Opinion please...re: high school English teacher

[Liz]

I'm so angry about this I thought maybe by posting it would help me calm down, and perhaps see the "other side" if ya'll disagree with me.

My DD is in 9th grade. First term in English she got an A on her report card. Right now she has an F. This term they have been placed in groups of 3 to do a majority of the assignments together. For about a week DD has tried to talk to the teacher to find out why her grade is so low and there have been substitutes. Since she had been unable to get this resolved I e-mailed the teacher and today went in during his prep period to find out what's happening.

In the groups of 3 he placed a top student, a mid-level student and a lower level student. My very, very shy DD is not the type of top student that will be able to help bring up the grades of these other two kids. They turn in one assignment and they all three get the grade.

It was a fairly long conversation which I won't go into all the details, but basically I told him I realize my very shy DD doesn't work well as a group but I have no idea how she is doing in English. He doesn't give papers back to the students at all (he keeps them). I asked to see her work and was denied. That's the major part that infuriates me. As a parent don't I have that right???? He told me its DD's responsibility to follow up on her work, not mine. He will get the work out if she comes in but not for me. I told him I did not really want to make another trip down to the school but I guess I'd have to.

This working in groups ends when report cards come out, thankfully. I know DD can get good grades when she works alone. I just hope she is able to pull out a passing grade this term.

My friend told me I should go to the principal. But I don't want it to turn into a big deal and have DD end up with a target on her back the rest of the year. Also my goal is to get a job in the office at the high school if any openings come up so I don't want to be labeled a troublemaker.

 

[Kallison]

I work in a middle school and a falling grade from an A to an F would warrant a meeting and quick, including a guidance counselor and the principal if you can't get good answers from this teacher. Not showing her work is ludicrous. These grades will show up on her college placements, you have the right to know why it has dropped so drastically. I wouldn't be worried about being labeled a troublemaker, but I also wouldn't want to work in the same school that my kids attend.

 

[Nette]

What is it about High Schools that they expect all kids to be the same?

While I think it is important for your daughter to be able to work well in a group, I also don't think it's fair the way the groups were divided up. To me it sounds like your daughter is being forced to do all the work because her team members are not as concientious about their work. Why should she get the good grade for them.

Personally I'd take it to the principal. That may not help, and it may not help you get a job. But what is really more important here?

 

[Arabella Figg 2003]

I'd start with the guidance counselor. That's his/her job. Going from an A to an F should be sending all sorts of warning bells off. I owuldn't go to the principal unless working with the guidance office wasn't getting results.

 

[nativetxn]

Liz, you have a legal right to see your daughter's work. Now, as far as the group is concerned, if they all 3 worked on papers together you have no right to see the combined work without the other parent's permission.

Call the principle and ask for a meeting and ask to see all of your daughter's school work for this class at the time of the meeting. Tell the principle, in a non-aggressive way, that you asked to see your daughter's work and tell him the teacher's answer.

This is a federal law. You have the right to see your daughter's school work. Good luck!

(I asked my dh about this, he's the expert in this field )

Katholyn

 

[Lewski709]

You can see "the work" if she got "the grade".

I think that you should set an appt with the Principal after DD talks to the reacher. Let her come back to report what he said. It should be interesting.

No reason to feel this would cause you to not get the job. I would want a parent coming in if the child's grades went from a A to an F (I used to teach). There's a problem.

 

[disykat]

While I certainly agree with the premise that the work is your daughter's responsibility - refusing to allow a parent to get involved after their child has gotten a F is nuts.

Cooperative projects are tricky. The teacher should have known the group was not functioning well and intervened long before anyone flunked anything. Even if your daughter is too shy to ask for rescue, there should have been points along the way where the teacher was checking progress.

Since you got nowhere with the teacher I would not hesitate to go to the counselor or principle if necessary. IMO there is no excuse for a parent not knowing there are problems before it reaches the "F" point. (If this were just one assignment I'd have a different opinion - but an entire quarter is a big deal!)

P.S. I can totally relate to not wanting to make waves at a potential place of employment! I substitute teach at my boy's school. I'd just be careful with your words and go to the person to seek advice and help as opposed to going to tattle on a teacher. Starting with "I'm worried about my daughter..." instead of "I'm having difficulty with Mr. ------". It might be hard but keeping your emotions out of it will be key. You want them to see you as supportive of the staff and school.

 

[meandtheguys]

Doesn't it just make you crazy! It is an English class not sociology! I don't understand the logic of the "group" projects in general. At least not for an entire grade! That grade does not indicate at all what your DD has learned re. English. Good luck in dealing with it.

MIchelle

 

[Kallison]

I just want to add that I detest group projects. The same kids do all the work while the rest coast. I can see their point in assigning them, but the impact of a group project grade should be minimal.

 

[Arabella Figg 2003]

My 6th grader had a real hissy fit one day. The Spanish teacher had the students work in pairs. Each pair of students was expected to practice asking and answering a series of questions in Spanish. My daughter's partner decided to use the time to goof off and wouldn't practice with her! My daughter cares what kind of grade she's going to get, and was very upset that the teacher didn't listen to her complaints.


I didn't share my thoughts with my daughter, but I suspect the teacher paired her with that boy because the teacher knew my daughter wouldn't suffer from the lack of practice during class -- my daughter has an A+ average in Spanish.

 

[damo]

An entire term's mark should not be based solely upon group work. One group assignment here and there is fine but there should be many other individual assignments and tests to go along with it. I would be upset as well. Don't be intimidated by the system, make sure you get to the bottom of the problem.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally posted by disykat
While I certainly agree with the premise that the work is your daughter's responsibility - refusing to allow a parent to get involved after their child has gotten a F is nuts.

I have to agree with this. Has this teacher forgotten what "teaching" is??? He is supposed to be teaching for the positive NOT teaching a "lesson".
Sounds sadistic. I have had teachers like that, bleech!
I wouldn't let up, mom!