Should I scare the hell out of this teacher?

[cynatnite]

For the last several months we've been paying towards a trip for my daughter's high school chorus to Atlanta. It was to last four days with a wide variety of activities and excursions. My husband and I really wanted her to go as did she.

In order to pay for it we helped make the payments and my daughter put part of her job earnings towards it, too. This was to cost almost five hundred dollars given the hotel, travel and other expenses. I thought it was a decent price considering everything they would be doing.

The last payment of the trip was due tomorrow. She gave each student slips of papers with what was due. We owed $150 and I gave a check to my daughter today. She gave it to the teacher.

At the end of class, the teacher announced since there wasn't enough students going to Atlanta, they would now be doing Gatlinburg. Now, Atlanta is a five hour drive from here. Gatlinburg is an hour and a half. She mentioned they would go to Dollywood for a day and spend the night. They would return the following day.

Needless to say, I am pissed as hell. We don't make a lot of money and neither does my daughter. This Atlanta trip was a big deal. We made plans, set aside money, made the payments and everything in order for her to go.

We've gone to Gatlinburg and done the Dollywood bit several times since we've lived here. We can do that just about anytime. It's almost the equivilant of going out to dinner to McDonald's.

[Richardo]

1. So share your plan to scare her...

So we can provide valuable advice.

[BigMcLargehuge]

2. I'm scared just at the mention of Dollywood

:scared:

People go there... on purpose? Not like, ordered to by the state or anything?

[cynatnite]

6. Dollywood's actually a lot of fun...not like you'd think n/t

[BigMcLargehuge]

7. I always thought it was like Graceland, only smaller...

is it like a theme park or something? Perhaps I am misinformed?

[cynatnite]

8. Yeah, it's a huge theme park.

They've got a water park and other stuff. It's almost like Six Flaggs. There are shows, too.

[BigMcLargehuge]

9. Indeed then I was misinformed

I retract my scared smilie and offer a :hi: smiley in trade.

[Midlodemocrat]

10. It is actually quite nice.

There are a lot of old time mountain type craftspeople there as well and a really pretty indoor butterfly garden.

That being said, wait until your kids are older if you think you might like to go. Pushing a stroller up those hills just about killed me.

[BigMcLargehuge]

11. Good plan... We'll wait until Meg can walk before any big trips

FYI - when discussing anything Dolly Parton related, this sentence "Pushing a stroller up those hills just about killed me" is hilarious.

[Midlodemocrat]

15. LOL. Yeah, I thought about that after I posted it.

Fortunately, I was posting to you and not some of the lounge riff raff.

But, you know, Disney is a great place to go with a baby. They sleep in the stroller, so you can take the older one to stuff and they are very enthralled with the goings on.

That being said, my 9yo doesn't remember it much, so we will have to take a trip down there. 5 adult tickets. Now that is :scared:

[cynatnite]

17. We always enjoy going during the summer...

I go shopping at one of the outlet malls and leave the rest of the family to their own devices. :rofl:

[cynatnite]

5. Yelling and getting in her face crossed my mind

A year ago or so there was the payment plan for very nice chorus dresses. We did that and had it almost paid for when that fell through. The kids got cheap dresses not even worth thirty bucks. This was after paying over $50.

So this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

[LynneSin]

3. I would demand the money back

and then use the $500 towards a family vacation in Atlanta this summer.

[eyesroll]

4. Is this costing the same amount of money?

If so, it's bait and switch. Scream and holler.

[bleedingheart]

12. Ask for your money back, but do so in a nice tone

and if they don't want to give you back the money, ask for a detailed expense report for both the Atlanta trip and the Gatlinburg trip....I don't think that the costs would be the same.

[cynatnite]

14. Good idea...

Hubby is pissed. He called it extortion. Gotta love the guy!

I'll do that when I talk to her tomorrow.

[bleedingheart]

19. it does sound fishy

but if you go in screaming then it will only make the teacher go into defensive mode. I would get the details first, who knows what the real story is and it isn't worth getting hyped up before knowing the details. It could be a screwup on the part of the teacher, a travel agent, a booking agent, or someone else.

I remember my brother having trouble with German Club. He didn't have enough cash raised to go to Germany, so the teacher told him that perhaps he should "donate" his money so that another student who had more than my brother but not enough could go.. My brother told the teacher that he wanted the balance of his account in cash and that if she had a problem with it ..he would go to the School Board and register a complaint. My brother got his check....but he did it in a very diplomatic way.

[skygazer]

13. I'd demand my money back

This is not what you paid for and it's ridiculous that they've collected the same amount of money for this trip than for the Atlanta trip when that one was 4 days and this one is overnight! Completely unacceptable IMO and I would make a big stink about it, to the teacher, to the school and in the damn newspaper if I didn't get satisfaction.

You just got punked in a big way. That's terrible.

[antigone382]

16. Don't scare her, but do express your objections.

And definitely insist that you are reimbursed for the difference in cost between the two trips. If she disregards your request, take it to the principal.

[bertha katzenengel]

18. So that teacher is going to pool everyone's money for this cheaper

trip? if that's so, seems your daughter might actually be the only one who paid up fully.

what bullshit. i'd be pissed, too.

Good luck. :bounce:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. Don't scare her, but tell her in no uncertain terms

that you want your money back. Put the money back in the bank, and take a trip to Atlanta with your daughter. :hug: What a disappointment!