I would like to see the principal's explanation. It's possible that she has messed up horribly, but perhaps there is a valid reason for this.
I'm usually all for hearing both sides of any dispute. But in this case, I'll just say that it is bloody unlikely that there is a valid reason. Of course, I find the
whole notion that parents should bring their children to school insane. Back in my day (and I'm 32...), if your parents brought you to school, you were considered a complete wimp.
Also, from the article you cited:
The school issued a statement on April 6, saying that the car line takes only 30 minutes
[Emphasis mine]
Holy crap, the school considers it normal for people wait in a 30 minute traffic jam to pick up their children from school? What the fuck is wrong with people? Again, back in my day (yeah, I'm still just 32), people would have come for the principal with torches and pitchforks just for that statement!
And, on second thought: One thing I am not quite getting (probably due to my happy ignorance; I am not quite sure I want to hear the answer):
(From the article)
The goal is a safe dismissal process. [...] The principal [...] refuses even to adjust the policy to allow walkers to leave prior to the start of the car line
What is that supposed to mean? Does the school hold students against their will after school is out until they have been picked up? Is there an actual queue of cars moving towards a designated "dismissal" point and that process takes 30min? If yes: Is this normal at American schools?