Saturday, April 18, 2009
My daughter was sent to The Ratner School in Cleveland, Ohio from Kindergarten through Middle School as part of the Parenting Agreement with my former wife. This is my experience with The Ratner School. In my opinion, they made a lot of problems.
During the drafting of the Parenting Agreement, my former wife requested that our daughter be sent to a Jewish Religious School. She preferred The Solomon Schechter School. I preferred that our daughter attend public school in the city where we lived. In a conference with the attorneys that was closed to me and my former wife, Judge Christine McMonagle said we should check out The Ratner School. Judge McMonagle improperly added her opinion in this matter and this was the start of the problems.
The things that were wrong with The Ratner School fall into several categories.
Repeated refusal to acknowledge my participation in school events.
Repeated refusal to notify of events, or late notification.
Denial of class visit request.
Visit to the Principal was arranged to view my daughter’s records. The Principal did not have them ready.
4th Grade
The school could not find any volunteer projects for me on more than one occasion.
5th Grade
The request for information about my daughter’s class activities was repeatedly ignored. This resulted in late notification.
I was told by my ex-wife that I didn’t have to volunteer at an event, that I was 'extra' and that Ratner had 'enough regular volunteers'.
The tour of the new school facilities was insulting. I was sent in a group separate from my daughter.
No communication from my daughter’s teachers at Parent Night in October. No contact from the Principal into October.
I had to repeatedly request some class visits. In some cases the Receptionist refused to leave a message for teachers.
6th Grade
The request for information about my daughter’s class activities was repeatedly ignored. This resulted in late notification.
Refusal of information about school events, and refusal of volunteer efforts.
The Ratner School did not notify me when a teacher had been replaced.
Obnoxious and sarcastic refusal by receptionist when I requested to leave a message for a teacher.
High School Night featured Private and Catholic High Schools, and some public schools outside the district where my daughter should attend, per the Parenting Agreement. No Jewish schools were presented.
Refusal by the receptionist to leave a message for after school care.
7th Grade
No mid-term report card for two months, over winter break.
The school cannot handle a bullying incident caused by a student of privilege. Parents are called into an assembly about this and crisis counseling commence, instead of expelling the little twerp. The performance was so disgusting that I proposed yanking our daughter out of The Ratner School. The next day I was informed by a counselor about an anti-Jewish remark aimed at my daughter. Anti-Jewish remarks don’t happen at Jewish Religious schools. This shows again how wrong and how arrogant it was to identify Ratner as Jewish. This was not the incident that caused the all school psychobabbling. Nobody at the school contacted me about this. I contacted the Principal about it.
8th Grade
Notified by The Ratner School in October that the local public High School sent them shadowing information in August. The information was not delivered to me.
Helen’s teacher advised that she should attend a Catholic school, in a conference where Helen and I and my former wife attended. This also clearly shows that attendance at Ratner as a Jewish Religious School was a untrue.
By contrast all of this evasion of responsibility for parental notification stopped immediately and permanently upon enrollment of my daughter in our local public high school. The high school never once refused information, or delayed it, and always answered my inquiries promptly and courteously.
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During the drafting of the Parenting Agreement, my former wife requested that our daughter be sent to a Jewish Religious School. She preferred The Solomon Schechter School. I preferred that our daughter attend public school in the city where we lived. In a conference with the attorneys that was closed to me and my former wife, Judge Christine McMonagle said we should check out The Ratner School. Judge McMonagle improperly added her opinion in this matter and this was the start of the problems.
The things that were wrong with The Ratner School fall into several categories.
- When it came time for High School, members of The Ratner School faculty arrogantly promoted religious schools of other faiths for my daughter. This went against my wishes and my former wife’s wishes.
- The Ratner School repeatedly denied and frustrated my access to my daughter’s records and school information. This access was required by the Parenting Agreement, which was part of the divorce. Therefore, The Ratner School went against this legal document.
The Ratner School promoted parental alienation against me by very openly refusing access to my daughter’s information and information about school events. This gave the impression that I was indifferent to her school life and progress.
The school promoted morals and values with which I have a strong disagreement.
Here is a sample of the problems.
3rd GradeRepeated refusal to acknowledge my participation in school events.
Repeated refusal to notify of events, or late notification.
Denial of class visit request.
Visit to the Principal was arranged to view my daughter’s records. The Principal did not have them ready.
4th Grade
The school could not find any volunteer projects for me on more than one occasion.
5th Grade
The request for information about my daughter’s class activities was repeatedly ignored. This resulted in late notification.
I was told by my ex-wife that I didn’t have to volunteer at an event, that I was 'extra' and that Ratner had 'enough regular volunteers'.
The tour of the new school facilities was insulting. I was sent in a group separate from my daughter.
No communication from my daughter’s teachers at Parent Night in October. No contact from the Principal into October.
I had to repeatedly request some class visits. In some cases the Receptionist refused to leave a message for teachers.
6th Grade
The request for information about my daughter’s class activities was repeatedly ignored. This resulted in late notification.
Refusal of information about school events, and refusal of volunteer efforts.
The Ratner School did not notify me when a teacher had been replaced.
Obnoxious and sarcastic refusal by receptionist when I requested to leave a message for a teacher.
High School Night featured Private and Catholic High Schools, and some public schools outside the district where my daughter should attend, per the Parenting Agreement. No Jewish schools were presented.
Refusal by the receptionist to leave a message for after school care.
7th Grade
No mid-term report card for two months, over winter break.
The school cannot handle a bullying incident caused by a student of privilege. Parents are called into an assembly about this and crisis counseling commence, instead of expelling the little twerp. The performance was so disgusting that I proposed yanking our daughter out of The Ratner School. The next day I was informed by a counselor about an anti-Jewish remark aimed at my daughter. Anti-Jewish remarks don’t happen at Jewish Religious schools. This shows again how wrong and how arrogant it was to identify Ratner as Jewish. This was not the incident that caused the all school psychobabbling. Nobody at the school contacted me about this. I contacted the Principal about it.
8th Grade
Notified by The Ratner School in October that the local public High School sent them shadowing information in August. The information was not delivered to me.
Helen’s teacher advised that she should attend a Catholic school, in a conference where Helen and I and my former wife attended. This also clearly shows that attendance at Ratner as a Jewish Religious School was a untrue.
By contrast all of this evasion of responsibility for parental notification stopped immediately and permanently upon enrollment of my daughter in our local public high school. The high school never once refused information, or delayed it, and always answered my inquiries promptly and courteously.
