The Big Mac

Who wants to play make believe? Can I see a show of hands? OK. Hey you! Raise your hand!

Let's make believe you go into a McDonald's. You order a Big Mac, sit down and start to eat it. After your first bit you notice something is awry with this Big Mac you are holding. You get up and ask the counter person to speak with a manager. The counter person greets you with a smile, and notifies the manager. The manager, probably a kid in his or her 20's also greets you with a smile. You point out the issue with the Big Mac and the manager says, "no problem," and finds a solution to the Big Mac dilemma that satisfies you both. The manager knows that you as a customer are important and wishes to make you feel that way.

Now let's make believe you come to my school. Your child is told that he/she is no good by a per diem teacher. You walk into the office and are greeted with a snarl and nasty look by the person taking up space at a desk. You somehow get past or around this snarly, nasty person and finally get to the door of Dear Principal John Deacon. All you wish to do is voice concern, and to find a mutually beneficial solution to the problem. Dear Principal John Deacon explains to you that it has neither the time nor the inclination to meet with you and totally ignores you. You leave mad and are going to go over Dear Principal John Deacon's head. That is if Dear Principal John Deacon has not called school safety on you.

Now let's not play make believe. Why does McDonald's do it better than a NYC public school?