November 2018 by Doug Purell
*1* Where do I start? As a dad to an incoming student I wanted to research the school, identify the principal and vice principal. Outside of a link to the email address, these ladies are less than visible. Which speaks for what I experienced. I visited several times before enrollment - both principal and vice nowhere to be found. I was greeted by a kind man named Mr. Mugambe who was often and out of the office. Finally, there is a female walking back and fourth amongst the parents. No good morning, hello, didn't even greet the students. Just walking with a walkie-talkie. After asking a student to call their parents, I finally asked if this was the principal and one of the secretaries said yes. Several times thereafter, these kids don't even get a good morning, let alone the parents - still don't know what the vice principal looks like. Absent and rude principals. *2* HIPAA and Office traffic. Still standing there seeing how rude the principal was, I see the nurse's office is located within the main office. I handed the secretary a health form and she went and placed it in a file in the hallway. Cabinet completely unlocked and accessible. Several sick students in and out of the nurses office and I could hear every single word - I can tell you right now the first and last name of a 1st grader with sickle cell and the first and last name of a 3rd grader who didn't have his asthma pump cause his mother didn't get her check. It's shameful that this goes on and HIPAA is completely disregarded. That nurse's office should not be in the main office and those files should be under lock and key at all times. *3* Traffic. I don't know if the absent principal lacks common sense or just doesn't care. The traffic is horrendous. First - the police have barricades on several surronding streets that say no-thru traffic, however the parents have to go around the barricades to drop off their children and pick them up. My son almost got his several times with two way traffic trying to maneuver around the barricades. There is no clear pick up or drop off system in place which causes chaos and confusion, No crossing guard, No organization. IMO, Kindergarten thru 4 grade 5 should be let out of a the front entrance - and 6-8 possible the back entrance. Absolutely NO PARKING should be allowed on either side of the street between 8 and 4 on school days. Cones should be in place, kids should get out of the parents cars and keep movning. The situation is completely chaotic. I have never seen anything like it in all my years of taking my kids to schools within this city. I did see the absent principle standing outside - not greeting parents or students, just observing I guess that what she does, cause she surely doesn't speek and sets the tone for this school. Academically, honestly I can't even measure it because there is a new curriculum - that the kids and teachers don't seem to be acclamated to yet - so it will take time to measure. There are so many other distractions and so much chaos that it takes away from the learning process. According to the school bullying isn't allowed and uniforms are mandatory - but both are a joke. I see bullying daily and kids in "other" uniforms so I don't know if it's enforced. It does look good on paper to say it. Dismissal - is a joke. I pick my son up at 3:20 essentially every day. He leaves his class at 3:10pm and begins to pack up at 3. So period "8" is basically a wasted period. - lastly, just adjacent to the office is an administrative suite with a conference table. I'm bring this up because there were at least 12 parents inside of the office for enrollment and dismissal. Not just the parents, but their kids, babies, spouses, etc.,. Instead of simply placing these parents at the table, to assist them, the office is a ruckus, nobody's information is confidential, HIPAA is violated, they just don't have common sense and it's annoying to watch.
