Why do so many parents blame the teachers for all that goes wrong with the students?

Question

Why are so many parents out there today blaming teachers for the problems that their students are having? Thanks to No Child Left Behind teachers are being literally pushed out of their careers and all of this is because people believe that the accountability is not at high enough standards. I am married to a special education teacher and he puts in more hours than those who work 80 hour a week jobs and he doesn't get paid nearly what they get paid! He has to take required professional developments in order for the school to get funding for reading from the government. These professional developments equal 80 credit hours of work with each course requiring 2 to 4 hours of work a week on top of everything else that a teacher has to do such as lesson planning, grading, strategizing and the list goes on. Why are so many blaming teachers when their students are not doing well? Ninety-five percent of the students who are not successful are a direct result from their parents lack of support

Answer 1

Well, I agree that teachers that are substandard should not be protected by their union or tenure.

However, you cannot make a silk purse out of a pig's ear, either.

Way too many kids are not taught the importance of education. Their football practice, softball practice, dance practice, soccer, hanging out with friends, time off from school to get their hair done or to go "tan" because they are going to Mexico for spring break (oh, please).....those things are deemed "more important" than the kid getting good grades, doing their homework and actually spending quality time in school getting an education.

It is nice that kids want to do other things, but parents need to stress the value of education and actively coach their kids along that path. Very few parents do that. They don't meet with teachers for conferences, they let their kids do whatever they want, when they want, they don't discipline, they don't support the school efforts in any way, but they want/expect a miracle when then send their 5 year old off to school that has never been read to, doesn't own a book or know the alphabet, can't count past 10, etc., etc., but can outgame the neighborhood on video games and knows every cartoon character on TV.

Look at all the kids that come on here looking for homework help when they should be doing their own homework???? Is that a teacher's fault? Hardly. Look at all the kids who don't study for tests because they are "too busy" with sports, shopping, being on the internet, talking on the phone......Is that a teacher's fault?

Accountability and responsibility for our children's future begins at home, and it should.

Answer 2

When a parent doesn't have a problem with the teacher's response to their child's actions they don't come on here to ask what they should do. Its as simple as that. Just like the questions about what pediatricians or obstetricians said/did/acted are from people who are dissatisfied with the care they are receiving -it doesn't mean that all people think all doctors are idiots. Some parents believe very strongly that you shouldn't label a child as "bad" or "naughty". That you should label the behaviour and not the child. Whether this is right or not it is immaterial that is their belief and they are going to be upset if the teacher doesn't follow it. Also just because the actual fact of the misbehaviour is true, doesn't make it not at least in part the teacher's fault. There are good teachers and bad teachers. And teachers that are great for some kinds of kids and not for others. Its the same with parents -sometimes a child will behave perfectly for daddy and not when it is just mommy. Does that make the child's behaviour a problem or mom's behaviour a problem? Probably the problem lies more with mom. To blindly assume that teachers are right, or to teach your children to blindly accept authority is wrong. It is not the way to raise healthy adults or a good society. We SHOULD always question the people in authority. We shouldn't take a medication just because one doctor says to, we should be a part of our care and we should be on the lookout for doctors who are not up-to-date or who are maybe just not paying attention that day. We should ALWAYS check the prescription against what the doctor said -sometimes pharmacists misread things. And we should ALWAYS question the actions of our political leaders. Just because you voted them in doesn't mean everything they do is right. Where would we be if no one had questioned slavery, or that women weren't people. What if women had asked for the right to vote and the politicians said no and everyone said "Well that must be right then". I am sure there are some parents who are blind and always believe their child over the teacher. But there will always be bad parents, just as there will always be bad teachers.

Answer 3

Because the "blame game" is the oldest tradition in the world and still the most practiced. Nobody ever wants to look at themselves.

Bush failing? Blame Clinton.

Can't find Osama Bin Laden? Blame Iraq.

My race or ethnicity has high crime, poor education, low income per Capita? Instead of fixing it, blame another race/ethnicity.

Man had a hard day at work? Take it out on the wife.

Middle Eastern man can't trust themselves to respect Woman? Blame the Woman, give her no rights or freedoms.

Government clueless on how to pass a budget, provide health care, manage education? Blame the immigrants.

A woman can't choose for the father of her child someone who sticks around, supports them, teaches the child right from wrong? Government's problem.

Pretty consistent if you ask me. And sad.

Answer 4

Parents these days are lazy to sit with their kids to help with homework. We all work and do many things so it's BS if they try that excuse. It takes the cooperation of the parent and the teacher to help a child. A parent cannot go to the teacher and say "here, take him and make him smart". The teacher has no control over what happens at home. If nothing correct is done at home and then it has to be recorrected at school the next day it becomes pointless because the teacher has to start all over again. I have many students whose parents do not help them at all. I teach 3rd grade and it's a shame to see these kids come in with no homework done or little if any assistance. I am not saying to do the work for them - guide them along.

Answer 5

"95% of the students who are not successful are a direct result from their parents lack of support"? Really!!

I have a Business Education degree but have worked in private enterprise for over 35 years. I have experienced people looking for jobs that can not do basic math, write a letter or read a simple manual. Yes, some teachers work hard, but on the other hand, some do not. The Teacher's unions, through the use of tenure, protect incompetent teachers from being fired. Thank god "No Child Left Behind" is finally pushing these low quality teachers out of their "careers" (pay checks). Working people in the real world who do not perform are fired. Teachers should be treated the same way.

Answer 6

Parents who need to work all the time, and have basically no time for their children are GUILTY about that. They do not want to blame their child--nor do they want to blame themselves.

That puts it on the school, the school board, and the teachers. This is absolutely unfair--as the students spend more time ditching, having popularity contests, socializing, fighting, sneaking off for drugs/booze, and totally disrespecting their teachers. If they get into trouble--they WILL blame the TEACHER!

(I realize that there are still a handful of kids out there who actually go to school to learn--and a couple who even have manners--but I'm talking about the majority).

Teachers have it really bad, these days--and have for a couple of decades. It is getting worse and worse. Parents, when spending that "quality time" with their kids ought to teach them some respect and manners--instead of just giving and buying these spoiled adolescents anything they want out of GUILT.

I'm sorry, but I'm the mom of six, and have lived in several states with my children. I see what goes on in the schools--it is not pretty.

Answer 7

Once you find the answer to this, please let me know. I am a high school teacher in the same situation.

It seems as though parents have totally checked out of their kids lives. They want to be their child's friend, but nothing involving discipline or responsibility (you know, those things that are actually a PARENT'S JOB!)And, since thier child is perfect, if they get into trouble, it is automatically someone else's fault: the school district, the teacher, the other person. We have truly become a society of victims.

Answer 8

Excellent question...I'm a freshman education major from a family of educators, and we've been looking for the answer to this too.

Answer 9

parents are becoming lazy and careless. they expect the job of education to fall souly on the teachers lap. i feel sorry for any student who has and is going through this.

Answer 10

Because teackhers may be prejudice, old, young, and just plain retarted.