Volunteered for the Watch D.O.G.S. program at son’s elementary school. I’ve been a Watchdog volunteer many times at many schools. The purpose is to provide a male role model for kids in school. Not long after I arrived, I was asked by administration to leave the classroom full of kids to go unpack boxes in the back office where there are no kids. The schedule basically gives me limited time with children, and the rest has me doing back office work. I politely declined, because my purpose for taking off of work that day was to be a role model for kids, not to unpack boxes.
I received a formal letter from the principal letting me know that I am no longer welcome in the Watch D.O.G.S program at their school.
Forget the hours I spent bonding with children of all races ages and genders - unpack boxes or gtfo. So annoyed. I have a meeting with the Principal tomorrow.
UPDATE: Really appreciate you all helping we work through this and clarify my issue. This had me up all night. I meet with the Principal at 10:30AM CST. I hope we can find common ground. If not, this will become a much bigger problem for them.
UPDATE2: So disappointed with this Principal. Failure to unpack boxes means I can’t be a WatchDog. When I ask him why he wouldn’t try to find a happy medium (like have kids unpack boxes with me) he says he doesn’t need me because he has plenty of WatchDogs.
Ok, that’s your move. I’ll make mine. Meeting recorded.
[–]iainmf 63 points64 points65 points (5 children) | Copy Link
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Ready for that legal convo if you have anything to add. ;)
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Because you care about kids and want to be part of making their lives better, but the people running the programme see you as a chump who they can get some free work out of. They lured you into the programme with a promise of doing something you want to do, only they get you labouring for free.
Also, depending on the genders of the people running it, there's probably a hint of either "men are too dangerous to be around kids" or "we women are in charge, we don't need a man around here."
You can get some really weird dynamics when groups of women run things. They just don't cooperate and stay on task like men do.
I'm sorry this has happened to you. It sucks when people treat volunteers badly. You want to do something to help your community and people just take advantage.
I honestly worry about who our children have to look up to these days. If you decide that men are too dangerous to be around kids, your going to end up with this mafia of middle aged women ruining young boys. Combine that with the feminist movement to outlaw masculinity and you're only hope is to sit boys down in front of old John Wayne movies.
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It’s on the schedule we are given. The good schools have the schedule as a guide, but you are free to float around. Apparently this school has no flexibility. He was upset that I went to the empty computer lab for 10 minutes to address a work fire (the last time I volunteered). He said he let that slide because it was my first time, but refusing to unpack boxes this time, is unacceptable.
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I may or may not have audio recording of my interactions with 1st graders when I am asked to leave the classroom (from in the classroom, possible expectation of privacy) as well as audio recording of my interaction with that administrator in the hallway (no expectation of privacy), and my recording with the Principal today, where he asked if I was recording, I confirmed, and he recorded as well.
Is anyone well versed in wiretapping laws (Texas) so I’m informed on whether it’s legal to post online? I’m pretty sure all recordings would be legal (single party state), but unsure about sharing it with 3 parties online. Just a hell of a lot easier to explain it that way.
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