Letter shock for grieving parents

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/res/848.$plit/C_71_article_1104477_image_list_image_list_item_0_image.jpg?24%2F03%2F2009%2020%3A42%3A53%3A316

School Tells Parents Dead Daughter Can't Go to Prom

:confused

 

Totally unforgivable oversight on the schools part.

 

I agree with hrlow2. That's something that can't be taken back.

(why does it seem that schools always use crap software??)

 

The head teacher says, "The letter shouldn't have gone out". No s**t, Sherlock.
Complacency, laziness, call it what you want, just stop blaming software and 'computer error'. Who programmes these things? Megan's files should have been removed when she died.
There's no excuse.

 

Well.. as the old saying goes, once is happenstance, twice coincidence and three times enemy action.

It is a tragic error, but unfortunately, being geeks, we all know that software isn't perfect. I agree that there really isn't anything the school can do that will make this right, and I honestly can't imagine what I would do in their place.

IMHO: Yes, there was an error, but to crucify either the school or the software company might be a tad overdone.

It is one of those unfortunate side effects that happens when you try to make life easier with automation.

Sorry if it sounds heartless, but really, think about both sides for a minute and I think you may see where I'm coming from. Think like a geek for a minute.

ON that note, I'll shut up before I cause a problem

~C

 

I'm torn and on both sides of this issue leaning more towards the school. This has to hurt like hell for the parents, the reliving of the grief of that day is un excusable.
On the other hand software can only do what is programed. There are many companies even government entities that have done the same thing. I guess to remedy this and have it not happen again every company with this type of software would have to do a human check behind the computer program to make sure all the information is purged from the system.

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose for the software in the first place?

 

Personally, I don't know which side to take. I think it's horrible what happened, but I understand how computer programs work and such.

I'd probably have to say that when a popular (or any other) student dies during the year (which is probably at least a little rare) why not let the whole school go to prom, and drop the restriction on attendance? If you're not going to do that, theme the prom around her and her life, an honorable move like that, or naming a wing of the school after her (even for a year) would be a classy move on the schools part, and at least show the parents that they were serious when they apologized.

You have to feel for everyone in the situation I guess. I still can't wrap my head around my Grandpa being dead, and he was 75 and died 2 months ago. I don't think the parents will or should ever get over losing a daughter, I'm sure even littler things will bring thoughts of her back to them for a long long time.

 

I know I'm going to be kicked out of this forum....But I am a mother of a 16yr old Junior in high school. I agree with you 1000% Joey, STOP blaming the software and computer as making an error. WHO PROGRAMS these things....Because there is NO EXCUSE!!!!!

OK, most of you here know about computers and some of us happened to stop here for help. But the bottom line is SOMEONE programmed this system. And YES, I think it is heartless just to say...oh well. This was someone's daughter, someone's sister, a human, a girl with her whole life to live. Unfortunately, something happened to take her precious life away and all this school can say is..."sorry, it was the computer, it had a glitch:-o." No, this is unacceptable...GEEK or not all of us here are people, human beings, I'm sure no one here that is posting is "a computer program" because if it was I don't think the computer would be this heartless:mad.

Again....I'm sure I'll be kicked out after this posting. But, I'm a mother first and maybe it's because I'm not a 'geek' that I feel as if this is being taken too lightly. I'm sorry maybe we should go back to some of the old fashion ways of doing things(pen & paper). So, yes Buggabear to remedy this from happening again we do need to stop being lazy and have a human check behind these computers. Because when it come to humans, this is what "ALL" of us should be thinking like...humans. I know we all love our convenience, such as computers, microwaves, cell phones, DVR's...etc. But at some point we need to come back to reality and realize that we all bleed and we do not ooz green gunk, either way, people are the ones programming these gadgets.

Here is a thought...what if these machines are programmed so well that they take over...us. At that point we will be looking for a John Conner to save us from the machines...for those who don't know who "John Conner" is, go rent the movie Terminator:gunsrolleyes.

 

There can be no excuse for this happening,updating a database is not rocket science.

The old adage stands here "put :crap in and :crap:crap comes out"

 

when have you known technology to go backwards. unless this world completely decides to go backwards, for our own good or not, we will be slaves to technology. We rely on technology for everything in the world and yes it may be our mistake for doing this. The only way to check on these problem requires someone actually working on that which requires the entity, to hire a person to double check what goes into a computer and what goes out. Millions of humans have been replaced by computers and like it or not they are not going to shut down a cost saving thing like technology to hire us humans back.

Like I said the human race as stupid as we are, we created this monster and even the great John Conner can't save us from it.

 

Bill I agree with you 227.354% there is no excuse but like I said before I understand how it can happen. It's not rocket science to update a data base, but it's one of those jobs that people feel are expendable and guess what they replace us with a computer program and once you take the human element out of it you are left to a machine that is programed to do what you program it to do. vicious circle now there is no person to check on it because you replaced them. So it's unfortunate that it happened but it happens everyday and it will keep happening and there is nothing we will do to stop it.

 

I don't buy it. I'm with Huskies. The girl was dead 2 months, EVERYONE still remembered her dying, count on it. You can't tell me that someone didn't look at the letters at all, proofreading or otherwise. Then, someone's got to fold each letter, and put each letter in an envelope with at least the parents name, and more than likely "To the parents of" on each envelope. Someone missed this girls letter more than once. I can stuff a stack of envelopes, and might not remember each person, but if you asked me specifically if someone was in the stack, I could tell you they were or were not.

This letter should not have went out, no question. If I run a school, and my software puts someone through that, the software is gone, and I do everything in my power to assure everyone that this will never happen again (including myself). Remember over the winter the old guy that froze to death when his heat got shut off?

Story here

The town ended up abandoning the limiters, and the Mayor said he'd personally make sure everything was done to avoid this in the future, and that it would never happen again.

There are millions of way to avoid putting a family through this kind of situation (back on the letter here) and only a handful of reasons why it should have ever happened to begin with, none of which couldn't have been avoided with proper planning. Here's one for the quotes thread: the seven P's of success "Prior proper planning prevents piss poor performance."

 

I've been to my kids school and they have students working in the office stuffing and sending out those envelops, and I am 98.921% sure they are not checked by the staff.

I work for a municipal government and they are not about to spend anymore money than they half to. No one takes the time to reevaluate if the program is better that something else the lowest bid wins and stays until the next lower bid come in. They throw their money at a program and it takes a act of congress to get it out.

I wasn't there, but Huskies and Paxton007, I understand how it happened. Sad as it is, until we change and put people back in the mix, it is going to keep happening and over and over again.

 

....But the letter was signed by a member of staff, the deputy headteacher, no less. This wasn't just a covering letter that blanketed a broad subject. This was a very specific letter addressed to a very specific person alighting on a very specific matter. I would like to bet a pound to a piece of :crap that there weren't many letters of that type sent out.
Dwelling on it, the software actually had jack to do with that smeghead signing the letter, more to do with him being a muppet.

 

Paxton...I am so glad you and Joey understand about the human race. Like you said several people more than likely had their hands on this letter. Whether they all knew this girl or not somebody in this situation should have at the very least questioned someone about thisconfused:confused. I love the P's...gotta use it.LOL

Buggabear...I wasn't there either but I know how students do things in the school office. I know kids are not adults and may not be able to spot a name as Paxton does. But if this girl was popular you can't tell me that the student (whether they were there for a class assignment, punishment or whether the student himself is a geek or popular) did not recognize her name.

Even if she was popular or not, she just passed away 2 months ago and kids dying at an early age affect other kids in a totally different way. So, again, even if these kids don't pay attention to/about anything:booger that goes in/out of the mail or the office for that matter, I'm sure they would have noticed wow...So & So's parents are 'still' getting letters from the school.

Buggabear I guess we NEED to get back to letting people do what they are supposed torolleyes

Joey, you are right on, I don't care how busy you are as an administrator you should as least know the names of your 'dead' students:-o:-o.