.... No Good Deed......

So... Back-to-School Night, a smiling couple come up and talk to me about their son, Kyle, who is enrolled in 3rd period horde... er.... band. Now Kyle was a victim of the well-meaning counselors who signed him up for band even though he doesn't play a band instrument. He plays piano. The counselors, of course, don't know this... to them a musical instrument is a musical instrument. Bless their souls. They try... they really do.

So little Kyle is one of four kids in band who thought they were going to play piano. I had to gently break it to them that they were going to have to pick another instrument. Being that they weren't ready for this predicament... their little minds settled on the first and easiest solution: play drums.

So, lets introduce problem No. 2: over 20 kids have indicated that they want to play drums. Now, given the number of actual percussion instruments I have, I think I may be able to keep.... maybe... seven of them occupied at any one time. That mean the other thirteen will have to stand around and bang on practice pads until they get their turn on a real drum. That won't be fun.

So Kyle's parents, trying to save their son from a boring and/or uncomfortable situation wanted to talk about their options. It sounded like the class really wasn't what Kyle wanted. I warned them that switching out of band meant switching into the only other electives left for middle schoolers: orchestra or choir. In neither of those classes would he be playing piano. They said that choir would probably be a better choice. We all smiled, shook hands and parted ways.

So... the next day, Kyle came up to me during 3rd period. I looked at him and said "Oh, yeah... right.... I talked to your parents. You know what? I'll take care of it." I decided to do them a favor and went and talked to Kyle's counselor to have him switched. Badda-bing-badda-boom... I have one less in the horde and one more in choir. Mission accomplished.

Well, today, I get an angry e-mail from Kyle's mom saying that they were shocked to log into the school's on-line system and see that his classes had been changed. That Kyle had NO desire to be in choir. I had absolutely NO right to do this WITHOUT their permission. She's coming down to school first thing Monday morning to discuss it with me.

Huh?

I'm really hoping it gets resolved as a simple understanding. I sent her an e-mail back and apologized, said I would switch his schedule back (or let her do it... she may not want me mucking with his classes any more.) I really need her not to take this to Principal Palpatine. I think I'm getting ready to go to the mattresses with PP, and I really don't need her to have any ammo.

Phhh... that's what I get for trying to do someone a favor.