Parent: My child was #1 on the waitlist, and I received notification that they are now #3. This is completely unfair. I demand you change it back.
Me: Unfortunately, I cannot. Your child is on the waitlist to an entry level grade. In the course of parents accepting seats, two students became siblings -
Parent: Then they should get in line behind my child. My child was a sibling first!
Me: I am very sorry, but it doesn't work that way. Siblings are listed in the order of their general lottery number. The two children who became siblings had a lower general lottery number than your child.
Parent: Who is your supervisor?
Me: In regard to the sibling policy? You would need to talk to the Magnet Office :: gives the parent the name of the person to contact there ::
Parent: You haven't heard the last of this!
Two days later ...
Parent: :: triumphantly :: It was fixed! My child is now number 1 on the waitlist again.
What the parent doesn't know is that I had a couple people decline spaces and I was able to accept the two siblings that were in front of their child. If I tell the parent that, they will get upset about their child not being selected. Moreover, I have no way of knowing if anyone else will decline and make space for their child, or if anyone else will become siblings and move them backwards on the list again. In the short run, it is easier for me to let them think that the Magnet Office moved their child up the waitlist, even though I know full well that's not what happened. In the long run, if I do that, they will go on mistakenly believing that rules were changed in their favor.
Decisions, decisions ...
Me: Unfortunately, I cannot. Your child is on the waitlist to an entry level grade. In the course of parents accepting seats, two students became siblings -
Parent: Then they should get in line behind my child. My child was a sibling first!
Me: I am very sorry, but it doesn't work that way. Siblings are listed in the order of their general lottery number. The two children who became siblings had a lower general lottery number than your child.
Parent: Who is your supervisor?
Me: In regard to the sibling policy? You would need to talk to the Magnet Office :: gives the parent the name of the person to contact there ::
Parent: You haven't heard the last of this!
Two days later ...
Parent: :: triumphantly :: It was fixed! My child is now number 1 on the waitlist again.
What the parent doesn't know is that I had a couple people decline spaces and I was able to accept the two siblings that were in front of their child. If I tell the parent that, they will get upset about their child not being selected. Moreover, I have no way of knowing if anyone else will decline and make space for their child, or if anyone else will become siblings and move them backwards on the list again. In the short run, it is easier for me to let them think that the Magnet Office moved their child up the waitlist, even though I know full well that's not what happened. In the long run, if I do that, they will go on mistakenly believing that rules were changed in their favor.
Decisions, decisions ...
