Bully Pulpit

So I mentioned that the kids wanted to fill me in on odd call that came in on Friday evening. James said someone called, said they were an assistant teacher in Joe's class and that Joe was bullying kids and it needed to stop.

James and Joe both felt that it wasn't really a teacher at all, it was someone pretending to be a teacher. I checked the phone, saw the name, didn't know it and called the phone number back.  A male answered the phone, not an adult. When I started quizzing the kid about who was on the other end of the phone, why did someone in the house call my home and accuse my son of being a bully. That was the first hang up.

I called back. The kid answered again and this time he said she was really sorry, she didn't mean it. I asked to speak to an adult in the house. He hung up on me.

I called back multiple times. No answer. Finally a woman answered. I told her what happened, she said there were lots of kids in the house. It could have been anyone. She was stonewalling, not a good stance to take with me. I reminded her of the fact that she as an adult is responsible for the actions of kids in the house. Do I need to get the police involved? Who's impersonating a teacher? The wall starts to crack. Do any of those kids go to Signal Hill? Yes, one child does. And that child's name is? She told me. I'm not giving up any names in this blog. She's a classmate of Joe's.

She puts the mom on the phone. I'm pissed. The mom says her daughter is sorry, she has never done anything like this. I tell the mom I want a meeting with the principal on Monday. She asks me to please consider not telling the principal. She says her daughter wants to speak to Joe. Joe gets on the phone with her. She apologizes, says she wasn't thinking, she's sorry.

Another phone call from the mom when she gets back to her own home. Please don't tell the principal. I discuss the fact that the class phone list is supposed to be a tool for the kids and parents to help each other, not for your kid to harass my son. I told the mom that I had to let the teacher know that this happened and lose my number.

Here's the irony: Officer Wendy did a presentation to the entire fifth grade on Friday.

The subject: bullying

Someone was not paying attention.