Another middle school teacher vs student question

[cruisnfamily]

The 1st quarter is almost over and we got progress reports today to give us an idea of how the kids are doing. We also recieved mid term progress reports a few weeks ago. When we got the mid term reports we had to sign them and then the kids turned them back in to the teacher.

On today's progress report DD has a homework assignment with a 0 on it for supposedly not returning the signed progress report at mid terms. She had a 100% avg without this 0 in the homework category. This brought the homework avg down to an 80. Her overall grade was still 94.8 for the semester but without the 0 bringing down the hw avg it would have been a 98 for the semester. DD is very responsible and isn't dishonest. I know I signed it and she is absolutely 100% positive she handed it in. When the progress reports were handed out she asked the teacher about the zero and he told her she had not handed this in. She told him that she had. He said "well, I don't have it so you must not have handed it in". She and I took apart every nook/cranny/pocket/folder/notebook that she has just to see if it somehow got stuck somewhere(eventhough she remembers handing it in) She doesn't have it. She's positive she gave it to him, he's positive she didn't.

Just curious as to how you would or wouldn't handle this.

 

[poohandwendy]

I would drop it because she cannot prove that she did the work and this doesn't bring her average down a grade level. But in the future have your DD get a homework journal for him to sign when she turns it in. We have student agendas for this purpose, it has room for all grades (tests, homework, etc). This way there will be no discrepancy in the future.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
I would drop it because she cannot prove that she did the work

It wasn't work....that's the thing....it was just handing in the mid-term progress report signed by a parent. They do have agenda books, but trust me, this is not the kind of teacher you ask for a "receipt" when you hand stuff in.

 

[gr8tpanther]

Ya know... I think that I would fight that, just because. I mean, why should the teacher be right and your DD be wrong? In HIS eyes anwyays.

 

[Divamomto3]

I would go to the principal. It is ridiculous that a child's A+ average be ruined because somebody (the teacher or your daughter...but I'm betting on the teacher) LOST the PROGRESS REPORT! What does that even have to do with the child's grade or progress in a subject? Excellent test scores and impeccable homework...no points should be lost. What if the parent threw the progress report away and didn't send it back? Why should the child be penalized?

I swear, some teachers want our children to fail instead of succeed.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally posted by cruisnfamily


Just curious as to how you would or wouldn't handle this.

I have had it happen and we save everything until the quarter is up. In fact it has happened more than once in several classes.

Is she still getting an "A"?

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by The Mystery Machine
I have had it happen and we save everything until the quarter is up. In fact it has happened more than once in several classes.

Is she still getting an "A"?

Yes, it's still an A, a 94.8% when it should be about a 98%. I know it seems petty but I figure those few points could be the difference between an A and a B come the end of the year when they total up the 4 quarters.

 

[Serena]

I think that perhaps winning this battle may make for an unpleasant year.

I wish I had some advice. good luck

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would photocopy EVERYTHING with some teachers...

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by The Mystery Machine
I would photocopy EVERYTHING with some teachers...

Well, it so happens I do have a copy of the midterm progress report, signed by me....however, that doesn't prove she handed it in. The point is that she supposedly didn't give it to him. So, in this case, having a copy doesn't do me much good.

The problem is, I really do believe she gave it to him.....I mean, why wouldn't she? I signed it, it was in her notebook, he asked everybody to turn them in, why would she not have given it to him?

I think that perhaps winning this battle may make for an unpleasant year

I agree! That's why I was asking for opinions here.

What does that even have to do with the child's grade or progress in a subject?

I wondered about this myself

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I understand where you are coming from...I have had it happen.

That really really stinks. I guess you should let it go and have your dd watch her back in that class.

Some of dd's teachers wouldn't even mark the work down.

This year I don't ever GET a progress report so I called the office and requested one.

 

[bballmom56]

Been there (more than once). You have to choose your battles carefully (with the teacher, not DD). There may be bigger, more important ones down the road (hopefully not). I would contact the teacher once myself, just to let him know I am involved and concerned, but not take it much past that. In the future, he may tend to believe her, knowing her parent is watching, too.

DS had this problem a few times. In Social Studies, they had to make a cartoon strip about feudal times . Not his strong suit. But he did it and turned it in. Teacher claims she never got it. Still said that til the end of 8th grade, but it never affected his grade. We laugh and say when it comes time to graduate HS (he's a soph. now) they're going to hold back his diploma and say "sorry, you never turned in your feudal folks cartoon".

 

[Lachesis00]

IF she was getting a poor grade, I could see him thinking she didn't turn it in but she is getting excellent grades... that alone should show him that is not something she didn't turn in.

I'd probably make a copy and send it in. I was so proud of a book cover my son did, I scanned it in. I had driven him and the project to school. Luckily I did b/c it dissapeared at some point... so I was able to email her a copy.

I think I would say something, like you said it could affect her grade down the line.

 

[dg39]

Call up the teacher and tell him about the situation your in. Tell him you signed it and your dd is positive he turned it in. Also mention to this teacher to explain to you what this signed paper has to do with your dd's grades. Speak nicely, but get to the point. This should no way have anything to do with your son's future work. Sometimes, these teachers make mistakes just like everyone else, but, unfortunately some believe they don't and its easier to pass the buck on to the student. Yes a 94% is an excellent grade, but the kid worked for and deserves her 98%.

 

[amid chaos]

DD is very responsible and isn't dishonest

it's too bad that by now the teacher doesnt know this about your child . This has always bugged me about some teachers....if your daughter has shown responsibility up until now and with that kind of percentage, you would hope that the teacher would believe her.

 

[Patch'sD]

I would discuss with the teacher of how many children have not missed any other homework assignments and have not handed back the progress report. If a child met all of the requirements of homework, I would doubt that the child missed that one assignment. Teacher does not want to admit he made a mistake push the issue.

 

[luvflorida]

I've had this happen more than once with my kids, and I ALWAYS address the issue. I simply can't stand it when I know my child is right about something and a teacher is saying the child is wrong.

My youngest daughter had a French teacher for two years in middle school who always included signed progress reports as part of the homework grade. She always turned hers in on time and signed, but I used to wonder if there was ever a child who didn't turn one in because a parent never bothered to sign it. Would the teacher mark that child's grade down even though it wasn't the child's fault?

If I ever have a question or concern about anything pertaining to my child, I always e-mail the teacher. If I don't get a response, (which is extremely rare), I call the teacher. The majority of the time, the problem is resolved with everyone pleased at the outcome. There have been times when I haven't been satisfied with the solution or agreed with the teacher, but it always makes me feel better knowing that the teacher knew there was a problem, and that my child told me about it, and I was concerned enough to contact the teacher.

I taught first grade for fifteen years, so I've been on the other side of the table, also. I can tell you from experience that, as a teacher, I really repected the parents who would call me and discuss problems. I LIKED knowing that kids had parents at home who kept involved in their child's progress, and stayed on top of what went on in the classroom on a daily basis.

I wholeheartedly believe that parents MUST advocate for their own child because nobody else cares as much about your child as you do, or knows your child the way you do.

I guess what I'm saying is that even though you might not be able to resolve a certain problem, you should at least let the teacher know how you feel about it, and I bet in the future, the teacher will be a little more careful when dealing with your child. It isn't the fact that the grade is still an A, it's the fact that the teacher is wrong, your child is right, and your child deserves the higher grade she earned.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by luvflorida
If I ever have a question or concern about anything pertaining to my child, I always e-mail the teacher

This is exactly what I did.

And now, the resolution:

The teacher responded to my email by saying "Hello, you may send a note saying you have seen the report" That's it. No commentary whatsoever, he didn't even sign it. Sooooo, I'm assuming if I send a note saying I have seen the report he's going to give my child full credit???? Is that how you would read this?

Thanks for the input!

 

[Madi100]

Have you tried talking to the teacher yourself and telling him that you know that she took it back to school with her? I wouldn't make a huge issue of it, but it might not hurt to talk to him in a non-theatening way.

 

[piratesmate]

Originally posted by cruisnfamily
This is exactly what I did.

And now, the resolution:

The teacher responded to my email by saying "Hello, you may send a note saying you have seen the report" That's it. No commentary whatsoever, he didn't even sign it. Sooooo, I'm assuming if I send a note saying I have seen the report he's going to give my child full credit???? Is that how you would read this?

Thanks for the input!

Um, no. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I read it as the teacher is trying to placate you & being vague on purpose.

We've had so much of this kind of thing! My favorite one was last year when DD turned something into her science teacher. Teacher said he'd never seen it. I sent in a copy along with a floppy disk with the work on it - to show the date it was done. (Yeah, I know you can fudge that, but I was hoping he'd believe me since I was telling the truth.)

Anyway, he raised the grade from 0 to 50 "because it was so late." Six weeks later, the fund raiser stuff came in & was sent home.....the science paper was stapled to the fund raiser stuff!