How to Catch a Fly and Why I Need New Shoes

Dear Parents, When you are at a new school and you are advocating for your child, please realize that loudly declaring "I'll do whatever it takes to push this through" isn't the best approach. You will do well to remember that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. You see, nothing raises the hackles of school officials faster than to have a parent come in all fired up and yelling threats. A much better approach is to present the information in a sweet manner. Yes, I realize that at times an assertive approach is necessary to get the bureacracy moving and out of your way, but when you are aggressive, you just burn bridges. Those bridges are really hard to repair. And the next year, when your child is at a new school and you are talking with the nurse about your child's situation and she realizes the solution, she thinks all is well. Until she notifies the persons in charge of the solution. Then she discovers that she has stepped into a big pile of stinky, old crap. And now she needs new shoes--even though she was successful in getting the solution implemented. Sincerely, Nurse Graham