Facing dilemna with parents and children at school.?

Question

I work in a Kindergarten where parents come and drop off the kids and pick them up at their classrooms. Recently we have been having problems with parents bringing their kids to the school 30 or 40 minutes before class and allowing them to run/play in the halls. Some parents actually hang out around the school 2 hours after classes are finished and let there kids run around and even play fighting games! This is during the time teachers are cleaning up/preparing for the day or working on stuff in the office. I have mentioned many times to the office that we should not allow parents and their children to mill around before or after school as this is SCHOOL PROPERTY and children need to respect school rules both before and after school, yet our principal seems to afraid to shoo the kids and parents out. Does anyone else`s kindergarten have such lax rules?

Answer 1

COOL

Answer 2

My school locks the doors then when it is time they unlock about 10 til we let the kids go in when we pick up we have to sign a sheet we do not get to go into the class the teacher calls the childs name and they go out the doors to the parents as far as playing after school if it is outside theres not much you can do. Just don't let them through the door teach keeps the door closed until it it time then she stands there in the doorway calling out students name to go to the parents.

Answer 3

Unfortunately I have experienced the same thing except I work with preschoolers. Some of the parents of children in my room drop them off as early as 15-20 minutes before our day is to begin. Something you may want to mention to administration is the liability the school would be responsible for in the event one of these children are injured on campus, in addition to the overall safety of the children in attendence at your school.

Answer 4

i think that parent should came

Answer 5

LOCK YOUR CLASSROOM DOOR! My families can't seem to 'get it'. They stand outside my LOCKED class door a half hour before class, and it is April, 8 months into the school year !! And if I go into the office, the give me a cold nasty stare. I AM NOT YOUR CHILD'S BABYSITTER. School starts at 8:30 and ends at 4 PM. I send a newsletter out every month, and every now and then I add a reminder "kids cannot be in the classroom before 8:20, and all kids must be out of the room at 4:00." The kids run up and down the halls, they are bored.  And the supervisor doesn't have a backbone. Yeah, it is funded and owned by taxpayers, but just as the parents on their jobs can't hang around work when not on schedule, parents should show the same respect for the teachers. If your child needs to 'visit' w/ friends or mom just wants some more 'school time' then we have a playground available they can take thier child to. (oddly, they never seem to, though!)  you can even go to the school library and check out books.  I open (unlock) my class door 10 minutes before class. After class, I give parents 15 minutes, and tell them if their child makes messes I must ask the parent to clean up and they will have to leave at end of class time. During state-testing, however, all kids and parents get the boot as soon as the dismissal bell rings, and I lock my door when i shoo the last one out. Kids not picked up are taken to the office.   I must 'clock out' for the end of my shift a half hour after class ends, so I cannot have parents milling around for that entire time. I too, must complete paperwork to end the day, or if not I must do this work at home cutting into MY family time.

Answer 6

If you check your contract and your union rep, that might help, but the principal probably wants to look good and be nice.

Answer 7

There are a few issues here.  It is a school - not a child care centre.

The safety  of  the children is the main worry.  You are no longer responsible for them outside normal school hours so  if a child got hurt, as they could if they're not under proper control, the parents would have to take responsibility .  You are only responsible during school activities.

Also they could damage some of the school property.

Also children usually get quite tired just coping with the normal school hours so the parents are adding to that by their actions.  Over tired children can be very irrational & that can also trigger problems.

I suggest you try talking to the principal & raise the safety issues.  If that doesn't work maybe you'll have to go higher.

Answer 8

try just shooing them away your self to back yourself up get a few of your teacher friends to come with you

Answer 9

don't worry it's normal just let them do it take it from a 4th grader!! i was late all the time. and let the kids have fun!!

Answer 10

Check your district's policies. There may be something in there you can use to keep them from having their children there so early. Our elementary kids aren't allowed on school grounds(unless part of the before/after-school program) until 7:55 AM and school starts at 8:15 AM. They must be off grounds by 3:15 PM(school is out at 3 PM) unless in a supervised activity such as a club or the after-school program.

Answer 11

Our school has a policy that says children must not be dropped off before 8.30 a.m. because there are no teachers on yard duty otherwise they need to be in  OHSC.You need to bring this issue up with  at astaff meeting. You need to call a parent meeting and tell the parents this behavior is not acceptable.Forewarn the parents about  their responsibilities of  dropping kids off  at the  right time.If something happens to a child then there will be an outcry.

Answer 12

Oh, boo hoo hoo.  Another complaining teacher.  The school actually belongs to the tax payers in your county and state.  These parents pay for the school and your salary and GOD FORBID they interupt your precious day.  

I don't think children should be running up and down the halls, but parents spending time with their children at school is fine.  Talk to your principle and maybe the PTA of your school to work out an amicable arrangement for teachers and parents.  But for gosh sakes, remember who employs you!