I called the school office today — forgot to send in a note with the kids to say they were riding the car home instead of the bus. (I am usually very responsible that way, btw.) I called over an hour before school was to let out, and the office staff was all “we can’t guarantee….. field day….” blah, blah, blah. They should have said, “this is late notice, but we’ll do everything we can,” imo.
Why can’t secretaries understand their job is to be the grease between the wheels and not the grit?
It’s not a secretary’s function to make it harder for me to see the principal, sign my kid out, eat lunch with my kid, turn in a form, pay lunch money, work with the PTO, or talk to a teacher. I understand they need to prevent overbearing or negligent parents from overstepping boundaries.
However, a “greasy” secretary would explain the rules and then suggest ways for parents to work within those rules. They should also understand that not every instance can fit within rules. Sometimes secretaries will be inconvenienced and asked to solve problems. That’s the whole reason secretaries exist: creative problem solving. They should be able to assess when a problem is, describe rules, determine immediacy, and suggest solutions. Unfortunately, suggest solutions is too often left out of the equation.
So it makes me wonder how often I am the grit between the wheels…… I could write for days on THAT!
