minimum of 6 months notice to take a midweek holiday from work, so my only option is to make an appointment for another time. Fortunately the school doesn't behave as if we are all naughty pupils and will try to accomodate reasonable requests.
Some posters here would do well to remember that we don't all work part time, 9-5 weekdays or are SAHPs

The “client” is the pupil, not their parents.

No, the the pupil isn't either.

Dear God....you are there as a teacher to provide an education to the child. That is your job. Therefore the child is your customer. If there were no children, you would not have a job.

It's totally fine and not rude at all.

Perfectly acceptable arrangements for appointments with 6 months notice.

I usually take turns of piece with oh.

The parents evening isn't until September! I'm sure if people booked leave now, they'd be granted it! (Yes, there will be exceptions...)

And I'm sure teachers can cope being late home like ebony while thinking about their 6 week summer holiday.

I have just finished work for the day. I started at 7.30 am, and I had a break around 7 pm to cook, eat and be parental taxi.

On nights when i also have Parents' Evenings, I obviously lose 3.5 hours (we have 2x 3.5 hours, twice a year, plus of course regular meetings with certain parents throughout the year) but have no less work to do.

It can get a little sleepless round here in termtime, being effectively a lone parent during the week.

@Kolo

perhaps you missed the paper school calendar that’s generally handed out on the first day of school? I’d be pretty surprised if there wasn’t a years calendar available at all

Given that we’ve joined the current school partway through the second half of the spring term, we’ll have almost certainly missed out on getting anything that’s handed out on the first day of the school year.

I’m not convinced that there’ll definitely be a paper school calendar though.
DC’s previous school did not hand out paper school calendars at all, the previous school did as much of their communications as possible electronically, and only sent home bits of paper if parents needed to fill in forms or sign things.

Staff in every other industry have to adapt their working times to meet the needs of clients.

Bit of hyperbole there. Absolutely it is not every other industry. Good grief Solicitors are just one example that deal with particular times. Ever bought or sold a property? You will know what I mean. And as they should stick to those times. Enough now.

Haven't RTFT but our parents' evenings started at 7pm and continued until 9.30pm which I think is much more realistic when parents are working, need to get the family fed in the evening, etc. If parents' eves are held with time frames that will be difficult for working parents with commutes

Teachers commute as well!
If the teacher has an hour's travel to work they probably left home at 7am and will get back at 10.30pm.

Don't know about you but when my hairdresser offers me an appointment at 7, she has started at 12 (not 7.30-8). To get an orthodontist appointment, I am offered a single late finish as the orthodontist does one late per week, which means it must be booked weeks in advance. Dentist doesn't open outside office hours and emergency appointments are surcharged. You tell your builder you'd like them to stay available for you ? Aren't they occasionally, urm, working on other jobs ?

Where do you live Biggleton?

Yellowfish123 Teachers should be no different- if a parent is only able to meet at 6.30 on a different night, then that's when they meet

Would you apply the same reasoning to, for instance, your child's medical appointment at your local hospital? If not, why not?

Not rude, straight to the point yes.
As for comutting, many teachers have a long commute also.
I think that the head is addressing the needs of his staff. Which is fair enough.

As I said @SoftSheen the public sector, including the NHS is stuck in the 1800s with regards to meeting the needs of service users. Because there is no profit motive and no competition, they have absolutely no incentive to offer services that meet clients' needs or are convenient to them.

The sooner we have Virgin Healthcare in the UK, the better as far as I'm concerned.

Staff in every other industry have to adapt their working times to meet the needs of clients.

so instead of finishing at their usual time- and using that time to deal with class prep and so on - the teachers will stay until 7 to accommodate the parents and meet their needs.

Sounds reasonable.

Staff in every other industry have to adapt their working times to meet the needs of clients.

What utter bollocks.

YellowFish123
you are clearly more suited for a private school set up, where you truly are seen as the client and your needs met accordingly

if a parent is only able to meet at 6.30 on a different night, then that's when they meet.

When does that stop? 7pm? 8pm? 9pm? 7 am?

That is your job. Therefore the child is your customer. If there were no children, you would not have a job.

WTF??? How on earth do you think that's relevant? If there were no children??? But there are! Clearly.
A more pertinent question might be, "if there were no teachers left (not such a ridiculous idea, with the current rate of resignations due to unreasonable workload), who the hell will be left to educate my child."

I'm going to start demanding my doctor sees me after 7pm as that most convenient to me.

Ooh, and the dentist.

Oh, that's right. They don't.

And don't start on the working hours shite. It's a cliche spouted by those who know no better. I put in 44 working hours in four days last week. It would have been 52 hours by Friday if I was full time.

So, 50 X 39 = 1950 hours. That's not including work done in the holidays....

Average normal working person at 40 hours a week & 47 weeks a year = 1880.

I'm putting as many damned hours in. It's just compressed into 39 crazy term weeks.

So sod off with the working hours shit.

Therefore the child is your customer. If there were no children, you would not have a job.

What odd logic. If you were a prison officer, would you be thanking the criminals in your prison for continually breaking the law and committing horrific acts, just to keep you in a job!?????? Words fail me.

Teachers should be no different- if a parent is only able to meet at 6.30 on a different night, then that's when they meet
Dear God. I’ve just added it up and I teach over 300 students a week. So once a year I need to make a time when I can meet each of their parents, I would need to see two parents in the evening every single fucking day that school is open in order to manage this. Please tell me the job that actually offers this?

I look forward to the same parents complaining that their child is being taught GCSE chemistry by the PE teacher BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH TEACHERS AS IT IS!

and your needs met accordingly

Well, sort of. Until your child has SEN, and then the school may turn round and say they can't meet your child's needs, so please will you leave?

[Not every school, not every SEN child, not every type of SEN. But far too common, nevertheless....as the receiving state school for those ejected from a couple of local privates, we do have some experience of this]

And I'm sure teachers can cope being late home like ebony whioe thinking about their 6 week summer holiday.

Oh yes! That 5 week (actually) UNPAID holiday!