School Question High School

[Mrs. Charming]

In our district there is a process they ask the parents to go through before going directly to the principal. If there are unresolved issues with a teacher, the counselor for that studend is the next level of escalation, then on to the vice prinicipal, then principal.

Well then it should be followed!

 

[JessicaR]

I guess I don't understand why so many parents email the teacher, and go to the principal. My mother never did these things, and I am an honors student finishing a master's degree. And yes there were times I had run ins with teachers, and there were times I got grades that were lower than I deserved.

OP it sounds like your son is very mature, and handling this whole thing really well. He talked to the teacher, he re did the assignments, I don't know what more he could do. I think it is great that at 17 he is handling things like this himself, it is great practice for college or the work place. This is a great (but not so great KWIM) lesson about how sometimes you keep going and make the best of a bad situation.
Not to mention this type of thing can easily be explained in a college application, and make the student look GREAT while doing it!

That is the flip side! I agree with everything you said. I said the same thing to my husband tonight. Also in the post above about taking the stance of splitting the difference in the grade. He gets to make honor roll deservedly -the work was redone. Life lessons are important.

I'm just unsure. My son said to me tonight that he did all he could do and wanted me to get involved. I won't ignore the plea since he rarely asks.

Thanks for making me think again.

 

[VickiVM]

I guess I don't understand why so many parents email the teacher, and go to the principal. My mother never did these things, and I am an honors student finishing a master's degree. And yes there were times I had run ins with teachers, and there were times I got grades that were lower than I deserved.

OP it sounds like your son is very mature, and handling this whole thing really well. He talked to the teacher, he re did the assignments, I don't know what more he could do. I think it is great that at 17 he is handling things like this himself, it is great practice for college or the work place. This is a great (but not so great KWIM) lesson about how sometimes you keep going and make the best of a bad situation.

Not to mention this type of thing can easily be explained in a college application, and make the student look GREAT while doing it!

Except the difference of letting it go means a potential failure of this semester for that class. Not to mention the impact to GPA. This teacher didn't just lose one assignment. Nor has this teacher responded adequately to the parent's email.

 

[My sister's princess]

That is the flip side! I agree with everything you said. I said the same thing to my husband tonight. Also in the post above about taking the stance of splitting the difference in the grade. He gets to make honor roll deservedly -the work was redone. Life lessons are important.

I'm just unsure. My son said to me tonight that he did all he could do and wanted me to get involved. I won't ignore the plea since he rarely asks.

Thanks for making me think again.

You sound like a great mom! I know people who when they had their first real issue with a professor didn't know what to do. I felt horrible that they had been cheated out of learning to deal with these types of things.

One girl I work with had her mom call and talk to the boss, she no longer works with me.

I think the splitting the difference would be a great compromise! Like you said, he gets honor roll, and teacher doesn't have to back down (not that that is a good thing, if she was in the wrong, she was in the wrong..) Is that something your son could approach her about? You said he was surprised she took the work, so it sounds like she is willing to work with him.

 

[dallastxcpa]

I don't care if the teacher is handling it with my child; as long as they live in my house and are in high school I have every right to know what is going on with my child.

OP - the teacher should have returned your email and at least let you know that she spoke with your son and what the outcome was.

 

[JessicaR]

I don't care if the teacher is handling it with my child; as long as they live in my house and are in high school I have every right to know what is going on with my child.

OP - the teacher should have returned your email and at least let you know that she spoke with your son and what the outcome was.

Absolutely.

 

[JessicaR]

Except the difference of letting it go means a potential failure of this semester for that class. Not to mention the impact to GPA. This teacher didn't just lose one assignment. Nor has this teacher responded adequately to the parent's email.

He won't fail. GPA takes a shot for sure. I think it all comes down to the teacher not responding to me. You have been great for my thought process!

I know I need to have a resolution. A reply could have done that for me. Maybe she will reply tomorrow!

 

[JessicaR]

You sound like a great mom! I know people who when they had their first real issue with a professor didn't know what to do. I felt horrible that they had been cheated out of learning to deal with these types of things.

One girl I work with had her mom call and talk to the boss, she no longer works with me.

I think the splitting the difference would be a great compromise! Like you said, he gets honor roll, and teacher doesn't have to back down (not that that is a good thing, if she was in the wrong, she was in the wrong..) Is that something your son could approach her about? You said he was surprised she took the work, so it sounds like she is willing to work with him.

Thank you.

I don't want either of my kids to be lost in life. I make sure they are self reliant as much as a 13 and 17 year old should be. This is just one of those times I think a parent needs to be heard. Another teacher maybe that wouldnt have been the case. I'll keep you posted tomorrow. Thanks for the food for thought.

I do like a compromise and I do think that is fair although my son doesnt. For some reason he didnt think she would accept the work but she did. Thats something.

I think the not replying has to be adressed though.

 

[My sister's princess]

Thank you.

I don't want either of my kids to be lost in life. I make sure they are self reliant as much as a 13 and 17 year old should be. This is just one of those times I think a parent needs to be heard. Another teacher maybe that wouldnt have been the case. I'll keep you posted tomorrow. Thanks for the food for thought.

I do like a compromise and I do think that is fair although my son doesnt. For some reason he didnt think she would accept the work but she did. Thats something.

I think the not replying has to be adressed though.

Well, lets hope she gets back to you tomorrow! Maybe, just maybe she was sooooo busy tearing her desk, home, book bag, and car apart looking for the lost work that she didn't have time (I am being serious, I hate that you can't convey tone on a message board!)

 

[JessicaR]

Well, lets hope she gets back to you tomorrow! Maybe, just maybe she was sooooo busy tearing her desk, home, book bag, and car apart looking for the lost work that she didn't have time (I am being serious, I hate that you can't convey tone on a message board!)

I really think she would be doing that, I would for sure! Although if I found it at this point I would burn the evidence...

 

[My sister's princess]

I really think she would be doing that, I would for sure! Although if I found it at this point I would burn the evidence...

And my faith in the parents of the DIS is restored in that one sentence

 

[agnes!]

We have heard that there are a few teachers at the local HS that have lost students' assignments on an almost-regular basis, some that have *never* handed work back and some that have done both. Luckily, this type of stuff doesn't seem to be a regular occurrence.

agnes!

 

[ilovefh]

Normally I back the teacher on posts like these, but it is just too suspicious that she found one of the three she said he didn't do. A coworker of mine used to lose work all the time. It go to a point where we had to have an "intervention" of sorts and help him get and stay organized.

If you don't get a response by tomorrow I would try again, but if she choses not to respond you need to go over her head.

Your son sounds like he handled it very well!

 

[dis-happy]

If he originally turned them in, I would be very upset with the C grade. Does he plan to apply to go to college after graduation? If so, she is doing great harm in college admissions by giving him a C in English his junior year. This situation needs to be escalated to the next level.

 

[yoopermom]

As a parent and a teacher, I know of more than a few teachers who have poor organization skills and can easily lose assignments. It won't help you now, but for the future do you have the ability to check grades online? I do weekly, just to see if there are any missing assignments. Then I can say to DS, "Did you turn them in or not." He knows to save, save, save any that are typed. Honestly, ones that are big points I have him make copies of before he turns it in if it's for one of "those" teachers. I make copies of my important "stuff" (bills, correspondence, etc), so why shouldn't he learn that? When it comes down to he said/she said, the teacher is usually the one who is going to be believed.

Terri

 

[diznygirl]

I guess I don't understand why so many parents email the teacher, and go to the principal. My mother never did these things, and I am an honors student finishing a master's degree. And yes there were times I had run ins with teachers, and there were times I got grades that were lower than I deserved.

Because nobody should have to get grades that are lower than they deserved. I don't want bad teachers cluttering up the school system. I'll let their boss know that they are performing poorly. Yup, I'm a snitch!

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

By no way shape or form do I think what the teacher is doing is correct, but maybe you should just send another email to her mentioning your previous email and your concerns over the assignments. The reason I say that is because maybe the email didn't go through or maybe there was a typo in the address...sadly, I'm very guilty of this - I accidently type con not com...and she didn't receive it. If she doesn't respond after the second attempt, then I would contact the principal or whoever is next in line.

Good luck!

 

[EMom]

What's the difference? Well, in Texas, a grade being lowered that much could make the difference between a student getting into a top tier university vs. a second tier one, due to our top 10% law. In your shoes, I'd stand my ground.

I would not back off ONE INCH over the fact that the teacher has already found one of the papers she insisted was never turned in. Your son insisted it was, she said it wasn't......and he was right. If she lost (and found) one, she very well could have lost two more. Odds are, she's worked herself into a corner on this one and she won't admit that she is at fault in any way. So that would be my firm position. You swore he never turned it in and clearly, you were wrong. Given that, my son deserves the benefit of the doubt.

And no way would I go for splitting the difference. I'd insist on full credit. As a teacher, I saw some who were efficient and would have never lost a paper. But there were others who were a flat out mess where organization was concerned. When I student taught, my supervising teacher would not even grade many of the assignments until the night or two before 6 weeks grades were due. Those poor kids had NO idea what their average truly was or how they were doing. She'd hand back a huge stack of graded papers and it was too late for them to turn their average around. And I promise you, any number of papers could have been lost in her "organizational system." From that one, I learned what NOT to do.

 

[golfgal]

How do I do that? All I can do is believe him based on his past actions.

I would be very frank with your DS and let him know that your next step will be to contact the principal and he needs to be truthful with you that he turned in the assignments because he will be with you when you speak to the principal. Call this morning and make an appointment to see the principal and have your son join you. Explain the situation calmly and your son can explain the actions he took to resolve the matter. Ask that the principal look into the matter. If your son does not have a history of missing assignments then you have a good case.

I also think your son should ask some RESPONSIBLE friends if they are having the same issue. If it is an isolated incident where the teacher lost the assignments, ok, she should own up to that, but if it has happened to several students, the principal needs to get involved.

I would also clarify with your son that he put his NAME on the assignments--that happens too.

 

[agnes!]

I agree with golfgal and EMom, especially finding out NOW if anyone else has had this problem with this teacher.

And make sure you create a paper trail with every e-mail. Also if you call the school to leave a message, do NOT call the teacher's direct number. Call the main office and ask to be connected, that's another documentation/witness that you can refer back to.

I would go in in person and ask if/when the principal has time today. And the time you get, write an excuse for your DS to get out of class. He needs to do most of the talking, you're there to make sure they pay attention, that they know your DS isn't just grade-grubbing.

Good luck.
agnes!