My daughters' school has implemented a policy that I cannot come to the classroom without an appointment. Can they really do that?

My daughters' school has implemented a policy that I cannot come to the classroom without an appointment. Can they really do that?

Is this policy just for you or everyone?

Hi sister!!!

I asked my sister to ask here guys because I am at a loss. She is not able to go see her daughter at school during the day without an appointment and the whole situation seems very fishy to me. I think there must be some wise mama's here who can help.

If this is a public school and you pay taxes - man, I'd be seriously up in somebody's face over that "policy". And, I'd be speaking with an attorney.

Is this policy just for you or everyone?

It's a school policy so the principal said. She wanted to giver her daughter her glasses and was told quite forcefully that she was not allowed to see in the classroom.

I am a classroom teacher and I can't imagine this policy being implemented in my school....I have parents who come to *observe* their kids all the time and without warning. They get to see what is really going on that way and I think they deserve to be able to at any time. Especially when we all know that not EVERY kid tells the truth 100percent of the time. I know my students have been known to embellish what is going on in my classroom.

If this is a public school and you pay taxes - man, I'd be seriously up in somebody's face over that "policy". And, I'd be speaking with an attorney.

That was my initial reaction and I wanted to see if I was offbase...that's why i asked her to come here...

I think the first thing I would do would be to call the district and talk to the super and see if this is a district policy and why.

If it is just this school and this principal I would be complaining. If for some reason the principal doesn't want this particular parent in the classroom I would demand to know why.

Personally I would have never thought to take my daughter's glasses TO her. When she forgets things I drop them off in the office and they call her to come get them. This way the entire class is not disturbed. However I have never been told I COULDN'T go to the classroom. I think I would be upset not just with the policy but with the forcefulness of how it was delivered.

In the school I taught in, parents were not allowed to come in and out of the building without signing in at the office. From there, a decision was made about how to get their needs met on a case-by-case basis.

But, no parent was allowed in a classroom without a visitor's badge, which meant that no parent arrived in a classroom unannounced.

In the school I taught in, parents were not allowed to come in and out of the building without signing in at the office. From there, a decision was made about how to get their needs met on a case-by-case basis.

But, no parent was allowed in a classroom without a visitor's badge, which meant that no parent arrived in a classroom unannounced.
That kind of policy I have no problem with and agree with it wholeheartedly...especially being a public school teacher...

This isn't announced or unannounced. It's "by appointment only" I searched the district website. It is NOT a district policy. There is nothing on the schools site even stating it is a school policy. Most of the schools in the district actually had statements like this, "Open door policy where parents are encouraged to visit the classrooms"

:dizzy::gloomy:

Maybe they've had a problem with many interruptions, or perhpas they had a stranger scare? I love that my ds' school allows free access at all times. I wonder of they have had a run of disruptions and perhaps this is only temporary? Give the principal and ring and ask. We don't know what your school is thinking...as much as we would all like to read minds. :lol

That kind of policy I have no problem with and agree with it wholeheartedly...especially being a public school teacher...

This isn't announced or unannounced. It's "by appointment only" I searched the district website. It is NOT a district policy. There is nothing on the schools site even stating it is a school policy. Most of the schools in the district actually had statements like this, "Open door policy where parents are encouraged to visit the classrooms"

:dizzy::gloomy:


Have you, (meaning your sis) had any problems with the teacher? Could the teacher have requested this? Or do you think this is a random policy that are enforcing on everyone?

I searched the district website. It is NOT a district policy. There is nothing on the schools site even stating it is a school policy. Most of the schools in the district actually had statements like this, "Open door policy where parents are encouraged to visit the classrooms"

:dizzy::gloomy:

Well, there you go. A simple call to the district superintendent ought to clear things up.

I wouldn't bother with the principal ... it's been my experience that, if you really want some action, you talk directly to the superintendent.

How odd. I am in and out of Ds's school all the time for various things. I do have to stop in the office, sign in and get a visitors badge, but then I am on my way to do whatever. When I came in to drop off a project for Ds ( he didn't want to haul it on the bus) the office lady just had me drop it off to him myself.

What exactly do they mean by "appointment"?

What exactly do they mean by "appointment"?


Call ahead and schedule it...is how the principal is making it sound. When I went to the district website though I found many district policies...but none for my niece's school directly. I'm so bothered by how this was handled....Especially from the school end, as I am a public school teacher...the LAST thing we need as teachers is a principal alienating the parents fromus...we need to be working together!

In the school I taught in, parents were not allowed to come in and out of the building without signing in at the office. From there, a decision was made about how to get their needs met on a case-by-case basis.

But, no parent was allowed in a classroom without a visitor's badge, which meant that no parent arrived in a classroom unannounced.

That's exactly how it works at my kid's school. I don't believe they encourage people to "drop by" to observe the class or anything. But I know my DD's teachers have been willing to have parents observe if it's set up ahead of time. And they actively encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom in a variety of ways. So it's not like you're never allowed in the classroom.

And if your kid forgets their lunch, boots or whatever you are supposed to drop them at the office-- not go to the kids classroom.

Have you, (meaning your sis) had any problems with the teacher? Could the teacher have requested this? Or do you think this is a random policy that are enforcing on everyone?

There isn't a history of problems at all so it makes no sense for it to be a policy just against my sister...I can't find any documentation on the policy either which is interesting...

There isn't a history of problems at all so it makes no sense for it to be a policy just against my sister...I can't find any documentation on the policy either which is interesting...

Is there a reason your sister just doesn't pick up the phone and ask the school about the policy?

I would definitely call the school and ask about it. If they insisted I would kindly tell them that as mother to my children, I do not ever have to make an appointment to see them.

Maybe they had a few disruptive parents and they want to try this to see if it helps. Or possibly they just weren't thinking clearly and someone needs to point that out to them. It's weird.




Oh, and :w to MDC, surpassthm!!!

We live a good distance from DD's school, and sometimes things get forgotten at home, and we can't go back and get them without her being REALLY late for school. So, I bring her the items later in the day. I quietly open the door and peak in and there is ALWAYS children that notice me and call out to DD that I am at the door, which starts the rest of the calling them to her, and then looking in my hands to see what I brought and then announcing that "DD, your mom is at the door and she brought your lunch!".

And although I love that I can just pop in and drop anything off for her, it is obviously distracting and can see why they might want to implement a "leave it at the office" rule. If a bunch of parents need to drop things off daily, it would cause a lot of distractions throughout the day.

As for observing the class, I am pretty sure we are welcome most days, but she'd prefer that you showed up in the morning or afternoon before the kids started class and not just pop in anytime which would cause a distraction.

ETA: and I do agree that this specific policy, the way it has been relayed here, DOES seem too restrictive

I see this from two perspectives.

As a parent, this seems needlessly restrictive. I can fully understand the idea of checking in at the office and not just popping by unannounced. However, not being able to see your child at ALL? Um, no.

As a teacher, perhaps the reason for the implementation of the policy was that they had a disruptive, angry parent threaten a teacher, or perhaps had a noncustodial parent try to kidnap a child, or had some other disruption of this nature occur. There are some parents I've dealt with that I really, REALLY would not like to see showing up at my class unannounced.

That said, I find the policy too restrictive and wonder if they're opening themselves up to something like a kidnapping charge.

Actually, they can. What our former public school did was institute a buzzer on the main door and have a security guard posted. You then went to the office to sign in and get a visitor pass.

The policy at our school was the result of an attempted abduction.

Officially, once your child enters the doors of the school, the school is responsible for them. The principal in effect becomes their surrogate "parent." At least that is the way it is in our state.

I would definitely call the school and ask about it. If they insisted I would kindly tell them that as mother to my children, I do not ever have to make an appointment to see them.

Maybe they had a few disruptive parents and they want to try this to see if it helps. Or possibly they just weren't thinking clearly and someone needs to point that out to them. It's weird.

Oh, and :w to MDC, surpassthm!!!

Yes, the policy may be a knee-jerk reaction to something. I would find out what prompted the policy change and work to find something that meets everyone's needs. Maybe work through the PTA? Or call all the other parents in your child's class and pressure the administration to make a change.

You may also want to read "Protecting the Gift"; there is some interesting information on how to deal with schools over access to your child.

While it seems overly restrictive, I can see the point of it.

A parent even just sticking their head in the classroom is a disruption, and it's not really fair to the kids who may be having to try to concentrate very hard right at that moment in order to understand a new math concept, or all of a sudden three different parents show up when they're trying to take a language arts test.

Seems like what's fairest to the greatest number of kids is to require appointments (so that parents don't disrupt that math class) and have a policy that forgotten items get delivered to the office, and then they filter into the classrooms when the kids would be at a morning recess or bathroom break.

My school has the same official policy. The reason is that we have parents who show up ready to have a show down with the teacher in the middle of a class. We actually had a mother enter a classroom and tell some girls they were badly raised and were going to Hell for bugging her daugther (who was right in the middle of it all and lovin' it, but that's a different story,. . .). So, the official policy is that you have an appointment. But, if a parent is just coming to observe her child, I have NO problem with them coming in whenever they want. If you showed up to the office and wanted to observe, the secretary would say, you are supposed to have an appointment, but I'll ask her. She'd call my room and I'd tell you to come up.

You can access your kid 100% of the time, you just can't access the classroom whenever you want. We'd call a kid out of class if a parent needed them.

You can access your kid 100% of the time, you just can't access the classroom whenever you want. We'd call a kid out of class if a parent needed them.

I completely agree with this. Because having access to the classroom means you also have access to 19 other kids.

The school my kids go to is like this.Did not really bother me until the principal was all over me one day when I walked my son to the hallway that would take him down to his class.I took something to the office,so I figured I would walk him part of the way.I wasn't even going down the hall(to his class) with him and yet the principal was telling me," You can't be here! You can't go down the hall with him." Well duh! I knew that. What I didn't know was they seem to discourage you from even coming INTO the school(office only).Lol,drop off and pick up at the front door only I suppose :)

In my school, we HAVE to enforce this. We have too many non-custodial parents showing up, aggressive people bursting in yelling at the teacher any time, (which terrifies the children) kids getting distracted by parents being in the room, (They get excited or upset if the parent is not their own) parents stopping lessons and demanding to speak to the teacher right now. That means the kids don't learn, since a parent didn't want to bother with an appointment or doesn't care about the needs of the other kids.

Granted, in my area, we have a few extreme parents that I would not say are the majority of people. But just like you wouldn't show up to a doctor or lawyer without an appointment, you have to know that the teacher is working with the kids, and the kids are working too, they cannot have their teacher taken away from them even for a moment because a parent didn't want to make an appointment. Should a doctor walk away from a patient for someone who just showed up? Should a meeting be interrupted spontaneously? If a teacher is working with a student on say, long division, then that child shouldn't have to wait while someone walks in. The kids need to come first. In my school, other teachers aren't allowed to just walk into classrooms, and intercom messages have to be kept to a bare minimum. Administrators look at schedules to plan when they come in, and observe silently, often walking funny so their feet don't make a noise. So it's not like we are targeting parents alone.

So, it's both safety, and consideration for all the kids. If it's really important, you can usually make an appointment the same day, you just have to make a two minute phone call. It'd be rude anywhere else to just show up, so be considerate of all the kids, staff, and other parents and make an appointment.