should I be concerned?

Question

in our child's classroom, there is the teacher +1 helper, the helper recently quit, and we nor the children were informed till 3 weeks later (they thought he was out sick)
then, they had an art project through PTA, not through the class, had nothing to do with the teacher nor class, the teacher told the kids to turn in the project by the 19th, (but didn't send info home till 17th) pta's date was for the 22nd, so my daughter turned it in on the 22nd, however, the teacher wouldn't turn it in for her, so I did, and they (the pta) accepted it with confusion on why the teacher insisted on the different date since it had nothing to do with her,
and also...the children do not have to be in their classroom till 7:55,(school handbook) I drop my daughter off at 7:30, she kept getting tardy marks, when I asked why the teacher informed me that her time starts at 7:45 for journals
is this right? should I be upset? or am I nit picking?

for some extra info..at carpool there are 4 adults outside watching the kids as they come in, and I watch her walk right in the school before driving off, as for the what I'm trying to find out.....I'm very protective of my daughter, I'll even admit sometimes overprotective...in these cases, should I address the principle? or let it go? am I being overly concerned? (i've already discussed the problems with the teacher, :) and was made to feel as if I was back in grade school)

forgot to add....This is kindergarten :), and just to assure everyone...I am not dropping her off and leaving it to her to get to class, there are teachers outside (including vice principle) as well as faculty in the hallway, the children are not aloud to just linger, but since I drop her off at 7:30, by the time she gets out of the car, gets her lunch box, book bag, gives a kiss walks in the school and to her class (its a big building) it is already 7:45 or past....resulting in the teacher saying she is late...however, bell does not ring till 7:55,handbook says students do not need to be in class till 7:55 this means, that even if I drop my daughter off at 7:45 and she makes it to class by 7:55...she is late, but its not just the 10 minutest that bugs me...its all the factors combined.

Answer 1

Be upset. You are not nitpicking. That teacher is up to something. And she is targeting your child (and you) to pick on.

Try going up through the ranks...principal, school board, local school superintendent (or whatever you have there), regional superintendent (or whatever ....), then go to the state board of education. Usually this will result in someone hearing your case.

Be prepared to do what you have to do. The teacher needs to go. You were probably not the 1st to endure her shenanigans, and most likely will not be the last.

Note: Before you go through with this, write out everything (dates, and incidents). You might end up having to file a formal complaint with the board of ed. Do you have witnesses who will write a note or letter confirming your child was always early? Anyone else who was not informed of journal time? Make sure to let them know you were not informed of this journal time, tell about the PTA project (will the PTA support your complaint or write a note?), and anything else you can recall.

Don't forget to mention the helper was gone for 3 weeks...it could be signifcant in proving your case.

My child (1st grade) continually received F's on correct schoolwork. I went to see the teacher about it, who informed me that she didn't give A's to children who didn't know how to spell their name. I told her the name was spelled correctly...she told me I was wrong. Turns out that it was incorrect on the record. Even when the teacher found out, my child never received the A's...and not on any other correct work. I called for a meeting and everyone supported the teacher, saying it's natural for a parent to support her child. We never returned after that day. My child continued to get straight A's all through school, and in college.

Don't give up. Don't let yourself feel defeated.

Stay encouraged.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

i think you are right -- some teachers are just plain psycho.

i would settle first things first -- and be very polite and pose yourself as just inquisitive and open to the teacher's ideas of early start times and how it helps (if at all) your childs education.

usually pta assignments aren't really assignments -- they are supposed to be bonus work to acknowledge the pta's existance. it is also a good time for you to schmooze for the well being of your childs education. a child with active parents is much more likely to get special attention from teachers, school administration, everyone.

finally request a meeting with a school superior -- call the office and kind of fish for who you need to talk to. you can site failure of the teachers ability to communicate with you as reason for the meeting. don't make it seem like the teacher has done anything wrong -- you just need some verification on some things and would like to go mano a mano with someone. keep everything open, constructive, positive. any negatives or critisism will put them on the defensive and that is not where you want them --you want them working for your daughter and that needs to be the focus. i think mostly the journal crap is bs and wouldn't worry too much about the rest of it. i would find out how the school views the tardies -- i would assume the school itself does't view them as much or your daughter would be in more trouble. i think its just a weird control mechanism for the teacher and if the school pretends its not there it might be best you do too.

Answer 3

Not sure. Why not talk with the teacher.
Could look at it this way though:
First, the teacher is not responsible for the helper and might not have known herself. There are privacy rights to for employees.
As for the pta assignment. Some teachers request the work early so that it is sure to get in, and they hold the kids responsible for the date so that they learn about deadlines and responsibility. Not sure if that is the case.
As for coming in early to school, that is one dedicated teacher. You should have been informed though.
Is your child older? 4-8th grade. Teachers hold them accountable for telling parents and knowing schedules because it is like their job. If not, you should have been informed right away. The fact that the teacher is starting early is good in the sense that your child doesn't need to be outside waiting around and will get more learning time.

Answer 4

That is wrong, so wrong, your child's teacher has a problem. I would go to the principal and talk to the teacher its not right to have your 6 year old around unsupervised, with noone to watch her.I would be very upset if it was me. It is defintely not right. I would march stragiht to the principal's office about that issue and also maybe you should quetion your daughter about how the teacher treats her in the class.

Answer 5

Have a talk with your child's teacher and ask for explanations. If you don't get satisfactory answers, or if the teacher seems unwilling to meet you, talk to the principal. There may be valid reasons for these discrepancies, but they should be explained.

Answer 6

That is wrong. I'd talk to the principal of your child's school. Everything you said is wrong. Teacher sounds like a flake.

Answer 7

They sound very disorganized.Its important they they get the time right,,you do not want your child idling around,,it is not even safe.

Answer 8

scedule a meeting with your child teacher and her supervisor, you are not nit picking

Answer 9

i would be concerned...... talk to the teacher and principal at the same time about it......

Answer 10

im not quite sure what your trying to imply.....maybe a bit more info on what you feel?