Thank you, Kala, and others for the great ideas and commiserations. There is a general lack of understanding on how the rehearsal process works, and it's a case of continuous education for students and parents alike.
I book all my dates at the beginning of the year. Our school has an Open House day just before we receive our students, which is the most parent contact I get all year (we are the opposite of the helicopter parent school, just saying). At the Open House I give every parent that comes in the handout with all our important dates (I love the term, 'blackout date' said by someone else, definitely going to start using that term!). I explain that this is a performance class, and part of the grade to pass the class is public performance. 99% of parents verbally and enthusiastically agree to this, which is lovely. I also use Remind to send out messages to parents and students, as well as an automated voicemail messaging system that sends out periodic reminders about upcoming commitments.
Even with all this, yes, there is still the odd kook in the crowd who thinks it doesn't apply to them. They tend to fail my class as a result.
I think a handbook and a more explicit parent/student contract is definitely in order. I use one, but on the basis of discussions in this thread, it's time to update mine.
Thank you, everyone! Great ideas and wisdom.
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Phillip Goodchild
Ruskin FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-24-2015 08:15
From: Kala Cookendorfer
Subject: Parent Contracts
Here is what I give the students who are cast at our read through, and it is to be turned in the very next day or whenever the first rehearsal is going to take place.
Another thing I do to solve this issue, is I send home a rehearsal schedule well before auditions with interested students so they and their parents/gaurdians know the commitment from the beginning. When they come to auditions, I also have the calander posted next to the audition forms. On the auditon forms there is a place for scheduling conflicts with a note that says, "We will take these dates into consideration when casting you, any other conflicts that you have that you do not list here may not be excused and can keep you from being cast again in the future" something like that, so the students and parents know this is a serious business.
After all this, there still will be one that drops the ball so to speak, but this system has truly helped.
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Kala Cookendorfer
Speech and Drama Teacher
Morehead KY
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-23-2015 22:27
From: Jeana Whitaker
Subject: Parent Contracts
I am so done with parents pulling students from a production because they want to go on vacation, or the child is struggling in a class, or for some other punishment, or because they want their child to attend a college orientation on the day of a performance, etc. I even once had a parent that told her child she couldn't show up on closing night (she had a lead) because she needed her to babysit her younger siblings so she could go on a date.
I am considering implementing a contract that the parent, as well as the child, has to sign. They need to understand that this is a commitment for the entire family, not just the student. Does anyone else have any experience with this or words of wisdom they want to pass along? I'm really tired of parents who view my program like as sports program where I can just pull another child from the bench whenever they feel like quitting. They don't seem to have any respect for the amount of work that goes into a production, nor do they have any understanding of how a production functions. They don't show up for meetings or to help in any way, so I can't use that forum. They don't seem to understand or even care about the amount of money and time that everyone else has invested to make it happen.
I just don't know that a contract will do any good, as I feel that there is no respect for what the program and production actually provides for their children and their is no recourse if they quit and break the contract anyway.
Feeling low. Thanks.
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Jeana Whitaker
Theatre Director
Mesa AZ
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