Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
toobusytoday, my note was very short, said something like, I wanted to review my daughter's journal so I brought it home to review, thanks. It was just a note explaining why my daughter came in Monday morning with it.
If that is all and she received your note/call/email after you had already gotten it....... then there was NOTHING this teacher should have done AT ALL!!! She was OUT OF LINE! As was the principal.
I went and read the other thread finally that you started concerning your daughter (so all of the below is going to be a blend of responses to this thread and the prior one). I would have been TICKED if my kid was seperated like that. Hmm, the principal went down to her room and saw it for himself and this was without you even mentioning it and he corrected it THAT DAY! She is probably ticked at you for getting her in trouble w/ the principal.
As for the school itself........ my oldest is finishing up the 8th grade and she has been in the Gifted & Talented magnet program since kindergarten. The work you describe is not what they were doing nor is the teaching style. They had a journal and they did write but every kid in that class that was FULL of nothing but kids that were tested and allowed in were on different levels. Some could not read that well at all at the start of the school year while others had moved on to small chapter books. They worked mostly in small groups and rotated around to different tables/centers throughout the day. At each "center" it was a different activity. We had a parent volunteer every day in the class that would sit at one of the centers while the teacher was at another. The two other centers were where the kids did more "independent" work within their group or on their own. The two centers where the teacher was and the volunteer were where more "higher levels" of instruction were going on. The parents could have been more of the cutting and artsy/crafty type while the teachers was academic in nautre (math, science, reading, writing, etc). There was no seperating ANY child for their behavior in her classroom. They had a lot of handson instruction that allowed the kids to let their antsy hands, feet and bottoms move around.
The kids CONSTANTLY asked how to spell words when they were doing a writing activity and sometimes the teacher would write it on the board for the entire class to see and other times the teacher would help them sound it out. They then did their own "creative spelling". While her teacher was not the lovey-dovey kind and she expected the kids to stay on task and behave........ she was nurturing to them. The kids all loved her. I'm saying this because it was a magnet school and now my daughter is starting the IB program next year and her K class was not THAT BAD. The only homework they had were very simple activities or reading but not everyday. Sounds like this teacher is meant to be at the high school level.
As for requesting teachers........... I have never done that. I have told my children that as they grow when they get into high school and college they won't have a choice who they have as a teacher in many subjects. Told my oldest that in college it does not matter if you ace everything if the prof does not like you they CAN fail you and there is not a thing you can do about it. Also told them that they will end up working for people they don't care for but if they can learn to adapt they will be better in the long run. When they hit the older grades of elem. and then onto jr. high when other kids were having difficulties w/ the teacher my kids had no problems at all and did just fine. They learned to work w/in that teachers parameters to get the job done and then go on.
I'm having problems myself w/ my younger daughters school. We have tried our best to give it the chance to improve. It is not and before it is too late we are changing her schools next year. She is ready to change NOW! Take it from a mom that has been going on 4 years of trying to see if a school can improve.............. DO NOT WAIT!!! Good luck
they are right. not from the parental view of course but from the liability perspective. especially a 3rd party removing documents from the school. remember we live in law suit landia.
they are right. not from the parental view of course but from the liability perspective. especially a 3rd party removing documents from the school. remember we live in law suit landia.
Documents my eye. It was classroom work.
OP, you were completely justified in removing your daughter's journal. Let them stew. You were right, and I have done the same thing.
They used the document thing to try to intimidate you. But I do have to wonder what they are afraid of you finding out, why they would try to keep it from you.
Thank you momof2dfw, that was a very helpful post.
Stormy night, I think it is a combination of the teacher being ticked at me already because of the isolation desk incident and also her not wanting me to see the journal since my daughter has been on blue for not writing in her journal when she is supposed to. That is one reason I wanted to see the journal. Her writing skills and her participation have been an issue. I wanted to see her skill level and also if I saw evidence of not doing the work. What I saw was every page full of writing and pictures.
My daughter's teacher and the principal at her school are upset with me because I took my daughter's writing journal home to review over the weekend. I emailed and called the school on a Friday to request the journal. Both the teacher and the principal were not there (this was during the school day when I emailed & called). When my daughter was picked up that day, I instructed her grandmother to bring me the journal to review. I sent it back Monday morning with her. I sent a note attached to the journal and also emailed the teacher about taking the journal. The principal told me it was inappropriate. Here is her reason:
Federal law controls the access of student records. Parents have a right to see records upon following proper procedures. Viewing or making copies in the presence of school employees would be appropriate. To due otherwise could compromise the records of others. That is why it is inappropriate.
I did not consider the journal to be "student records". It is just my daughter's school work and I wanted to see it. It is not ever sent home. To see it I would have to go to the school. My company is experiencing lay offs and I have had to miss a lot of work due to my kid's & my own illnesses. I was not able to take extra time off to go to the school. I do not see anything wrong with taking the journal to review it and sending it back the next day. I don't think I should have to view it in there presence. What do the other parents/teachers say?
I would take the tact that I'm outraged that they would leave "student records" out where anyone and everyone could have access to them. They are not doing their job under Federal law.
I think they were stretching it calling school work student records.
OP, you did not follow the school's policy. You were wrong for that. You did not give the teacher the chance to even respond. What was the rush exactly?
Like I mentioned before, the teacher could have gotten in trouble for not having the journal if the prinicipal requested it. Since I always try and make sure that I have a good relationship with the parents, I would have politely informed you of the school's policy if I were in the same situation. I probably would have told the principal because my principal likes to know what is going on in the building. After that I would have let it rest.
By the way, all school work done is considered a record of your child's progress. So those who are telling you it is not a record or a documet are incorrect.
Record (n.)-an account in writing or the like preserving the memory or knowledge of facts or events.
document (n.)-any written item, as a book, article, or letter, esp. of a factual or informative nature.
I personally don't care if it's a 'recoord' or a 'document' or a scrap of toilet paper. If it concerns my child I BETTER be able to see if I so feel like it.
I personally don't care if it's a 'recoord' or a 'document' or a scrap of toilet paper. If it concerns my child I BETTER be able to see if I so feel like it.
Uhh, they don't have to produce my son's toilet paper after he's used it.
I personally don't care if it's a 'recoord' or a 'document' or a scrap of toilet paper. If it concerns my child I BETTER be able to see if I so feel like it.
At this point I'm giving up. The OP didn't give the teacher a chance. I suspect that she would have had more patience if it were not for her prior situation with the teacher.
Parents like you who feel that they should be catered to the moment that they want something, give other resonable parents a bad reputation. Luckily, most parents that I have worked with have been respectful and willing to work with me. Thanks for helping me appreciate the parents at my school.
At this point I'm giving up. Sam82 is blindly taking up for the teacher and principal. It's time some public school teachers and principals (who appear to be doing a poor job educating their students in this country) to have their inflated ego knocked down a few notches and remember that if they want the parent to be involved in their child's education then it's a partnership, not a dictatorship. To the OP I say "homeschooling". You're child will come out better educated than her classmates.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
