Aa
Help! Advice needed.
This is a parent teacher "relationship" question.
My DS's grade dropped after the final exam. He maintained an A all year but after the final received a B+ (he missed the A by less than a point). I contacted the teacher to ask for her to double check DS's work. She would not do this and said the grade was final.
In discussing with my DS, I find out the teacher did several things out of normal and the final could not be studied for. I am at a total loss.
I don't feel this is right when it had such an impact and I feel her refusal to review his grades is unfair. I also feel that she failed to do review and giving them a test they could not prepare for is unfair.
She will not budge. I feel more strongly about it somewhat because of her refusal to discuss.
What would you do, if anything?
My DS's grade dropped after the final exam. He maintained an A all year but after the final received a B+ (he missed the A by less than a point). I contacted the teacher to ask for her to double check DS's work. She would not do this and said the grade was final.
In discussing with my DS, I find out the teacher did several things out of normal and the final could not be studied for. I am at a total loss.
I don't feel this is right when it had such an impact and I feel her refusal to review his grades is unfair. I also feel that she failed to do review and giving them a test they could not prepare for is unfair.
She will not budge. I feel more strongly about it somewhat because of her refusal to discuss.
What would you do, if anything?
COMMUNITY LEADER
I think we've discussed this as much as we can. I do know that sometimes advice and opinions are hard to hear and then the natural inclination is to prove your point but at some point we have to just agree to disagree.
You went to the school, you have your vindication and at that point, I think we've discussed this to the point that we should just bring it to a close.
Again, hard to not hear what you want. My opinion has never changed. However, you did what you felt was right as a parent. That is all that matters. This is your child and your life.
Again, I think we can all move on now.
good luck
You went to the school, you have your vindication and at that point, I think we've discussed this to the point that we should just bring it to a close.
Again, hard to not hear what you want. My opinion has never changed. However, you did what you felt was right as a parent. That is all that matters. This is your child and your life.
Again, I think we can all move on now.
good luck
Thanks Londres.
I'm not sure where I called the teacher a name. I did NOT chuckle or condone the names used by others. I didn't post, nor did my kids, on that website. I didn't even know about it until a few days ago. We don't have Facebook or Twitter or any other social media, so we're not "posting" anywhere. I have a great relationship with my kids and they come to me with problems and successes. Other kids may find that's a place to vent when no one else will listen, sadly. That said, there are many, many accolades on the site, too.
I am/was angry at how the teacher dealt with the situation.
I don't think I said I didn't get objective advice here. I only said that's what I came here looking for. And I said ultimately I thought the advice I got boiled down to suck it up, which I agreed with.
But has there ever been a time you contacted your child's teacher, coach with a concern? Have they ever refused to address your concern?
Perhaps I am the only one who finds that unacceptable.
As you know, tenure prevents getting rid of bad teachers unless the "infraction" rises to a very high threshold -- I know of no other occupation that offers that same protection.
I wish we could avoid the teacher, but as I said before, she is the only teacher at this level and the students must have 4 years of language in high school.
Thankfully my kids have other great teachers and my younger DS finally has a full load of good teachers. And, yes, he does have her this year, but he doesn't mind her style as much. I hope at least she will be more cognizant of the demands on students and takes advantage of the designated review days.
And, while I don't expect the grade to change because a review of DS would demand a review of others, which would require too much time, they are going to ensure that there is no error in total score.
Please know that these things are "said" in sincerity. I know tone is lost in posts, but I am sharing my heartfelt thoughts and feelings.
These are uncharted waters for me, so I did go looking for input in other places (here, the other site) to see if I was off base, which probably wasn't wise. And maybe I've been dealing with teenagers too long that I am just used to that kind of over-the-top talk and whittle through to the point.
Thanks again to everyone for your thoughtful input. I am happy to have it, even though no one agreed with me! : )
Take care and best wishes for a peaceful, productive school year.
I'm not sure where I called the teacher a name. I did NOT chuckle or condone the names used by others. I didn't post, nor did my kids, on that website. I didn't even know about it until a few days ago. We don't have Facebook or Twitter or any other social media, so we're not "posting" anywhere. I have a great relationship with my kids and they come to me with problems and successes. Other kids may find that's a place to vent when no one else will listen, sadly. That said, there are many, many accolades on the site, too.
I am/was angry at how the teacher dealt with the situation.
I don't think I said I didn't get objective advice here. I only said that's what I came here looking for. And I said ultimately I thought the advice I got boiled down to suck it up, which I agreed with.
But has there ever been a time you contacted your child's teacher, coach with a concern? Have they ever refused to address your concern?
Perhaps I am the only one who finds that unacceptable.
As you know, tenure prevents getting rid of bad teachers unless the "infraction" rises to a very high threshold -- I know of no other occupation that offers that same protection.
I wish we could avoid the teacher, but as I said before, she is the only teacher at this level and the students must have 4 years of language in high school.
Thankfully my kids have other great teachers and my younger DS finally has a full load of good teachers. And, yes, he does have her this year, but he doesn't mind her style as much. I hope at least she will be more cognizant of the demands on students and takes advantage of the designated review days.
And, while I don't expect the grade to change because a review of DS would demand a review of others, which would require too much time, they are going to ensure that there is no error in total score.
Please know that these things are "said" in sincerity. I know tone is lost in posts, but I am sharing my heartfelt thoughts and feelings.
These are uncharted waters for me, so I did go looking for input in other places (here, the other site) to see if I was off base, which probably wasn't wise. And maybe I've been dealing with teenagers too long that I am just used to that kind of over-the-top talk and whittle through to the point.
Thanks again to everyone for your thoughtful input. I am happy to have it, even though no one agreed with me! : )
Take care and best wishes for a peaceful, productive school year.
Well, in my opinion you did get objective advice, however, you seemed to be all over the board with your posts and they aren't really easy to follow. No one knows you here to be subjective...........we don't know you personally. I am not sure why you posted what was posted on that student website here. Just because you didn't agree with what was suggested or posted in response to your posts doesn't mean it wasn't "objective."
I suggested that you consult the principal about your concerns and keep it objective. You've done that.............the grade didn't change NOR is the teacher going to change. C'est la vie.
Didn't call you a "drama queen." I stated it seems you are drawn to drama. That's not one in the same. I am basing this response in regards to your info in your posts. I don't think it is necessary to personally attack the teacher and call her names because there is conflict. It's best to handle the conflict without getting personal. I don't think name calling a teacher on a website should be condoned or chuckled at by the parents/adults.
If this teacher is that awful and caused all this angst I think I wouldn't be putting my child or any of my children in her class ever again.
All the best......you will need it.
I suggested that you consult the principal about your concerns and keep it objective. You've done that.............the grade didn't change NOR is the teacher going to change. C'est la vie.
Didn't call you a "drama queen." I stated it seems you are drawn to drama. That's not one in the same. I am basing this response in regards to your info in your posts. I don't think it is necessary to personally attack the teacher and call her names because there is conflict. It's best to handle the conflict without getting personal. I don't think name calling a teacher on a website should be condoned or chuckled at by the parents/adults.
If this teacher is that awful and caused all this angst I think I wouldn't be putting my child or any of my children in her class ever again.
All the best......you will need it.
Thanks Londres.
Actually, no. Not drawn to drama, avoid if at all possible. My initial reaction to the dropped grade was "this stinks, but here's what you did on the test." DS was upset about the issues I explained so I emailed the teacher (it was the last final exam on the last day of school with the grade posted after the school day). The response was simply no, without even asking what my concerns were.
I came here looking for objective advice but it's really hard to explain with enough details to understand. And too many side things that impact the situation that it probably wasn't the best venue for a clear picture.
My point with the website was that many others felt very similarly with this teacher (banished, excused). And I do understand that it is a place to vent anonymously, but there were just as many teachers, if not more, that had rave reviews.
My other DS had a very different experience with her and has her again this year. They are very similar kids but different in a lot of ways and she doesn't present the same to him. Maybe he likes not having the attention on the kids, who knows?
And I did meet with the teacher and principal. It was difficult but I finally felt heard and was told that there were errors made (test on no test day, no review) and that the teachers response wasn't adequate. I don't expect the grade to change but I do feel as if the teacher finally heard something from the prospective of the student and may be a bit more willing to address concerns in the future. Only time will tell.
Although I feel much better going through this, and am glad I sought advice here, I am sad that am perceived this way -- drama queen.
C'est la vie!
Actually, no. Not drawn to drama, avoid if at all possible. My initial reaction to the dropped grade was "this stinks, but here's what you did on the test." DS was upset about the issues I explained so I emailed the teacher (it was the last final exam on the last day of school with the grade posted after the school day). The response was simply no, without even asking what my concerns were.
I came here looking for objective advice but it's really hard to explain with enough details to understand. And too many side things that impact the situation that it probably wasn't the best venue for a clear picture.
My point with the website was that many others felt very similarly with this teacher (banished, excused). And I do understand that it is a place to vent anonymously, but there were just as many teachers, if not more, that had rave reviews.
My other DS had a very different experience with her and has her again this year. They are very similar kids but different in a lot of ways and she doesn't present the same to him. Maybe he likes not having the attention on the kids, who knows?
And I did meet with the teacher and principal. It was difficult but I finally felt heard and was told that there were errors made (test on no test day, no review) and that the teachers response wasn't adequate. I don't expect the grade to change but I do feel as if the teacher finally heard something from the prospective of the student and may be a bit more willing to address concerns in the future. Only time will tell.
Although I feel much better going through this, and am glad I sought advice here, I am sad that am perceived this way -- drama queen.
C'est la vie!
When are you going to discuss your issues with the principal? That's my question.
This so-called website is nothing more than students giving their opinions; doesn't sound objective at all. What does this have to do with YOUR situation? Plus, those students who mentioned these teachers by name are possibly setting themselves up for legal troubles. I would NEVER recommend anyone doing this.
This so-called website is nothing more than students giving their opinions; doesn't sound objective at all. What does this have to do with YOUR situation? Plus, those students who mentioned these teachers by name are possibly setting themselves up for legal troubles. I would NEVER recommend anyone doing this.
Hi specialmom. Didn't mean to scare you. I wouldn't post names or try to defame (I mean I am complaining but I've not told you who or where...).
I honestly thought this was just a good forum to get unbiased feedback.
Everyone pretty much told me to suck it up, and I think ultimately that is true.
Again I think it just boils down to the teacher being unwilling to discuss a student with the parent. It's a little too authoritarian for me and hasn't been the case the few other times I've reached out to a teacher.
And, I did feel better seeing that the experience was much the same for others.
But should say that a majority of the teachers had good reviews. For instance, the bio teacher being hard BUT fair.
Anyway, I didn't mean to alarm you. Sorry.
I honestly thought this was just a good forum to get unbiased feedback.
Everyone pretty much told me to suck it up, and I think ultimately that is true.
Again I think it just boils down to the teacher being unwilling to discuss a student with the parent. It's a little too authoritarian for me and hasn't been the case the few other times I've reached out to a teacher.
And, I did feel better seeing that the experience was much the same for others.
But should say that a majority of the teachers had good reviews. For instance, the bio teacher being hard BUT fair.
Anyway, I didn't mean to alarm you. Sorry.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Whew, really glad they marked out the name as I wouldn't want to defame someone from a website like that. Please let's stay away from that. thank you
Thanks all for the input.
RockRose, I hear what you're saying.
I actually agree with everything. Ultimately I think I was just so annoyed at the teachers refusal to respond. I didn't ask for any special consideration. The brick wall and knowing that she did things that, even if they didn't make it worse, certainly didn't help (I know my kid has to pull his own weight, but clearly the teacher is there for a reason, not just to not make things worse, right?!).
I was with a group of other moms over the weekend enjoying a much needed break. School of course came up and people were sharing their own horror stories when someone mentioned a website (rateyourteacher.com). Said we should check it out.
I looked and it did make me feel better, validated and gave me a good laugh!
Some of the comments for this teacher are:
04/09/14 - Ms. ***** is a nazi dictator of a teacher and a complete pyschopath. She constantly brings up conversations about crack,drugs,murder, and sex and targets them at students. If you have her switch out or buy a machete you will need it.:
12/20/13 - I will admit that he is one of the only Spanish teachers I have ever had in ****** who can actually speak the language fluently. Unfortunately, that is the only positive thing I have to say about her. This class was TERRIBLE and I dreaded coming in every day. You can tell that she simply does not like kids and would rather be anywhere else. She is a very cold and weird lady, I would recommend switching out of her class.
07/19/12 - Worst class of my life. Dreaded it every day. get out while you can. most unhelpful teacher i have ever experienced.
06/19/12 - Meanest teacher ever. Doesn't like children, shouldn't be a teacher.
11/04/10 - She makes the students feel incompatent and practically yells at you when you don't understand something. If you have her, switch out. Not worth the pain and suffering if you ask me
10/21/13 - Although she is very intelligent and knows a lot about subject matter, she is very "old school". Her class is kind of like a Nazi concentration camp. You cannot go to the bathroom beside once a semester. She doesn't offer extra help after the first semester, and is not sympathetic when you are going through stressful times. If you start to do anything less than a B, you are a bad student in her eyes, and you cannot do better. She expects absolute perfection and punctuality, always.
And, for the record, the site isn't used just to bash. There are glowing comments for other teachers. This is DS's AP bio teacher.
05/29/13 - One of the best teachers I've ever had. She's nice and easy going, but the class isn't a free for all. We all behave because we respect her, and her lessons are informative and clear. She was a research scientist clearly knows her field, and is excited to share it with us. Plus her edmodo is hilarious! I really felt prepared for the AP exam because of her. Yes she can be a hard grader, but if you go to extra help she explains everything perfectly for your learning style. Gotta love mama z
02/29/12 - Absolutely one of my favorite teachers. She uses the smartboard for all of her lessons, so if you're a visual learner it's perfect. She's also very funny and young, and you can treat her as a friend. Her tests are a bit difficult, but there's never anything on them that she hasn't gone over in class. Also, if you're not good with understanding the textbook, don't worry because she's clarifies everything in class! Bio H was amazing with her. :)
12/13/11 - She is so awesome. Her tests are very hard but if you study for them they are manageable. Apparently she is the best bio teacher out of them all! She is really funny and makes our class laugh all the time. I enjoy going to bio and I am sooooo glad I have her as a teacher.
Anyway, I feel better knowing that our take on the class and teacher was very much the same as others had experienced. Too bad there wasn't another teacher to switch to.
Nonetheless, thank you all for your input. I do appreciate the unbiased input!
RockRose, I hear what you're saying.
I actually agree with everything. Ultimately I think I was just so annoyed at the teachers refusal to respond. I didn't ask for any special consideration. The brick wall and knowing that she did things that, even if they didn't make it worse, certainly didn't help (I know my kid has to pull his own weight, but clearly the teacher is there for a reason, not just to not make things worse, right?!).
I was with a group of other moms over the weekend enjoying a much needed break. School of course came up and people were sharing their own horror stories when someone mentioned a website (rateyourteacher.com). Said we should check it out.
I looked and it did make me feel better, validated and gave me a good laugh!
Some of the comments for this teacher are:
04/09/14 - Ms. ***** is a nazi dictator of a teacher and a complete pyschopath. She constantly brings up conversations about crack,drugs,murder, and sex and targets them at students. If you have her switch out or buy a machete you will need it.:
12/20/13 - I will admit that he is one of the only Spanish teachers I have ever had in ****** who can actually speak the language fluently. Unfortunately, that is the only positive thing I have to say about her. This class was TERRIBLE and I dreaded coming in every day. You can tell that she simply does not like kids and would rather be anywhere else. She is a very cold and weird lady, I would recommend switching out of her class.
07/19/12 - Worst class of my life. Dreaded it every day. get out while you can. most unhelpful teacher i have ever experienced.
06/19/12 - Meanest teacher ever. Doesn't like children, shouldn't be a teacher.
11/04/10 - She makes the students feel incompatent and practically yells at you when you don't understand something. If you have her, switch out. Not worth the pain and suffering if you ask me
10/21/13 - Although she is very intelligent and knows a lot about subject matter, she is very "old school". Her class is kind of like a Nazi concentration camp. You cannot go to the bathroom beside once a semester. She doesn't offer extra help after the first semester, and is not sympathetic when you are going through stressful times. If you start to do anything less than a B, you are a bad student in her eyes, and you cannot do better. She expects absolute perfection and punctuality, always.
And, for the record, the site isn't used just to bash. There are glowing comments for other teachers. This is DS's AP bio teacher.
05/29/13 - One of the best teachers I've ever had. She's nice and easy going, but the class isn't a free for all. We all behave because we respect her, and her lessons are informative and clear. She was a research scientist clearly knows her field, and is excited to share it with us. Plus her edmodo is hilarious! I really felt prepared for the AP exam because of her. Yes she can be a hard grader, but if you go to extra help she explains everything perfectly for your learning style. Gotta love mama z
02/29/12 - Absolutely one of my favorite teachers. She uses the smartboard for all of her lessons, so if you're a visual learner it's perfect. She's also very funny and young, and you can treat her as a friend. Her tests are a bit difficult, but there's never anything on them that she hasn't gone over in class. Also, if you're not good with understanding the textbook, don't worry because she's clarifies everything in class! Bio H was amazing with her. :)
12/13/11 - She is so awesome. Her tests are very hard but if you study for them they are manageable. Apparently she is the best bio teacher out of them all! She is really funny and makes our class laugh all the time. I enjoy going to bio and I am sooooo glad I have her as a teacher.
Anyway, I feel better knowing that our take on the class and teacher was very much the same as others had experienced. Too bad there wasn't another teacher to switch to.
Nonetheless, thank you all for your input. I do appreciate the unbiased input!
Let me ask - too - what has he lost here? Is this going to jeopardize him being in the top quarter at graduation, or jeopardize being in the top 10 graduates, etc? Because if this grade change would make a very huge difference in the outcome of his 4 years, it's more worth fighting than if it's just kind of a nothingballer.
There are a couple things here.
I've got some small amount of experience in dealing with parent complaints in the school system, and grade complaints and academic fairness.
It does seem the teacher didn't follow protocol in giving a review, and also scheduled a test on a non test day. So those two things are in your favor.
The core of this, though, is whether a B+ best reflects his level of mastery of the course, or whether an A- is more fair.
I don't know the exact particulars of the structured test, but if he did really very poorly on usage it doesn't seem plausible the review would have helped him. So, he didn't master the curriculum enough to earn an A, which is complete mastery. I would say, if he really didn't understand correct usage, he should be grateful for a B. So I think although the principal can't share other student's grades with you, or even really comment in general that the class did better or worse than him, I'm sure that will be looked at in this appeal process. If, in general, your son did much worse on the comprehension portion of the final than other students did who earned a B, I don't think you will have much success pressing this.
There are some very compelling reasons to argue unfairness - but I'm not sure arguing missing an hour and a half review would explain doing very poorly on the usage portion of the final.
So while you're trying to teach your son to stick up for himself if he's been wronged (this is a GREAT thing to teach, btw) I think it's important to also ask the biggest question - did you earn an A in Spanish. Although he carried an A for the year because the tests didn't reveal that he wasn't learning the material, in fact, he didn't learn it.
So, I don't think he's necessarily been wronged here. I think he fair and square didn't perform at A level.
Best wishes. By the way, do y'all do EOC's that are standardized by your state? Is that coming to your state? I think that would be the great equalizer. Some schools hand out A's for showing up, and other schools you have to work to make a C. With EOC's, it would be obvious which schools are doing a good job and it would end graduating kids who don't have better than an 8th grade education.
I've got some small amount of experience in dealing with parent complaints in the school system, and grade complaints and academic fairness.
It does seem the teacher didn't follow protocol in giving a review, and also scheduled a test on a non test day. So those two things are in your favor.
The core of this, though, is whether a B+ best reflects his level of mastery of the course, or whether an A- is more fair.
I don't know the exact particulars of the structured test, but if he did really very poorly on usage it doesn't seem plausible the review would have helped him. So, he didn't master the curriculum enough to earn an A, which is complete mastery. I would say, if he really didn't understand correct usage, he should be grateful for a B. So I think although the principal can't share other student's grades with you, or even really comment in general that the class did better or worse than him, I'm sure that will be looked at in this appeal process. If, in general, your son did much worse on the comprehension portion of the final than other students did who earned a B, I don't think you will have much success pressing this.
There are some very compelling reasons to argue unfairness - but I'm not sure arguing missing an hour and a half review would explain doing very poorly on the usage portion of the final.
So while you're trying to teach your son to stick up for himself if he's been wronged (this is a GREAT thing to teach, btw) I think it's important to also ask the biggest question - did you earn an A in Spanish. Although he carried an A for the year because the tests didn't reveal that he wasn't learning the material, in fact, he didn't learn it.
So, I don't think he's necessarily been wronged here. I think he fair and square didn't perform at A level.
Best wishes. By the way, do y'all do EOC's that are standardized by your state? Is that coming to your state? I think that would be the great equalizer. Some schools hand out A's for showing up, and other schools you have to work to make a C. With EOC's, it would be obvious which schools are doing a good job and it would end graduating kids who don't have better than an 8th grade education.
COMMUNITY LEADER
It sounds like that regardless of the feedback here that you feel you need to go to the school administrators to report this teacher and see if you can have your son's test reevaluated with the hopes that it somehow gets readjusted back to an A. So, good luck in your mission and hope it all works out for you and your son. peace
Thanks again for the input.
I apologize if it seems I'm all over the board. My complaint is fairly simple but I was trying to answer a lot of questions explaining the situation.
There are 3 Spanish teachers, who teach from Spanish 1 to Spanish 5/AP (6 levels). One of my kids has had this teacher for the last three years. This is why I know there are "a lot of unhappy students" but for this past year only know 2 that were actually in DS's section, which again is the only section that didn't have a review day. I know plenty of kids who had her but weren't affected by this particular issue.
And she is the ONLY Spanish teacher at that particular level AND we might have asked to switch to another teacher if one had been available. That said, there's not always a connection with a teacher and my kids have never switched b/c they didn't like a teacher. They've asked but we've never felt the issue rose to the threshold that warranted it. And we did feel it was important that they be able to deal with the situation, for exactly the reasons you've all stated -- life isn't always fair.
I don't particularly like the way this teacher operates, but you're right, my kid was holding his own all year and there was no where else to go, so we just hoped to get through the year with her as unscathed as possible.
And truthfully, the tests are entirely in Spanish. Instructions, questions. There is NO English spoken EVER at this level. Vocab is in Spanish, definitions are in Spanish. I could have looked at every piece of homework, quiz, test and it would have been no different than me trying to read the engineering diagram for the space shuttle...it would make no sense to me.
The students are not even allowed to ask "excuse me, I don't understand, could you please explain" unless they can ask correctly in Spanish and the answer will only be in Spanish.
And my DS did review on his own, but this teacher is getting paid to do something during class time, right? And she holds firm on her rules and that's why I honestly feel it is such an injustice that she broke the school's rules about when tests could be given and when review is done. These are posted, written rules readily available to everyone.
I feel her disregard had a direct impact on the final exam and final grade. Again on the small portion that could be studied for, he got a 100.
I've been far more proud of a hard-earned and fair, but barely gotten B than I am of the pulled out from under you B+ that was an A for 179 days and missed by less than a point.
My kids have had a handful of terrible teachers, a few more mediocre and a fair number of truly inspiring teachers. Teachers that by their sheer enthusiasm and love of the subject virtually will the kids to love it as well. I've taken the time when the course was over and long after any final grade, which may have been stellar or just "average", to let those teachers know how much impact they had and how much what they did is appreciated.
Kids deserve fairness and respect just as much as the teachers and I do see a correlation between those respectful teachers, regardless if it's an "easy" class or immensely challenging class, and the performance of the kid.
If anyone is still reading, I do thank you all for your input and allowing me to voice my dilemma.
I apologize if it seems I'm all over the board. My complaint is fairly simple but I was trying to answer a lot of questions explaining the situation.
There are 3 Spanish teachers, who teach from Spanish 1 to Spanish 5/AP (6 levels). One of my kids has had this teacher for the last three years. This is why I know there are "a lot of unhappy students" but for this past year only know 2 that were actually in DS's section, which again is the only section that didn't have a review day. I know plenty of kids who had her but weren't affected by this particular issue.
And she is the ONLY Spanish teacher at that particular level AND we might have asked to switch to another teacher if one had been available. That said, there's not always a connection with a teacher and my kids have never switched b/c they didn't like a teacher. They've asked but we've never felt the issue rose to the threshold that warranted it. And we did feel it was important that they be able to deal with the situation, for exactly the reasons you've all stated -- life isn't always fair.
I don't particularly like the way this teacher operates, but you're right, my kid was holding his own all year and there was no where else to go, so we just hoped to get through the year with her as unscathed as possible.
And truthfully, the tests are entirely in Spanish. Instructions, questions. There is NO English spoken EVER at this level. Vocab is in Spanish, definitions are in Spanish. I could have looked at every piece of homework, quiz, test and it would have been no different than me trying to read the engineering diagram for the space shuttle...it would make no sense to me.
The students are not even allowed to ask "excuse me, I don't understand, could you please explain" unless they can ask correctly in Spanish and the answer will only be in Spanish.
And my DS did review on his own, but this teacher is getting paid to do something during class time, right? And she holds firm on her rules and that's why I honestly feel it is such an injustice that she broke the school's rules about when tests could be given and when review is done. These are posted, written rules readily available to everyone.
I feel her disregard had a direct impact on the final exam and final grade. Again on the small portion that could be studied for, he got a 100.
I've been far more proud of a hard-earned and fair, but barely gotten B than I am of the pulled out from under you B+ that was an A for 179 days and missed by less than a point.
My kids have had a handful of terrible teachers, a few more mediocre and a fair number of truly inspiring teachers. Teachers that by their sheer enthusiasm and love of the subject virtually will the kids to love it as well. I've taken the time when the course was over and long after any final grade, which may have been stellar or just "average", to let those teachers know how much impact they had and how much what they did is appreciated.
Kids deserve fairness and respect just as much as the teachers and I do see a correlation between those respectful teachers, regardless if it's an "easy" class or immensely challenging class, and the performance of the kid.
If anyone is still reading, I do thank you all for your input and allowing me to voice my dilemma.
Well, the school year should of started or has it not started for you yet?
"A lot of very unhappy students" and then you state "I only know two kids in this section and they were unhappy, but they performed lower than their usual throughout the whole year." Well, of course they are going to be unhappy because they had been doing so so all year round. Moreover, you only know two kids out of how many children who had this teacher, so I wouldn't consider that "a lot."
I would advise you to ONLY plead your case and not state about what happened with this and that student when you chat with this principal. You seem to be all over the board and bringing up things that have nothing to do with your son and his situation.
If this teacher was so unfair, then why would this woman or you allow your son to continue to stay in her class? Surely she isn't the only teacher teaching this Spanish level?
"Certainly that allows for review of material?! What should they do, play chess? No new learning, no old learning. No learning"...........Even if she didn't review they still can review information on their OWN. They should have their notes and books to review from. If she did violate the school policy, then you can take your concerns to the principal.
You state this teacher hasn't been ideal from the start, but then you didn't complain so long as your son was acing her tests and allowed him to stay in her class. Now after he receives a "B+" you are ready to go and complain. I still think you are hung up on this grade and not the principle of the situation.
"A lot of very unhappy students" and then you state "I only know two kids in this section and they were unhappy, but they performed lower than their usual throughout the whole year." Well, of course they are going to be unhappy because they had been doing so so all year round. Moreover, you only know two kids out of how many children who had this teacher, so I wouldn't consider that "a lot."
I would advise you to ONLY plead your case and not state about what happened with this and that student when you chat with this principal. You seem to be all over the board and bringing up things that have nothing to do with your son and his situation.
If this teacher was so unfair, then why would this woman or you allow your son to continue to stay in her class? Surely she isn't the only teacher teaching this Spanish level?
"Certainly that allows for review of material?! What should they do, play chess? No new learning, no old learning. No learning"...........Even if she didn't review they still can review information on their OWN. They should have their notes and books to review from. If she did violate the school policy, then you can take your concerns to the principal.
You state this teacher hasn't been ideal from the start, but then you didn't complain so long as your son was acing her tests and allowed him to stay in her class. Now after he receives a "B+" you are ready to go and complain. I still think you are hung up on this grade and not the principle of the situation.
I get what you're saying, and if indeed she broke the school rules about testing protocols, then you have an argument. I think however, that this may be one of those "pick your battles" kind of thing, you know?
All you can do at this point is to take your concerns to her higher ups, and see what, if anything can be done. In the least, they will probably counsel her about following protocol.
Will your son have this teacher again?
All you can do at this point is to take your concerns to her higher ups, and see what, if anything can be done. In the least, they will probably counsel her about following protocol.
Will your son have this teacher again?
YES, every kid in this section of the class (there are 3 or 4 other sections of this Spanish level that this teacher has, which all got one of the designated review days)...unless of course they were out taking the standardized test that didn't count for anything.
There are 2000 kids at the school. I only know two kids in this section and they were unhappy, but they performed lower than their usual throughout the whole year. One parent approached the teacher at the beginning with concern about the dramatic drop in performance and the teacher refused to offer any help. They were quite angry.
Due to privacy, the school doesn't give that info, so I am relying only on what others kids have said. A lot of very unhappy students.
There are 2000 kids at the school. I only know two kids in this section and they were unhappy, but they performed lower than their usual throughout the whole year. One parent approached the teacher at the beginning with concern about the dramatic drop in performance and the teacher refused to offer any help. They were quite angry.
Due to privacy, the school doesn't give that info, so I am relying only on what others kids have said. A lot of very unhappy students.
COMMUNITY LEADER
So EVERY student in the class had this same thing? Are other parents upset?
Rockrose -- Apologies. I was trying to keep it simple but it's hard to convey why we're unhappy without some details.
Exactly. It is a written mandate by the school that there are "no test days" and "review days".
Since one of the two review days was a day my DS didn't actually have class and the other he was given an exam that was a "no test/review" day, we feel he was disadvantaged by having no teacher review.
It was last school year - June - but we raised it then, teacher refused to discuss so we contacted supervisor. Told wouldn't be resolved until start of school year because the teachers were off, so here we are.
Londres -- there is some discretion for the teacher no doubt, but this was a 3-week "practice run" of the standardized tests req to graduate, which DS had already taken the real one, they just wanted kids to "test" the new format even though it counts for nothing. Because some students, less than 10%, took the test no NEW material could be taught (huge problem with taking 3 weeks out, but another issue).
Certainly that allows for review of material?! What should they do, play chess? No new learning, no old learning. No learning.
Of the other 10 teachers my kids had, she was the only one who didn't use the time to review and actually told the kids not to come to class.
Exactly. It is a written mandate by the school that there are "no test days" and "review days".
Since one of the two review days was a day my DS didn't actually have class and the other he was given an exam that was a "no test/review" day, we feel he was disadvantaged by having no teacher review.
It was last school year - June - but we raised it then, teacher refused to discuss so we contacted supervisor. Told wouldn't be resolved until start of school year because the teachers were off, so here we are.
Londres -- there is some discretion for the teacher no doubt, but this was a 3-week "practice run" of the standardized tests req to graduate, which DS had already taken the real one, they just wanted kids to "test" the new format even though it counts for nothing. Because some students, less than 10%, took the test no NEW material could be taught (huge problem with taking 3 weeks out, but another issue).
Certainly that allows for review of material?! What should they do, play chess? No new learning, no old learning. No learning.
Of the other 10 teachers my kids had, she was the only one who didn't use the time to review and actually told the kids not to come to class.
Has the time for appeal ended, or is there still appeal time?
It sounds like this may have happened back in June?
I think if you file a written appeal with the principal, you need to whittle this down to two things:
1. Your son's class didn't receive the mandatory review that all the other classes received due to a scheduling issue
2. the final quarter test was given on a day that was a no test day and was to be used by the teacher to prepare the students for the final.
Is that what you're saying? You've got a lot of extra fluff in your post that makes it difficult to understand.
Best wishes.
It sounds like this may have happened back in June?
I think if you file a written appeal with the principal, you need to whittle this down to two things:
1. Your son's class didn't receive the mandatory review that all the other classes received due to a scheduling issue
2. the final quarter test was given on a day that was a no test day and was to be used by the teacher to prepare the students for the final.
Is that what you're saying? You've got a lot of extra fluff in your post that makes it difficult to understand.
Best wishes.
"The teachers were instructed that they could NOT teach NEW material since it wouldn't be fair to the handful of kids taking the test. They could, however, review material"...............You use the word "could" and not "must." Maybe this is per the teacher's discretion what he/she MAY do.
In any case, make sure you have all your facts in order before confronting the principal with this.
All the best.
In any case, make sure you have all your facts in order before confronting the principal with this.
All the best.
Thanks all. My DS has plenty of occasions to speak up for himself and has/does. He is a responsible, hard working kid involved in extracurriculars and extensive charity work. He has received stellar recommendations from several of his AP teachers.
He does not have perfect grades but does very well. We never push for a certain grade but want the best effort. He worked hard in all of his classes.
The specific things this teacher did that we feel unfairly impacted his grade were failing to do any review (review is mandated by the school). There was state testing going on the month before finals that over 90% of his class opted out of because it was not mandatory. The teachers were instructed that they could NOT teach NEW material since it wouldn't be fair to the handful of kids taking the test. They could, however, review material.
DS's teacher told them not to come to class. When that was revised after the first week of testing, she showed movies in Spanish.
The school has a testing policy leading up to finals that says which subjects can test on which day (e.g., math, science, language on day 1, English, history on day 2, etc.) and designates the two days immediately prior to finals as REVIEW days.
She disregarded this school policy and gave my DS's class the last quarter test on a NO TEST REVIEW day and on the second review day, Spanish was dropped from DS's schedule (it's a rotating dropped class schedule), so his class didn't receive a review but other classes did.
DS needed about 4-5 more points on his final to maintain his grade that we feel would have been attainable if he'd received the same review as the other classes.
The final is 10% of the grade even though the total points represents a much smaller proportion of the total available points.
I am not a helicopter parent and I have no fear of becoming one. However, I do feel it's also an important lesson to stand up for an injustice (my son has stood up for kids being bullied, questioned grades), and I also think it's important for him to know that I've got his back.
And I have told him he has the most to do with his grade, but I feel if he's got to be accountable that doesn't mean the teacher doesn't as well.
He does not have perfect grades but does very well. We never push for a certain grade but want the best effort. He worked hard in all of his classes.
The specific things this teacher did that we feel unfairly impacted his grade were failing to do any review (review is mandated by the school). There was state testing going on the month before finals that over 90% of his class opted out of because it was not mandatory. The teachers were instructed that they could NOT teach NEW material since it wouldn't be fair to the handful of kids taking the test. They could, however, review material.
DS's teacher told them not to come to class. When that was revised after the first week of testing, she showed movies in Spanish.
The school has a testing policy leading up to finals that says which subjects can test on which day (e.g., math, science, language on day 1, English, history on day 2, etc.) and designates the two days immediately prior to finals as REVIEW days.
She disregarded this school policy and gave my DS's class the last quarter test on a NO TEST REVIEW day and on the second review day, Spanish was dropped from DS's schedule (it's a rotating dropped class schedule), so his class didn't receive a review but other classes did.
DS needed about 4-5 more points on his final to maintain his grade that we feel would have been attainable if he'd received the same review as the other classes.
The final is 10% of the grade even though the total points represents a much smaller proportion of the total available points.
I am not a helicopter parent and I have no fear of becoming one. However, I do feel it's also an important lesson to stand up for an injustice (my son has stood up for kids being bullied, questioned grades), and I also think it's important for him to know that I've got his back.
And I have told him he has the most to do with his grade, but I feel if he's got to be accountable that doesn't mean the teacher doesn't as well.
Lol its life I just got.out of high school 2 yrs ago. We all had to deal with same thing its schools now deal with it. Your child shouldnt get a second look not fair to others...tests like that test the child's perception of what was taught in class through the semester. This wont be the last test like that so your going.to have to suck it up and get over it. Its life and a B is not bad! Putting to much pressure on the child.
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