It just doesn't add up...

The SCSon's school is planning a class trip to the Grand Canyon. They held a parents meeting tonight to walk through the trip. The SCQueen and I are still shaking our heads in disbelief.

The plan is to meet at the school at 5AM, arriving at the canyon 6 hours later including a 30 minute break on the way up. Then they have one hour planned for lunch (odd, when the school only gives them 15 minutes to eat lunch on a normal day). Then they finally get to the purpose of the trip: a 2 1/2 hour Ranger guided program. Then get back on the bus for a 6 hour return trip home, this time including a 45 minute dinner break and 30 minute snack break.

That works out to 17 hours on the road, of which only 2 1/2 hours are engaged in actual "learning activities", but 2 3/4 hours are spent on food breaks on the way up or back. An hour of that will be spent eating lunch at a picnic area near the canyon, but not at the rim. They will spend less than an hour taking in the visual splendor of the canyon.

This just doesn't add up. I think we'll take our own trip to the canyon. We can do it faster and choose what to do instead of being forced to the school's lowest common denominator.

PS.. This trip is scheduled for an otherwise normal school day. After returning home around 10pm, they expect everyone bright and early and on time for school the next day!

PPS.. SCQueen talked to the PTO president after the meeting and reports they don't have the money to pay for all this. That suggests they'll be coming to parents with their hands out.

PPPS.. A parent asked as to the identity of the charter company. The teachers either couldn't or wouldn't answer saying "the district made the choice". Sorry, not good enough. We need to know this up front so we can check on their safety record, not after they've departed with our loved ones. (A recent 7-fatal accident pushes this possibility to the forefront).