Black Listed

After my first encounter with the office staff of Bailey's elementary school, I'm positive that I've been black listed or that there are huge skull and crossbones drawn on the top of his enrollment forms.

You see, I'm administratively gifted. That's not a brag on myself. It's how God made me. I can see right through processes that don't work or are inefficient. Enrolling Bailey in kindergarten has been one of those processes that has some glaring flaws and could be so much more efficient!

I'm not sure how other school districts do this whole process, but in Lawton I had to go to Central Registration to get the enrollment process started. I actually went there twice because the first time I was told that Bailey needed a couple of shots that apparently aren't required in Texas for kids his age. I had to wait about 10 minutes standing at the counter that a lady had called me to as her next person while she walked around helping others with their forms that arrived much later than I did to get that little bit of bad news! So after we completed the shots, which was a surprisingly easy process, I had to go back to Central Registration to actually get him enrolled. I had to have proof of residency and shot records there. Once I completed all their paperwork, which was different than the paperwork you can print off on their website, they gave me a copy of one of the forms and a little half sheet form to take to the school for the actual registration day at Bailey's school.

Fast forward to 8am this morning! I was determined to be one of the first people at the school because I wasn't sure what kind of line would form and I had all 3 children in tow. I was about the 5th person there, but was the 1st person finished!

As we sat waiting for our turn, I noticed one particular registration lady sent 2 people home because they didn't have proof of residency or their shot records. When it was my turn, I mentioned to her that I noticed she sent them home and told her that I didn't have any of that either. She told me that I needed to get all of that information. I proceeded to tell her that this was a dumb process for us to need to do the exact same thing in 2 different places. What was the point of going to their Central Registration if I'm going to have to fill out the exact same stuff at the school. I guess I said everything loud enough that another of the registration ladies heard me and said that I didn't need all of that because they had copies from Central Registration.

I had to verify the information on the forms someone had input into their system from my original enrollment forms. They were a mess! CMC's name never showed up on their form and my friend, who should've been the emergency contact was listed as the 2nd parent/guardian. Another lady who was registering her 2 kids had to completely refill out that form because there were so many entry errors on hers. They must've hired the incoming kindergarteners for data entry.

I did/do feel badly that I had to be a butt this morning. It really wasn't the lady's fault that she didn't know what I needed, but someone should've sat down with them beforehand and trained them on what to expect and what to do when parents come to register. I'm not sure why one of those first people she sent home didn't cause a stink. I guess I'm no longer the pushover that I used to be!

Oh and did I mention that registration started at 8am, but they weren't ready until about 8:15am?

I'm sure the next time I walk into the school I'll see the office staff whispering warnings of Psycho Mom's presence in the building to each other.