Wednesday evening I attended the 8th grade Open House at the school where I work. It’s rare that parents venture into the LMC, but I like to be present in case any do find their way or, as is often the case, need help finding their way to classrooms.
This year was the first in person Open House since 2019. In the district where I teach, the lots are full 20 minutes prior to the start of the evening’s agenda, with school employees directing parents to park. I’ve learned to leave my car at work, and catch a ride home and back to school, to avoid having to return to school an hour before the event begins.
When I got home after Open House, the day’s mail had been delivered and there was an envelope with the return address of the school my youngest son child attends. Inside was a letter inviting me to attend Open House at his school scheduled for…that very night. Yes, I received the letter, dated Friday 9/23/22, in the mail on Wednesday, 9/28/22, the same night Open House was being had been held.
I had missed it.
I looked through my email – nope, no correspondence from the school there, other than yet another appeal to schedule senior portraits. I checked the district calendar I had received in the mail to see if the event was listed there. It wasn’t. Ironically, though, Home Coming is.
Are you kidding me?
As a parent, I’m kind of crushed. This was my last child’s last Open House and I missed it. As an educator, I’m incredulous that communication about this event was so poorly orchestrated. No emailed invitation or notice? As a resident, I’m annoyed that I lost the opportunity to see the building that I supported by voting to approve its construction. And, as a taxpayer, I’m irritated that I’ll be writing a check for school taxes this week while wondering how something so basic was handled so ineffectively.
Being #allinforalbany isn’t always easy – especially when you don’t get the invite.
DelSo 
It’s one thing to “blame the mail/post office..etc” but not to have it on the school or district calendar? That’s ridiculous, in this age. You would think that there would have been a broadcast text, calendar, emails….but I’m not a parent…and I’m on the outside looking in.
Communication is such a vital thing and, in theory, there are more ways than ever to get a message delivered. It’s just lame. And – 5 days between the date of an invite and the occasion is insufficient. Period.
We are finding the US Postal system has become undependable. We have had two recent issues.