My son's school sucks?

Question

There is virtually no communication between me as the parent, and the teachers or administration. If there's a problem at my son's school, I have to go up there myself, because the phone lines are ALWAYS busy, and if by chance you do get through, you are transferred a million times and then finally get to someone's voice mail, you never talk to a live person. There was a problem this year and me, my husband and my son all went to the school counselor to talk about it. She assured me that she would be in contact with me about this, and I never heard from her again, even though I gave her my email, my work number, my home number and my cell phone number. When I asked my son about it, he says she doesn't talk to him anymore, even though she told me she'd be having weekly meetings with him. The kids bully him and nothing is done about it, and if he tries to defend himself, he gets wrote up. I have been up there several times over that issue. In short, we hate his school.

My son has straight A's except for one class, language arts, he has an F, and they are holding him back. I don't know what to do. The board of education is no help, they side with the school and say my son just needs to study more. I want to take him out and homeschool him but I don't know if I should.

Answer 1

I can probably offer some simple reasons for some of your problems. At my school, anyone calling to speak with a teacher gets sent straight to voice mail unless the teacher has explicitly requested that a call be sent through. This prevents parents from calling during instructional time. It is a much needed and much appreciated policy. We can't drop everything and speak with a disgruntled and/or concerned parent for 20 minutes. Your son was also probably put on the counselor's rotation until she, your son, and/or the teacher felt there was no longer a need. My counselor usually asks me if things are going well in the classroom with students she has on her rotation. If I feel the student has made progress and will probably be okay without speaking with her on a weekly basis, we remove the child from rotation. The student can then speak to the counselor on an "as needed" basis. If your son is not requesting to speak with her (and I'm SURE she's made it clear he can come to her anytime), then she's not going to know something is still going on.

As for your overall dislike for the school, I would recommend switching schools before trying homeschooling. Request a transfer to another school. The school may be more than willing to grant the transfer out if you're constantly at the school complaining.

Answer 2

At our school, they just switched phone companies (district is always trying to save a dime) and the new policy is that callers go to the teacher's voice mail during school hours. I wonder if that is why you always get a voice mail.

HOWEVER, I can pick up the phone at any time to tell parents that their child is failing.

We also send home 'progress reports' that indicate to parents that children may not be meeting standards throughout the year [so f's are not a surprise].

On the other hand, I have one class per day, not 6 or 7, so maybe that's where the communication gets difficult. It's great that you are initiating contact and trying to resolve issues; it just sucks that no one else at the school is following through.

Answer 3

Irresponsible educators irk me. You have done almost all you can do to try and get this school to work with you. Now would be a great time to get your son into outside counseling and then start working on the home schooling route or look into a charter school or different school in the district. One thing that you haven't done yet is go to your local newspaper and speak with the editor about the nightmare you're going through and see if they could investigate. I'm sure they'd jump on the chance to let other parents in the community know just what they'll be facing if they send their children to that school. I'm going through the same stuff with my kindergardener. If your son happens to be the one caught throwing the last punch, let him know that he has to use more tact. He has to pay attention to the inattentiveness that apparently runs rampant in the adult population there and use it to his advantage until you can pull him out of this mess. Good luck.

Answer 4

Here are a few choices:

1: Try to find another school in your town

2: Sacrifice some things and homeschool him

3: If needed to, move to get away from the school

If none of this can work out for you, confront the leader of the whole school system in your town and complain about the "service" given to you. If nothing happens, It's out of my ability to figure out


good luck!

Answer 5

I can see how you would be so frustrated!

Have you tried speaking to the superintendant (sp)? I'm not sure how large or small his school is, but where I come from, it's not impossible to set up an appt w/ the superintendant of the whole school system.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Answer 6

I am not sure if you have it but open enrollment might be an option. What grade is your son in? Oh yeah VOTE FOR A NEW BOARD OF EDUCATION. Education and politics go hand in hand. Teachers like me know.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

complain and complain and dont stop. tell them that u will go to the mayor if u hav to and any thing that is bigger than the board of edg. never ignore it. if nothing is done move and tell them that you will tell others (everyone you know) not to move to tje town. the town gets scared cause that will affect there budget and lose residents. you probably dont really hav 2 move just say so cause they will believe you and try 2 make u happy.

Answer 9

this is alot of information to try and sort out. It must be difficult with you working and having to go several times to meet with them over that issue too. If you home school him you will have to be home during the day to do it, but it sounds like a need from your point of view and nothing comes before a childs welfare.

there is responsibility needed here-this is what helped me=
this helped me alot to become responsible-and a son is a big responsibility=believing and receiving truth=Shalom in the prince of peace Isaiah 9:6 "Unto us a child is born, a son is given, and he will be almighty God and the prince of peace." I got inner peace in the Messiah my best friend Isaiah 52:13-53:12 promised first to "He will lay down his life to make atonement for our sins." Pray for truth and share, with care. praying for you and all concerned.
Ok I would say to call the school in a friendly fashion and get a live contact-a secretary in the administration-that can give you times people involved can be reached between counseling sessions or classes or after classes. And try to be open with them=as you would like them to treat you too-even if some have failed dont take it out on all of them-they didnt have a meeting and say " lets pick someone, ok lets make up an issue on this lady and make up some stories-ok lets pick her son."

ask----- why you havent been contacted to the person that said they would contact you-directly, and about "Have you been weekly meeting with my son? (If no ask why not, and when did you see him last?) You state your child is being kept back for an arts class-really-do you think the behavior situation could have anything to do with this?? I was kicked out of the 3rd grade for my behavior-and I was beaten up that year-but I have to admit it was my fault and I never even hit the other kid back or called him a name, I just was on his territory and my mom wasnt there to make up a story for me and protect me.
From your question as stated your son isnt the only one with an English Arts and fellow student problem. Ok the only problem mentioned just before stating you have been there several times over that issue-did they say he was being bullied? or just he was fighting and that is his more than verbally-its physically fighting-to many moms its most always to them " it was all in self defense".

with more information I may do better to help, praying as I said & i already have prayed for you all too

Answer 10

I had virtually the same problem my first grader was always in the principals office, she did not want to do her work ( it was not challenging enough) the school never informed me. my little one told me. I pulled her and my other daughter out and put them in a charter school. No behavior problems.