http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2009/10/22/feyerick.kids.banned.park.cnn.html Hmm, as a mom of little kids who have been overwhelmed by big kids, I can see the moms point. I also am having issues at present about a local preschool using storytime at the library - not so much the time issue but the $$ for arts and crafts when our libraries are having funding cut (I'm talking 30 kids showing up), so I'm twitchy on a private school using public property (though here no funding is involved). On the flip, I have to wonder how this is affecting Kennsington, MD homeschoolers, if at all? It sounds like a very small town.
a little crazy sounding to me. paying to use a public park! why did the privat school not have their own play ground built??
If they are using it officially - instead of having their own during school hours, I have issues with that. In a way, they are commandeering it and preventing general public use. However, as a hs'er who goes to park day once a week with the group, we have kids age 14 on down playing at the park. I think the idea to ban kids over 5 is not addressing the issue - the public park is for the PUBLIC -regardless of age. I think the core issue is permissions for groups to use the park. In CA - if you want to have a party or something at the park, you have to pay to reserve the use of one of the picnic areas. I think something like that would better address this issues, rather than banning most of the public from using a public facility. Same thing with preschool using the library - I have no problem with them using it as long as they pay a fee.
I would like to address one maybe unintended implication here - that private schools, and parents who send their children to private school, are wealthy and can afford it. For high school, we sent our oldest four children to a private Christian school. For sure, there were rich kids there whose parents could afford just about anything, but there were also many parents like us who sacrificed a lot in order to send our children there. Just like when we sacrificed a second income in order to homeschool, we went without a lot so our children could do well in a sympathetic environment. Even though we still paid property taxes to support the public school, our children were forced to pay for some of the things (like summer school) that public school children could get free of charge. The image that, somehow, private schools and the families whose children that attend them are universally rich is a false one. Plenty of families choose to send their children there, just like plenty of families homeschool, and we're not loaded with cash. It's a real sacrifice, so why penalize by charging for the use of a public park? Why should they have to raise funds to build their own? The town official in that video clip said it all: "It's our park". In other words, children who attend a private school are not part of us. That's a very arrogant and divisive statement to make. His stupid rule affects homeschoolers probably more than the private school students.
I honestly think the better solution would be to allow the school to use the park but only for a set period of time for example from 12:00 - 1:00 each day the school may use the park for their students, and then the mothers who have small children can simply plan their day accordingly. Really when my children are pre-school aged I was feeding lunch at 11:30 -12:00 and then right after lunch was a story and nap so for the school to use it during those hours shouldn't be a problem and seeing that it is a community park EVERYONE should be able to use it, though I can see the point of the older ones overwhelming the littles as it's happened to us several times.
I agree with Steve. People do seem to think that just because a kid goes to private school the parents can afford more. Sometimes, the kid is on scholarship and sometimes the parents are strapped because their kids are going to private school.
It is a PUBLIC park. PUBLIC means that the people can use it. If I were a mom of preschoolers and knew there would be a bunch of older kids between the hours of 2-3, then I would make a point of bringing my kids at 1, and to be gone by 2. I'm sure the school kids aren't there all day long! Personally, I think that during time of tightening budgets, the town council decided they could get money from the "rich" school.
Even private schoolers pay taxes. No one is exempt. They should be allowed to use the park. The fact that the limits only during school hours means it is just targeting one population. But it also sounds like the girls were not behaving and therefore, they should be banned individually.
I'm not so sure the girls are not behaving. Yes, I know the clip sure made them seem like very nice, sweet little things, and I know I've seen some monsters dressed up and everyone ooo! and ahhh! over them and think how terrible the authorities were to such as "nice" child!!! So I know what they portrayed may not be accurate. But the busting of equipment, etc., is probably the work of older kids at night, as are the cigarettes. Sure, they probably drop some trash...what kid doesn't?...but so does everyone else. Maybe the school could arrange to have clean up the park once a month. So is this happening DURING SCHOOL HOURS? If so, they shouldn't be out there WITHOUT A TEACHER. After hours, it's no longer the school's problem. Where the girls go then is none of the school's business, really.
I agree that it's a public park, so the public should be able to use it. I personally had a similar situation (although no law was involved). When we first started hs'ing 3 years ago, I decided that every few days we'd go to our local park (very small town we lived in then... no stop lights, lol). They would actually lock the gate! I don't know if it was to keep people from using it during school hours or what. But I didn't care, I just parked in the adjacent parking lot and we walked around the entrance and walked a little ways (since it was only the driving entrance that was closed). I'm innovative, lol. I thought about calling the people to complain, but decided not to worry about it just to walk around and only take action if someone complained. and btw...if I was a mother of a small child and thought the private school girls were too much for my kids to handle...I'd not take them during that time...there ya go....problem solved! see....innovative!
The school was asked to pay $4000 per year to help with the upkeep of the park. That's $40/month during the school year. Break it down - I'm sorry but it's not that much to ask. Other schools in our area - if they are private - all have their own playgrounds, including the pre-school run by the county which has very easy access to the bigger local playgrounds! I don't think they should be using it honestly. Yes it's for tax paying citizens which these people are a part of - but during school hours you are also in the custody of the school. Guess who they would sue if something went wrong at that park - not the school because they weren't on school property. Don't they have more than 10 students who can pay $1/week to use the park?
This is a tough one. At that level of use, they *are* putting more wear and should give something (more) back. It's not families showing up, it's an organized mass of children. Similarly, I had given up taking my children to story time at our old library. The local preK would just show up with ALL their kids. Not that I begrudge those little guys visiting the library or enjoying story time, but there was virtually no room left for my children...or anyone else's. If the libraries want to make themselves available to large groups, I believe they should set up special arrangements. Otherwise, the rest of us stop going and find somewhere else. And sadly, if I feel I have to take my kids to Barnes & Noble for storytime because the library isn't an option, well, I'll feel less personally invested in the library when tax time rolls around...and that's not good.
That whole public/private thing is touchy. We have a very small private school that just happens to be next to the local park. They do not use it for recess...but when my son was going there...if they had time at the end of the day the teacher would take the class over there. (of course there were 5 kids in the class and the teacher was there.) So it isn't like there is a huge drain on the park. Also, whenever we did walking field trips with the public school that park is a good location and it has tables...so we would stop there for lunch. (it is between our grade school and the University where much of "stuff" is put on) So that is usually 3 classes of 30+ kids there for an hour or two. Far as I know, no one has complained.
You do have a good point Dana. Especially if there's a lot of wear and tear and the amount asked could be broken down so easily.
There's a rec center in Columbus with a different problem. The Ohio School for the Deaf is a residential school, with also some day students. Kids come there from all over the state. They've always had their OWN rec staff working at the school in the evenings, and on weekends. They've since shut down completely on weekends, so the rec staff is only evenings now. Anyway, this year OSD has decided to take advantage of Columbus Park and Recs. So they have descended en masse on one of the rec centers. The guy comes in during Registration and signs up a big group of kids, taking up the whole class. So neighborhood kids are shut out. The one class has about ten Deaf kids and two neighborhood ('cause there wasn't room for more). And this isn't limited to just the art classes. Now, I don't think anyone has a problem with the Deaf kids in class, but they DO have a problem when the neighborhood kids are left out. It's not right that they can come in and sign up that 10+ kids at one time. Also, they sign up their whole group, not just those interested in taking the class. The gal in charge of the art classes has suggested an ADDITIONAL class to take MORE DEAF KIDS. HUH? How about an additional class to take in the neighborhood kids that are on a waiting list? How about limiting the number of kids one person can register? How about a lottery system where all names are put in an envelope and pulled out, giving both the Deaf and the neighborhood kids an equal chance for the class? What frustrates me most is that I honestly feel they're doing this because THEIR budget has been cut and they no longer have the funds for rec activities, and the City Rec Center (at least this one!) is free.
I don't think that's right Jackie - it's not fair to the other kids. Of course I live in a county where NOTHING is free. BTW - at our community center we are each charge $1 per kid per visit if we go inside during the "free" homeschool class time. For me it's worth it - and in talking to the people who run it, it actually also helps pay for the wear and tear on the playground because we aren't asked to pay if we go there - just don't be there when the community center preschool uses it.
I have to agree its a public yes a public park, anyone can go. Just work around it go another time. If they didn't want it public then they need to take the sign down and make it private. Those kids parents pay taxes for that park just like next kids parent they have every right to be there. I think if they charge them or change something it will cause more trouble. Alot of neat laws will come up like there color, or they go to private school not public. Don't think I would want to mess with that bucket of worms. I would leave it and let them be. Just work around it. Like some ones else said the children are not there all day long.
