Field trips for grades, clubs, etc

[Debi]

My daughter is a safety patrol for a KCS elementary school. I've been told my some parents of other schools that the safeties get to go to Washington, DC. I've not heard of this at all for my daughter's group. I've also been told the TAG kids get a special trip. I have also been told about fifth grade classes getting to go camping, but again, my daughter's school has made no mention.

Why is she not getting any of these opportunities?

[Debi]

Why would an administrator choose not to participate in these events?

[Mom Knox]

The elementary school, where I am zoned. has not participated in the AAA DC trip since 9-11. They do, however, offer an alternate trip as a reward for their safety patrol kids.

[Karen Carson]

A. L. Lotts does not go to Wesley Woods or the DC trip. It is my understanding that it is up to each school to decide and the teachers at Lotts eliminated the environmental camp 3 or 4 years ago. They have never had a safety patrol and have never gone to DC.

[Debi]

I'm trying to understand why a school would choose not to participate in these activities? I really don't know or understand, you all please explain. I'm trying to see an alternative perspective. From mine, the better schools tend to participate in more programs.These programs are good for the kids, so I'm trying to see why they wouldn't be utilized.

[Karen Carson]

Debi,
I don't understand--or always agree with- the "why" of not going on some of these trips. I do know that when a child from Vine Middle died on a field trip a few years ago, a number of teachers evaluated the professional and personal liability that they assumed when heading up a field trip. I believe that was a factor in the decisions at some schools to limit the number of trips.

[M]

My mother, along with several of my friends, are all Knox County elementary teachers. After the boy died on the field trip everything became much harder and stricter concerning field trips. Teachers have to practically sign their lives away to go on field trips. Ther "better" schools are not necessarily the ones who participate. My daughter's school kicks butt with scores. A.L. Lotts (not my school) is considered to be one of the very best elementary schools in Knox County. It depends on the administration. If Hardin Valley all of a sudden got a new principal that did not want to do field trips, then they wouldn't.My school hardly goes on field trips. When my daughter was in K her friends at other school were going to the zoo and the pumpkin patch - they go nowhere. So, I took her to those places myself. If she becomes a safety patrol and her school is still nor participating, then I will take her to DC.

[Debi]

I could understand not participating in field trips if the county were not participating in it. I understand after the death field trips became more difficult and is a factor in limiting field trips. What I don't understand is when it's a county-wide event a school would choose not to participate. Obviously liability is not the same thing when the entire county is allowed, am I right? I may not be, please explain. My question remains, why would a principal (or other administrator) feel a field trip that other schools are participating in be a bad thing?

As to the DC trip, my daughter has already been to DC with family. However, we all know that the school trips are more affordable, and because they get group discounts are able to do a lot more at a fraction of the cost. We also know how different the experience is with a group of school children vs. an individual family. It's a wonderful experience in this context, especially when it's already available.

[s]

I am a Knox County Elementary Educator. I found this while I was trying to possibly find some AAA forms online to fill out for my students to go to D.C. While I do take my students, please consider this. There is a TREMENDOUS amount of personal liability involved with this trip and trips like Wesley Woods (mine do not go on this trip). Furthermore, with the D.C. trip, this is after contract time. We don't get paid to go. This is 84 hours that we don't get paid for. Two weeks of work for other people No compensation at all, with alternative child care arrangements for my 2 year old. While I have decided it is worth it. Some teachers don't (only 2 teachers at my school myself and 1 other, are willing to make this trip.). Personally, I understand why some choose not to go. This decision is not that easy to make. How many other people would put themselves out there like this for other people? A lot of us do, and the rest of us don't deserve such harsh words.

[cathymccaughan]

I don't think anyone has negative feelings or words for teachers who don't go on overnights. The original poster didn't understand why some schools participate in Wesley Woods weekends and AAA's Safety Patrol to DC outings, while other schools do not.

[Debi]

Could you please explain what you deem as "harsh words?" I'm not aware of any, perhaps I'm missing something???

[Debi]

My frustration is that county schools are not equal. Such as with the recent controversy with Fulton High. Our kids are trapped based on where we live, but are not provided equal opportunities. If one elementary school provides incredible opportunities, and the AAA D.C. trip is an incredible opportunity for the cost, then it seems only fair that all schools should offer the same opportunity, or open enrollment be provided.

Why is it that our kids get opportunities based on the neck of town in which they live? It's not too easy to up & sell a house to move to a different district, particularly in these housing market times. How can a person with a nice home, say in Lonesdale, be expected to sale and move to Hardin Valley? It just isn't realistic. In other words, our kids are still receiving educational opportunities based on the income of the area in which their parents chose to buy a home. No one told us 12 years ago that the Norwood community has a school deemed "low-income." No one would have thought it based on the homes in the area in which I live.

[s]

AAA does allow open enrollment for parents that want to send their kids. They will be placed with another school and their chaperones.