When we learned, with only five days' notice, that our daughter's primary school was about to start fingerprinting young children without asking for our express consent, my wife and I stood at the school gates handing out leaflets we had copied and paid for ourselves to alert other parents, many of whom had not realised, due to the school's misleading letter, that they had been given only five days to object. After this, things went from bad to worse. Listen to our story, or read the summary of what's happened so far. Now here's the (sadly, fictional) alternative happy ending...
I would have gone out and spoken to you asking what you were doing. When you brought up your concerns and I realised you had obviously SPENT QUITE A BIT OF MONEY on printing leaflets, I would either:
a) invite you in immediately to talk this over
or
b) arrange a time either the next day or at the latest the day after for you and I to talk
WHEN WE HAD THE MEETING, I would have asked you to bring up all of your concerns and problems with what I was doing. I would listen, I would if necessary take notes to ensure I remembered everything accurately. I would lay my point of view on the table and attempt to reach a compromise.
I would then, with your consent, do the following
Arrange an open meeting inviting all parents to attend and bring forward their own concerns to me and to the deputy head. If for whatever reason you and I could not come to an agreement relatively quickly then I would send out a letter to parents explaining my point of view, which I would show to you first. I would also ask you to write a letter explaining your point of view. I would ask to see it before we put it in the envelope and we'd put both letters in the same envelopes to parents. This way you save money and we have both formally agreed where the other person stands. We have not been rude to each other, and we have respected each other's point of view.
During the time in which I am assessing the opinions of parents, governors and the staff, I would ask you NOT to produce any more leaflets. Not because I want to gag you, but I want to ensure you and I RESPECT one another while I am assessing the situation and the potential impacts of NOT fingerprinting children, compared to the scenario in which I do. The only situation in which I could understand you producing more, is if I effectively CANCEL NEGOTIATIONS and say that "I'm going to fingerprint these children whether you like or not. I believe it's the best choice.
The critical thing in this idea of mine is that it focuses on NEGOTIATION, but in reality your Headmaster seems to me to have focused on RETALIATION. In my view he appears to have tried to label you an ID Card conspiracy theorist who was in the "minority". Even if you are in the minority when it comes to mass fingerprinting of children in our schools (WHICH YOU'RE NOT!), when did the minority point of view become worthy of patronising behaviour and such apparent hostility?
I think that's a crucial difference. Please negotiate, don't retaliate Mr. Headmaster.