Student asking for a snow day snowballs into something bigger

[UGAalum94]

The woman was a jerk, and I think she acted badly.

But there's no way that I think she should be punished by the district. She wasn't acting as a school official at the time of the call; she was acting as the wife who took a phone call at home and was angry about it.

She didn't use any of the schools' time or resources and her call didn't reflect an action by the district or relaying official information from the district. Her call relayed the personal message of "get over yourself and quit calling here."

Now, again, I think she should have been smarter and I think it would be wise for her to apologize to the kid for the insulting language in the call.

But no way is punishing people for a lack of professionalism in the calls they take at home justified since there was nothing professional about the call in the first place.

If she acts this way at work, bust her for that, not for how she acts at home.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

The woman was a jerk, and I think she acted badly.

But there's no way that I think she should be punished by the district. She wasn't acting as a school official at the time of the call; she was acting as the wife who took a phone call at home and was angry about it.

She didn't use any of the schools' time or resources and her call didn't reflect an action by the district or relaying official information from the district. Her call relayed the personal message of "get over yourself and quit calling here."

Now, again, I think she should have been smarter and I think it would be wise for her to apologize to the kid for the insulting language in the call.

But no way is punishing people for a lack of professionalism in the calls they take at home justified since there was nothing professional about the call in the first place.

If she acts this way at work, bust her for that, not for how she acts at home.

I disagree completely - if teachers want to be treated as professionals, they must act as professionals at all times. Attorneys are subject to discipline from their respective bar associations for "off-duty" actions, and many other professions have similar codes of conduct.

There is indeed something "professional" about the initial call - the kid was asking an (apparently) earnest question that was well within the job guidelines for the guy he called. The wife chose to make a scene, even though it was completely outside of her "authority" or responsibility.

[RACooper]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

There is indeed something "professional" about the initial call - the kid was asking an (apparently) earnest question that was well within the job guidelines for the guy he called.

... and we know this how? All that is out there is the returned call not the original one (or for that matter many messages or calls there might have been), all we have is the kid's word and recorded response with nothing from the spouse... and a spouse that likely for legal or disciplinary reasons can't discuss her "side" - and based on the kid's reaction to that call I don't really see much support for his original call being "professional" or "earnest".

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I disagree completely - if teachers want to be treated as professionals, they must act as professionals at all times. Attorneys are subject to discipline from their respective bar associations for "off-duty" actions, and many other professions have similar codes of conduct.

There is indeed something "professional" about the initial call - the kid was asking an (apparently) earnest question that was well within the job guidelines for the guy he called. The wife chose to make a scene, even though it was completely outside of her "authority" or responsibility.

Right, but does your code of conduct cover responding rudely on your home phone or face sanctions from the bar? I doubt it. Sure if the professional organization established a pattern of bad behavior the bar or professional organization might take action, but I really doubt you'd be suspended for treating someone who called you at home rudely. As a matter of fact, I suspect there are very few things that aren't actually criminal or expressly spelled out by a code that the Bar would address with you.

Again, I don't think what the women did was a good idea, and I agree that you're better off acting professionally any time you might be observed by member of the public. But I don't think she should face disciplinary actions for responding to a phone call at home in a rude, but not criminal or obscene, way. (If she had threatened the kid or something similar, then I'd feel different, but just something along the lines of "quit being a brat," nope.)

The kid should not have called the guy at home. If he sincerely wanted a professional response to his question, he should have pursued it within appropriate and professional channels. Calling the guy's house was out of line. I wouldn't call it harassment, but it shouldn't become acceptable.

[UGAalum94]

I think the public does have a right to ask questions of public officials, but that you need to do it at appropriate times. If the guy really wasn't calling him back (and personally, I think 24 hours is probably a better window to judge rather than the impression that I have that the kids called him at his office at lunch and then called him during the same lunch hour at home), then the kid could have called someone else in the school board chain of command or, better yet, get on the agenda at the next school board meeting to address it.

I don't think that you can really expect the guy to field every phone call from every kid about snow days, especially in a district as heavily populated as Fairfax Co.

[RACooper]

Alright just a couple of questions to help me get a handle on why the kid was even asking.

- What is the average snow-fall hitting the region that results in a "Snow Day"?

- Is 3 inches really that bad on the roads in Fairfax? (ie. people not knowing how to drive, no snow tires, etc.)

- does anyone know what the time-frame for the calls to the office and then the call to the house?


PS> As I write this here in Calgary where I'm visiting it's day two of the -60°F to -65°F days (including wind-chill)... and the schools that are cancelled are mainly because the buses won't start, or the in areas in which the kids might have to wait more than 20 minutes for the bus.