So. I felt the need to express myself to the principal of my daughter’s school. On March 1st, I sent this message:
Hi, Mr. ****. Seeing you this morning reminded me that I wanted to talk to you about Hope’s placement next year. I would like to know if it’s possible for me to meet the third grade teachers before Hope is assigned to one? As you are aware, Hope is a challenging child. I’m hoping a bit more advance planning will make next year easier on all of us.You can always reach me at this email, or at 555-2222 (w) or 555-2222 (h).
I received…no response. Nineteen days later, I sent this email, to the school counselor and the principal, with the first message attached:
Hi, Mr. ****, Mrs. ****,Perhaps I sent my first email to the wrong person. Please let me know how I should proceed with this.
I received…this.
Thank you for your e-mail. We will do our best to place Hope in the best environment for 3rd grade. We have not yet begun placing students for the next year. Please be assured that we will do our best to make sure that she is in the best classroom placement for the next school year.
So here’s the problem. They are the ones who placed Hope in THIS year’s ‘environment.’ Am I to understand they seriously thought about it? They put her with a teacher who is spontaneous, inconsistent, easily distracted–hmm, sounds like my kid. Now how is this woman supposed to keep Hope under control? Especially as it’s her second year teaching? How are you going to tell me she was the BEST choice for Hope?
And I’m going to rant some more. Because I’m pissed. We had a conference. Me, my friend who was watching her, the teacher, the (then assistant) principal. We discussed methods to get Hope to behave. We laid out steps and plans.
The teacher doesn’t follow the plan she helped develop. She won’t send Hope to the principal, even though she can’t control her, because”they’re all so busy up there.”
When I talk to her, I feel like she’s trying to convince me how horribly Hope behaves. And once I’m convinced (once she THINKS I’m convinced, I’m already quite aware) she’s done. I can suggest methods to deal with Hope, tell her what I’m doing at home to support her–and her attention is already gone.
She tells me Hope doesn’t do her work in class. I say fine, send it home. She can do it there. Not for credit, but so she doesn’t get the reward of never having to do it. The teacher has never once sent extra work home.
She tells Hope I don’t care about her. She tells Hope my discipline methods are stupid. She once asked me to go on a field trip with the class, or Hope would not be allowed to go. When I sent a note that I would attend, she acted as if I’d undermined her. If she didn’t want Hope to go at all, she just should have said so!
*sigh* Okay. I’ll stop now. But you can bet sometime in the next week or so, I’m going to show those folks down there what I’ve learned this year from our crazy parents.
You thought they were bad? I have not yet begun to rant!