<p>I have a delicate situation due to constant conflicts with my school’s administration. Since CC’s parents are some of the most involved in their kids education, I was hoping for some advice on dealing with conflicts with school administration and admissions. </p>
<p>In short: My school is wholly incompetent; transferring is not and never was an option; the administration is upset because they never perform even their most basic duties causing me (or my parents) to effectively have to “go over their heads” to borrow a stapler, much less get anything else accomplished. </p>
<p>This situation is made more complex because I serve the State’s education-administration agency, directly under its head. I always go to the next appropriate person at the local level to get what I need done; I’ve never “called for a favor” or made anyone at the state-level aware of these issues. </p>
<p>However, I do believe that if I did bring the issues to light at the state-level, it would lead to the administration’s dismissal. If I did chose that option though, dismissal would likely occur after the admissions process, requiring the counselor recommendation, etc., to be filled out by someone in the process of being fired, because of my actions.</p>
<p>So, when have you had to fight to your school’s administration, and what steps can you take to keep those wounds out of the admissions process?</p>
<p>Document. Document. Document. You should have a daily diary where you record every trouble. You may only choose to use portions of it, but having the dates and times of troubles is very powerful. </p>
<p>Truthfully, whistle blowers often get burned. I hope you will quietly document but also look to your own future. There’s no way the school staff will launch you in a glowing manner if you are launching glowing bombs in their direction. Basically, you can shut up, document, get your admissions stuff done and then deliver your documentation after you have left – or you can transfer. </p>
<p>(Sorry, I don’t believe you that transferring is not an option. There is always an option – even if it means on line courses or home schooling. What you mean is that there are major downsides to transferring). </p>
<p>I heartily recommend Resolution or Negotiation training. Your county or non profits in your area may offer this sort of training. It can be religious based (“Peacemakers”) or it can be professional eg “Resolution Center of Omaha”. What this training will do is help you with your listening skills and body language – and your word choice. You labeled the staff as “Wholly incompetent.” That is very harsh and judgmental. How would those same people label you? Is there body language (eye rolling, stomping, deep sighs) that you are using that makes the situation worse?</p>
<p>I’m not saying that negotiation training will make the rainbows and unicorns come out – but it might help you reframe how you are seeing the situation and give you some leadership skills so you can LEAD the staff to some better choices. Then this isn’t all about you nailing them. This is about you helping to build a better world – for everyone.</p>
<p>I’ve already taken ~14 online classes, but my family’s EFC is $0, so they are through state programs, which I’m completely dependent on my high school for registration for–we can’t afford $300/course for private online schooling. I’ve exhausted non-elective offerings of any online provided I can think of anyway, except Stanford’s EPGY.</p>
<p>Home-schooling isn’t an option. My parents are disabled due to physical and mental challenges which preclude them from being able to homeschool, in addition to me being beyond their ability to teach (e.g. they don’t know Calculus, and they couldn’t learn it themselves). The other issues with homeschooling, again, is the cost. </p>
<p>We met with a counselor from the only other public school I would be allowed by law to go for (without paying tuition). She was very rude, and the school’s policies would keep me from taking advantage of state programs which pay for online HS, and face-to-face and online college classes. They didn’t offer much, so I’d be forced to take two years of random electives. It was pretty clear there would be no exceptions, so I would have had to fight them too. Private school is also not an option due to costs.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s not personal; I’m not even saying they’re not trying. For whatever reason, they are not capable of doing their job, no matter how much effort they put in. I cannot even begin to explain to you what’s happened these last three years, but a few examples are: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>The principle insisted that the only counselor write out every student’s schedule by hand, and he approved each one personally. Our school does not offer enough courses so we are dependent on the community college’s offerings and online offerings (paid for by the state), but we cannot register ourselves, and registration could not occur until after he approved each schedule. The principle [an English major] of our science/math-based school then tried to argue with me, and others, about what courses to take. Not only did he fundamentally not understand the requirements at the community college (we’re supposed to be aiming for degrees), but he wanted us to take a ton of online elective courses (special topics/studies courses, student success, etc.), especially in English, instead of any core classes, or courses we needed to graduate. </p></li>
<li><p>Our school gives us a week to pick what courses to take (before the college offerings come out) without telling us what semester or time they’ll be offered the next year. The counselor will NOT meet with students to help select courses. Students are then often registered for the incorrect course, and sometimes no attempt is made to register a student in an online course until after that semester has already begun, when almost nothing is available. Students have even been registered for sections of on-campus courses which did not exist. As for college courses, I had to fight to be reinstated in an online college course this year when I received a letter notifying me that my tuition was not paid, which again, only my school can do. My school failed to order the textbook (which only they may do), causing us to have to drive to the college (1.5 hour round trip) to pick up the textbook, in that case the 5th time we’ve had to do so in 3 years. In both cases we had to get letters of authorization from the county-level. For all requests, I expressed my interests well in advance (but the counselor was able to register me months in advance, when I brought it up), and tried to give polite reminders every month or so until I was told, “Look, I’ll get it done. Don’t bring it up again.” Even afterward, it would never get done.</p></li>
<li><p>The counselor forced me to take standardized tests (that I’m required to take) against the basic rules of those examinations, in that if I didn’t go along with it, I wouldn’t be able to take them at all. Last year, the counselor submitted a test in an envelope clearly marked for disability accommodations, instead of the submission envelope, sparking an investigation into why I was given unapproved disability accommodations, and delaying my scores.</p></li>
<li><p>The principal purports to change the graduation requirements at a whim, when in fact he has no authority to change graduation requirements. These changes are mentioned to some students, while not others, and are never written down. As a result, no one actually knows what the graduation requirements are, and we are all told different things.</p></li>
<li><p>The administration will give false statements, because it is not familiar with state policy in the least, and then will not follow through with promises or statements made, denying that they were made in the first place. </p></li>
<li><p>The administration lacks basic reasoning skills to such an extent as to try set up logistics with the effect of precluding the accomplishment of the basic goals of the institution. E.g., students are supposed to take many face-to-face college classes during the day, however, students must take some random number of HS classes during a semester, at the whim of the principal (state policy delegates at least one), and he forces student to do so at the school, and not online. Then, he made it so that no class had a regular meeting time. That is, any given class would meet during every possible block in a 6 hour range, the only time most college classes were offered. Last semester, I took two classes at the same time, showing up for less than a third of one of the classes, against state policy.</p></li>
<li><p>As I mentioned, our school cannot offer all the courses needed for state graduation requirements, and is dependent on online classes. The online registration system was upgraded, and passwords were reset. I needed courses which were highly demanded so early registration was crucial, and I asked to be called if there were any problems. I wasn’t called, but I called a month before school started (~4 months after registration opened) to confirm I’d be enrolled. The counselor had misspoken to the most local online provider staff member about getting the new password, and was told they could not get it (as I would later realize), so our school gave up on registration for online classes, even though it couldn’t provide a full-load for students and it was too late to register the incoming students with the college. 5 minutes after our phone conversation ended, I called my counselor back with the school’s new password.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I could go on. . . but I’ll spare you.</p>
<p>
Well, I’m that annoying person who keeps going over everyone’s head. . . until they need to recruit more students, in which case "We even have a student who. . . "</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Even MLK could not lead a cow down stairs. It’s not a matter of them necessarily not being motivated to do something, it’s just that they are not competent enough to do so, even when they try. =/</p>
<p>I agree with CityMom, document everything (preferably with correct spelling, as it does affect crediblity).</p>
<p>I’d be VERY cautious about doing anything to “rock the boat” when you are still a student and dependent on this school for your transcripts and recommendations. The school holds too many strings that could affect you.</p>
<p>It does sound like there are significant problems with your school’s administration, but as you say, the alternatives you can see available to you are not attractive, so biding your time (while doing your specific and detailed documentation) sounds like a good strategy.</p>
<p>Since your HS is such a disaster, is there any chance your community college could give you early admission to full-time degree-seeking status? Some will.</p>
<p>Second happymom1. Give them a call and find out what you need to do to get admittance to the local community college early. Even if they say you have to take a GED, it sounds like it would be better than the train wreck you’ve got going on right now.</p>
<p>If you do decide to stay at your highschool? Don’t make any more waves. Once you’ve graduated you can say everything you have to say. 1. It will hold more wieght since you can’t “gain” from it. 2. It’s not like a public school system will make changes quickly enough to assist you at this point in time. 3. Try to find a couple of teachers you can charm since you’re going to need some recommendations.</p>
<p>Good luck. Getting out of there seems like it would be my first priority.</p>
<p>Why do you need to borrow a stapler from the high school? Is this a service that they are expected to provide to all students?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It is very difficult to get government (city, state, school district, federal) employees fired. Typically they have to do something specifically wrong and against their human resources policies to get terminated.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the advice, but it seems like there’s not much I can do. =/ Would it help if I got my college advisor to explain the situation with my school?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The problem is that I have to fight them to even register me for classes, so I can’t just go with the “flow.” This year, despite claims that everyone had to take at least one face-to-face class, I cited state board policy, and politely asked to be registered for specific online courses each semester (on paper) and stated I would figure out the college classes with the college, and inform them of those classes later. They haven’t said anything yet, but when I bought prom tickets I got a rather sarcastic “well state board policy prohibits me from receipting the tickets, you’ll have to get someone else. . .”</p>
<p>
I’ll be graduating with 2 years of college credit at the end of this year. It’s just that I’ve had to fight my high school the whole time. Tuition is waived while I’m in high school, and books are free for online college classes, so it’s a great deal. But, effectively ever school requires me to apply as a first year student. . . even if they grant transfer credit. So therein lies the problem. Note that no other student will be close to even a year of college.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s a hyperbole to demonstrate that I can’t get my school to provide any service, and have to get it elsewhere.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It would be slightly simpler because all education positions in my state are based on licenses. Prove that they violated the standards of those licenses to the state, particularly violations where invalidation of license is mandatory, and the local level can no longer legally employ that person.</p>
<p>Well, make sure you get your recommendations from your college instructors and get your GC letter from the admissions department or someone at the community college. That way, all they have to do is send your transcript and you will have effectively gotten around them and moved on.</p>
<p>Once you are out of there, you can say what you have to say. Good luck.</p>
<p>OK, file a complaint with the state board then. I can tell you that nothing in the posts on here indicates that anyone’s license should be revoked.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hint: Don’t make up stories when you file your complaint. If it never happened, don’t put it in the complaint you file.</p>
<p>Yes, if you decide you are going to do ANYTHING, be as factual, concrete and specific as possible. Do not go off on tangents and try to have specific documentation (especially anything you have received FROM THE SCHOOL) which supports your claim. In general, there is high risk and not much benefit from complaining, but you need to do what you feel is necessary.</p>
<p>I have read these posts three times and started and deleted three responses and I still can’t quite grasp what is going on. OP on the surface it sounds like you have alienated almost everyone in your school. For example, the pin for the registration. So you were able to “secure” it in nothing flat. Could you not have shared the information in a noncombative manner to help or benefit others who also may have needed to register or to help an administrator who could maybe have used the help? There is much, much to be said about learning to work within a system and for your sake I hope that at some point you can step back and see this. Perhaps I’m totally misreading your posts, but frankly on read you are coming off as judgemental and arrogant. Even though you are circumventing the system and ‘figuring out’ a way to get wherever it is you are trying to get it sounds like you’ve stepped on many toes to get there. People generally don’t get the type of response you got when you went to purchase prom tickets unless they have a part in the animosity. It takes two to tango as the saying goes. And you seem to be tango-ing all on your own but I’m not convinced that it isn’t partially your own doing. I totally agree with Poetgrl that if you have some axe to grind, best to do it after your college acceptances because whether you want to believe it or not you will need some cooperation from the very same people that seem to not want to lift a finger for you. And I agree with the poster who suggests that the next time you “elevate” something that you have a well documented and very specific verified examples.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys, I had the same reaction as you. EVERYONE in the administration is “wholly incompetent?!” The administration is “upset” because “they never perform even their most basic duties?” This whole post is just bizarre. </p>
<p>OP, as it relates to the following:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t know where you live, but even in backwards ol’ Texas, finding out graduation requirements is as easy as pushing a few buttons on a computer. The state provides this information online, so I’m really puzzled how there can be ANY question what your graduation requirements are. </p>
<p>Every story has two sides, and I would just LOVE to hear the other side of this one.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that the OP doesn’t like the graduation requirements and keeps arguing with the administration to allow his idea of required classes to count for graduation. The principal probably says that he will have to look into it or study it or evaluate it. Then he denies it, and the OP goes to the state website and tries to cite some state code that says what his idea is ok. Then they have to go around and around and around to see if it really meets the state requirements.</p>
<p>Anytime a student is asking special favors from schools it gets difficult. I think every school tries for the best for students, but I don’t know that public schools are setup very well for customized education that fits the desires of every student.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you want those classes to count for high school graduation, that is the backwards way of doing it. You don’t just do something and then ask for it to count later. You ask and get permission first, and then take the course. That applies for a whole lot of things in life.</p>
<p>Again, getting some training in negotiation skills could really help. There are ways to ask for (or insist upon) things that are really opening salvos in the next battle of an ongoing war. There are also ways to navigate so both parties get on with their day as quickly and as peacefully as possible. </p>
<p>I met with a career-counselor at my community college today who worked with many of the people who are now at my school and has been in many of the same situations I find myself in. She seems to share my views of my schools administration, and our local school system in general. Thank you for the advice youve given me, but it seems like Ive finally found the help I need, without the difficulties of sharing confidential information freely on the internet.</p>
<p>Ive addressed a few of the comments, suggestions, and questions below in an attempt to clear up a few things. Thanks again for your time. Wish me luck, and be grateful that you live in the school districts you do.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Im likely guilty as charged, but please understand how frustrated, and helpless, I feel.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The administration of my school is two people, were a pretty small school . . . those people are upset because when they fail to perform their basic duties, I have to get someone else to do it, or I have to do it myself.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Im not talking about a code you enter in order to register, Im talking about the credentials to log into the school-level enrollment management site with the provider. I wasnt aggressive about it, it is just another example of how they arent doing their jobs, and Im often having to their jobs for them. Obviously its going to be embarrassingthats unavoidable.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There are requirements set by local boards of education in addition to the State Board of Education, but our principal claims that hes requiring extra courses and other requirements because we are a special school, even though he has no authority to do so. He doesnt write them down, so what he tells one person (and subsequently what the counselor tells people) is different seemingly each time.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Im afraid that this is not the situation at all, and Im sorry I have come off that way. </p>
<p>The simple fact is that the OP is young and has a lot to learn about dealing with people she doesn’t care for.
Regarding the principal changing graduation requirements, I believe the OP may have taken something way out of context. First, the superintendent of schools usually sets the graduation requirements, not the principal. It is always someone at the county level at least. This applies to speciality schools as well. As long as you are a public school, it is not up to the principal. As another poster stated, this can be found easily online, and with a phone call as well. Yes, graduation requirements do change, but never after entering your first year of high school. While you are in school requirements for a new class may be different. So if a senior asks about requirements the answer may be different than one given to a sophomore. This is usually handled by the guidance office however.
The OP seems to take very small pieces of information and run with it. So you didn’t get your book. That is a pain. You had to drive 1.5hrs, which is 45min each way. You’ve had to do it three times. Welcome to reality. Try having a student who is special education and gifted. The county didn’t really buy into that combination. Funny, Johns Hopkins did. After a year of banging my head against the wall, I learned that I wasn’t going to get anywhere by being THAT mom. Each year I met each teacher and spoke with them personally about what I could do for them. How could I help at home to support them? You quietly and patiently continue to advocate for your (or your students) education. Working with them gets you a heck of a lot further than against them. Did I think some were not up to task? Heck yea. I had to decide that my number one goal was my sons education, not a legal battle. That would not serve him. My oldest is now graduated, going to school for graphic design, and working… all things we were told he would never do.
My youngest son has a wonderful saying… “Why doesn’t anyone listen to Glen Beck? Because he yells at EVERYTHING!!!” If you do this people stop listening. At 14 he’s pretty smart.</p>
<p>disclaimer: This is NOT a political statement on Beck… he is hard to listen to when he’s yelling, and he does it a lot regardless if you agree with him.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>OP, please understand that, however smart you are (which seems like plenty), you are practically illiterate in describing your situation in writing. Parts of your story seem fantastical, parts seem mutually inconsistent, and that discredits everything you say.</p></li>
<li><p>Forget about bringing justice to bear on your incompetent administrators. That’s a really, really poor use of your time and energy at this point. Just wipe it out of your mind. Instead, focus on getting yourself into a college you can afford to attend (which, with appropriate financial aid, could be anywhere). For many colleges, you don’t even need a high school degree, so graduating from high school isn’t even a complete must-do for you (although other colleges do require it, so I wouldn’t write that off).</p></li>
<li><p>It would really help you if you had some knowledgeable adults on your side. You mention a college counselor, obviously not connected with your school; that’s possibly some help. Have you thought about applying to Questbridge? That could be a huge help for you, if you get into the program. Are there any public programs in your state for underserved rural kids?</p></li>
<li><p>Are you in 11th grade now? How hard would it be to come up with a really concrete proposal for what you want to do next year, and to meet with your principal and get him to sign off on it? Then at least you know what you have to do to satisfy him. And you can work on making sure you are registered and paid for at your CC courses.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I came from an extremely similar situation to yours.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Do you have a part time job? I have been taking classes through Keystone National High School for two years, and I will have my diploma from there. The cost is $250-$350 a month, which is very, very manageable even on minimum wage (my family is low-income as well and my mom has not contributed a single penny to my education, although I have contributed, as necessary, plenty of money to the household). It’s extremely doable and very much worth it.</p>
No. The principal literally thinks he can come up with whatever graduation requirements he wants. You and the previous posters are correct in that he has no authority to do so. . . he just doesn’t seem to understand that.</p>
<p>
I understand how difficult it is to understand what I’m saying. When I try to generally describe my situation no one seems to believe me. Then I’m left with a constant back and forth of “What about this?”, leaving me to have to respond with a description of the related policies and what my school has done. . . in effect meaning the only people who can really understand my situations are those who work in my state’s school system. =/ Fantastical? Yes. You just haven’t been to my school.</p>
<p>
But the problem is that I go to my school and I’m like, “I need to you to this,” whether it’s registering me for classes or any basic function of a school. My parents and I have to go elsewhere to get someone else to get our school to register me for classes. It’s combative because they make it that way. So we’re doing what we have to for me to get my education, it’s just not possible to not alienate the staff in doing so. Why is it not possible? Because they won’t let it be simple.</p>
<p>
I get a general overview, met with disbelief. Then I try to provide specific examples and that means I’m taking “very small pieces of information and run[ning] with it”? </p>
<p>
That’s why I came here. I’ve had to come up with that list myself, but it could easily be undermined by my school’s administration if, when filling out the counselor recommendation, they try to “get back” at me.</p>
<p>
My state schools have dates for priority FA and notification that are too earlier for me to be allowed to apply to QuestBridge by it’s own policies. Again, I expect most QuestBridge applicants have a counselor going to bat for them, and instead mine would likely be like, “Goes over people’s head a lot, unappreciative.”</p>
<p>
I do that every year. Then they either try to argue things they don’t understand. . . finally agreeing to what I say. Then, after agreeing, they either fail to register me, or just make an off-the-wall change without contacting me (and I specific ask to be contacted if any issues come up). As I’ve said before, if I try to follow up with them, they still refuse to do what they agreed to.</p>