We withdrew our two impressionable sons today from David Cox Elementary School because there’s no community there. I’ve always felt that schools were a tight knot part of the community. I grew up in a town, where my parents’ classmates were my teachers, The sense of honor, respect, and humanity was more than vocabulary words on a study sheet. These COVID days are bringing out the best and worst character in so many adults we expect to look to as role models. Let’s face it. Some professionals should never crumble. For example, elementary school principals. Principal Celeste Spears Ellis has no compassion or class
This year we have a ninth, seventh, fifth & fourth-grader, We usually place our ninth-grader in public school for their last few years of school so getting scholarships and increasing their network is a bit easier, We figured if it worked for our older three children, it’ll work for our younger four. What we didn’t know was the younger kids wanted a break from us too! So everyone ended up in our local public school system.
Right now, it’s September 29, 2021. I just attended my sister’s final services 8 days ago. Yesterday, I got a text that my hospitalized BIL got the worst news a dad, husband, a good friend could get and was told to prepare for the worst. The first thing in my mind was “Kelle, get your kids from all three schools. They aren’t home-schooled anymore. ” So I started calling. I was picking them up one by one, except for my David Cox students. No one was answering the phone as it was getting close to dismissal. I made it to my baby boys’ school and pulled into the shuttle /bus entry not to disturb their flow. Mind you, -still, no one had answered my call. The first carpool assistant acknowledged me and I told her what I needed help with. She repeated their names on the walkie-talkie as usual. I proceeded to get my little guys from the front of the school. I was met with a staff member that refused to send my boys out. She insisted that I return to my car and get in the extensive carpool line. I explained to her why that wouldn’t work for my family today. But she wouldn’t budge. Eventually, she said to speak with the principal, who was standing inches away, speaking to a lady. Because I was raised well, I waited. After four minutes I appropriately positioned myself and asked for assistance, She nodded her head and continued her conversation for two more minutes. The lady eventually motioned to walk away, but Ms. Spears pulled her back into the conversation to discuss a very casual topic. I know because I was standing right there. She laughed. giggled, wiggled, and she flat out ignored me standing right there. I later noticed that she was speaking with a teacher that worked there. I knew this because she walked inside the school moments later.
By this time I see that she’s showing really bad character and respond by saying to her again, I need my sons now. She walked over with the most conceited look in her eyes and voice and says “You will not talk to me like that. We aren’t gonna do that in front of these children, “I responded, I don’t know who you think you are, but I don’t have time to massage your ego. I don’t have a problem following protocol, but today it’s an emergency, And every rule has exceptions, If you can accommodate my request, my boys are in the wrong school.” She got upset and turned away. I went to the door and called out for my sons- (They must have sent them far away because they didn’t hear my loud yells)
I said, If I can’t get my children, no one is getting theirs & I walked into the crosswalk which crossed the student pick-up path. She was unbothered and even less disturbed. So I then asked for a shuttle driver’s phone and called the police. After I asked for my kids- again. I told her, you’re kidnapping my children. I have an urgent family matter and you’re ego-tripping. I stayed right there until the police arrived and told them everything. I even added that there are exceptions to every rule. The problem started with them not answering the school phone. I needed to get on the road to SC. to see my BIL. The first student pickup staff called my kids up via the handheld radio and said it was not a problem. Then I get up there and Ms. Spears is hard down ego-tripping over my kids that she didn’t help make. I wasn’t rude, I wasn’t disrespectful. I was firm and persistent. As she walked into the school, one of her lady staff members told her again, what was going on, she said, and I quote, “I Don’t Care!” with the nastiest, most ghetto head nod. ever.
Why am I going through this with the principal, during this time?? Since my boys enrolled there. I wave at each teacher in the student pick-up drop offline. I pulled a bunch of no candy rewards from my work bag for my sons’ classmates. What am I missing?
I have a history with Briarwood, Northridge, Eastway, E.E.Wadell, South Meck, Providence, a few charter schools, the nutrition department, and countless CMS administrative and support staff members. We began homeschooling because our daughter was sick, then my parents, Things eventually leveled off. Now we can re-enroll our babies and this is what we get from an elementary school principal? I know this is not acceptable. She shattered my confidence and trust in public school for elementary schools. I don’t want my sons to believe that there is no community in the school.
QC Supermom 