Stuff I've been working on....

Parking--still an issue. But maybe this will help. Today I made cute little parking passes, laminated them and delivered them. Good times. For a while I put off the parking issue because it clearly isn't the most pressing academic need--but when staff bug me about it a few times a day, it does start to impact academics. It was time to act.

Here's the letter to the staff:

Hi Staff,

I get multiple expressions of concern about parking each week--this is our attempt to respond. We are interested in everyone having a place to park; we are also aware of the fact that we are a school within a neighborhood, and that parking is scarce. In an attempt to alleviate some of the parking strains, we have created some very simple parking passes. They will be delivered to your mailbox and should be used starting next week.

If staff are assigned a spot on the front circle, they have a "parking pass" which says "front circle."
All staff will be given a pass for the Hedge Road parking lot in the back. Please put the pass on the dashboard somewhere. The pass for H Road only helps us know that you are a staff member, but does not guarantee that there will actually be a spot. Creating more parking spots is clearly an issue on another level.

While we have no way of enforcing the parking with parking tickets, we will leave notes on cars to remind people that they must park elsewhere. Over time, this should have an effect. Please help interns, substitutes and student teachers with recommendations for street parking.

Police are strict about ticketing (as many of you know), especially for parking in handicapped spots, or when blocking sidewalks. However, they have relaxed the two hour limit for two hour spots. If you have a specific concern about a ticket, you have the right to contest the ticket and may come to speak to Tim or me about the circumstances if a letter of support is in order.

No doubt, this policy will alleviate some problems and likely create new and different concerns. Please come to me with those.

Thanks, and as always, your feedback is welcome.