Please Help: Private School Wants My Child to Stay Back A Grade... (Dallas: school district, pros and cons)

[DallasNewbie001]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

Please quit making excuses for your shortcomings. What financial interest? The school gives you as longterm unemployed a break for three students. Get a job and pay your bills!
You can take your child out of private school, go through evaluation and enroll in an other school. The one it is currently enrolled in has come to the conclusion that some academics and overall maturity have not reached the point to move to the next class. This hurts your feelings so you are pulling the discrimination card.

What will be next? College admission and your child does not get what you want? Can I get a drivers license and not be able to use the breaks?

What discrimination card? I never talked about any protected classes [race, gender, religion, etc.]...

Originally Posted by Maddie104

This. I also was a private school parent and the reality is that private schools rely on donations; unlike public schools.
Major donors often enable private schools to offer financial aid/scholarships.

Actually, now that it has been mentioned, I do think there is some financial discrimination going on. I think that if I was a donor instead of a moocher, they would bend over backwards to make any accommodation to make sure those donations kept flowing. Is that the in the best interest of the child where money gets you ahead and those who don't have money get discriminated against [they are probably not asking the rich person's kid to stay back, just my child because they can easily see that I am not rich like the other parents]?

Using your analogy, I want everyone including my child to use the brakes when driving when necessary. The question lies in that I am willing to do everything to prepare my child to take the driving test. I am willing to make sure they learn everything they need to know about brakes. The issue is that they are not giving them another chance to pass. They want them to repeat the entire course load and not just the brake part. Is that fair?

This is not about getting a first class airplane ticket and getting on first, getting a better seat, better food, service, etc. Private donors have subsidized my children's tuition for which I am so extremely grateful and the private school has arranged for these funds to be utilized on my children's behalf. It is about, very simply, is it right that my child, who we are willing to do the right thing and get them up to the standards required, not be given that chance, the ability to remediate in any way, and forced to redo the entire curriculum, not just the English part? Oh, I understand, could it be that I am not rich like all the other students....



Reader of this post: Please do not take any personal offense but I just want to say it in a snarky, sarcastic way...

[foodyum]

Originally Posted by DallasNewbie001

What discrimination card? I never talked about any protected classes [race, gender, religion, etc.]...



Actually, now that it has been mentioned, I do think there is some financial discrimination going on. I think that if I was a donor instead of a moocher, they would bend over backwards to make any accommodation to make sure those donations kept flowing. Is that the in the best interest of the child where money gets you ahead and those who don't have money get discriminated against [they are probably not asking the rich person's kid to stay back, just my child because they can easily see that I am not rich like the other parents]?

Using your analogy, I want everyone including my child to use the brakes when driving when necessary. The question lies in that I am willing to do everything to prepare my child to take the driving test. I am willing to make sure they learn everything they need to know about brakes. The issue is that they are not giving them another chance to pass. They want them to repeat the entire course load and not just the brake part. Is that fair?

This is not about getting a first class airplane ticket and getting on first, getting a better seat, better food, service, etc. Private donors have subsidized my children's tuition for which I am so extremely grateful and the private school has arranged for these funds to be utilized on my children's behalf. It is about, very simply, is it right that my child, who we are willing to do the right thing and get them up to the standards required, not be given that chance, the ability to remediate in any way, and forced to redo the entire curriculum, not just the English part? Oh, I understand, could it be that I am not rich like all the other students....



Reader of this post: Please do not take any personal offense but I just want to say it in a snarky, sarcastic way...

Can you address the school's claims that your child is immature?
You sort of glossed over that part and it might be very relevant.
It is not only academic standards - which have not been fully met btw.

I caution you, that your whole family may not be asked back the next academic year - don't cut off your nose to spite your face. I could easily see this happening. They are under no obligation to keep the financial aid flowing.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by DallasNewbie001

Actually, now that it has been mentioned, I do think there is some financial discrimination going on. I think that if I was a donor instead of a moocher, they would bend over backwards to make any accommodation to make sure those donations kept flowing. Is that the in the best interest of the child where money gets you ahead and those who don't have money get discriminated against [they are probably not asking the rich person's kid to stay back, just my child because they can easily see that I am not rich like the other parents]?

Please stop. There is NO financial discrimination going on here. Please listen to yourself. Why in the world would the school want your kid there for an extra year while he is on financial aid? It’s costing THE SCHOOL more to hold your son back. Think about it. If he stays until the school ends, that’s an entire year of financial aid that could have gone to ANOTHER deserving family, maybe 2 or 3 depending on what % tuition assistance he is receiving.


This thread is ridiculous. Again you have 2 options: do what the school recommends and support your kid through repeating a year. Or leave.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Please stop. There is NO financial discrimination going on here. Please listen to yourself. Why in the world would the school want your kid there for an extra year while he is on financial aid? It’s costing THE SCHOOL more to hold your son back. Think about it. If he stays until the school ends, that’s an entire year of financial aid that could have gone to ANOTHER deserving family, maybe 2 or 3 depending on what % tuition assistance he is receiving.


This thread is ridiculous. Again you have 2 options: do what the school recommends and support your kid through repeating a year. Or leave.

The time OP spent fussing over this would be much better spent looking for gainful employment.

[ThomasCrown]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Please stop. There is NO financial discrimination going on here. Please listen to yourself. Why in the world would the school want your kid there for an extra year while he is on financial aid? It’s costing THE SCHOOL more to hold your son back. Think about it. If he stays until the school ends, that’s an entire year of financial aid that could have gone to ANOTHER deserving family, maybe 2 or 3 depending on what % tuition assistance he is receiving.


This thread is ridiculous. Again you have 2 options: do what the school recommends and support your kid through repeating a year. Or leave.

This. I suppose there could be one reason why a school would choose to hold a borderline student back, and that is if another student has been accepted and enrollment is full for the next grade for next year, and to accommodate both students, the borderline one was held back. Obviously that's completely speculative.

[NoClueWho]

If a PRIVATE school tells you that your child needs to repeat a grade, then your child probably almost certainly DOES need to repeat that grade...

[lepoisson]

This thread is a perfect example of why I'm not a teacher anymore. Dealing with parents was worse than dealing with the kids.

[SanJac]

OP, I am so sorry you have been put in this unfortunate position. I share your frustration at not having any rights in this situation. It seems absurd to me that a school can impose this decision on you so late in the year without even giving you a chance to remediate the alleged issue.

Having said all that, my advice to you is to swallow your pride and keep your child back as the school is imposing. Definitely don’t send him to a God-less public school. It sounds like other than this particular issue you are happy with the learning environment provided for your kids at this private school. Trust me that is priceless. In the end, your son may look back on this as the best thing that ever happened to him. Not sure if you are a person of faith but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Turn this into a positive for your son. Don’t let him be a victim.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

This thread is a perfect example of why I'm not a teacher anymore. Dealing with parents was worse than dealing with the kids.

The kids you taught were fortunate to have had parents that were engaged in their children’s education. Many students in public schools don’t get any advocacy from their parents.

I have the utmost respect for educators, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that there are not many school districts that fail in their responsibilities, especially towards special needs kids (not saying the OP’s child is SPED). God bless parents that advocate for their kids!

[DallasNewbie001]

Originally Posted by SanJac

The kids you taught were fortunate to have had parents that were engaged in their children’s education. Many students in public schools don’t get any advocacy from their parents.

I have the utmost respect for educators, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that there are not many school districts that fail in their responsibilities, especially towards special needs kids (not saying the OP’s child is SPED). God bless parents that advocate for their kids!

I came on this forum not because I know anything but because I do not know anything. I wanted to find out what the laws, rules, regulations, and if there are any groups, governmental agencies, pro-bono attorneys that could provide the answers to my questions.

I am just a parent and I am trying to be the best parent I can be. I am far from perfect. I don't want to make anyone upset, including my children. I just want what is right.

I found the timing of the meeting telling me my child needs to stay back quite suspicious. They could have told me beforehand that there was a situation that needed my immediate attention or else the child would be required to stay behind. I was not happy that I was given an ultimatum/mandate that my child must stay back. That my child performing very well in all their other classes [which they will now have to completely retake again] but was not given an opportunity to make up by going to summer school or any other alternative. When I was a kid, that was what summer school was for... when you needed extra help or wanted to get ahead.

I am not demanding that my child get a free pass on the curriculum. I want my child to learn everything they need to learn. I am far from combative but I must advocate on their behalf because they are a child. I am not insisting on anything. I also feel that sometimes society has to act to accommodate young children to a degree so as not to be too harsh.

May we all have peace and happiness in our lives....