The teacher told my husband she was sorry, but I'm still madd, do you think her apology was enough?. He was practically dumped off the school bus, and layed on the floor for an hour crying and shaking. They gave the kids an extra recess, but since my son was not being cooperative, she admitted to my husband she withheld water that he begged her for, even using his sign language to ask for it. He told me he fealt small and thought he was dying, and I feel like I am still in a state of shock and sick to my stomache over this. I expressed my outrage to the principal, after she proceeded to tell me how great the teacher was as if what I had just told her didnt matter, then she hung up on me. She treated me like I had no right to get upset, and the way she bragged on the teacher led me to believe that the principal was just gonna sweep this under the rug like they so often do. I wrote her a letter today demanding she apologize to my son and me, but got no response. What should I do next?.
2007-10-04 13:04:28 · 41 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Grade-Schooler
First of all no child should ever be denied water, when they need a drink. Reguardless of the child's behavior. This is unacceptable. If you accept this then what will they think they can get away with next. I think if you let this go then they will just think they can treat your child in this manner in the future and the punishment may become even more harsh. I would not take this no child should ever be put in this situation to be denied something to drink because they had a bad moment. I do not care how good of a teacher the principal thinks that she is, this proves otherwise. I would go above their heads and make sure the department of education knows of this event and is well aware that you are not happy and that you will be informing the other parents of this. I know if this happened to a child in my sons class I would want to know. I think that if you do not than its saying that its okay with you that it happened. Show them that you are outraged. I am outraged just by reading your story. I wouldn't even bother with the teacher or principal , they clearly aren't going to make any attempt to right this wrong or they would of done so by now. Go straight to the board of education for you school system and let them know just what happened. I sure hope this gets worked out for you.
2007-10-04 16:50:30 · answer #1 · answered by i<3 my guys 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What she did is cruel and unprofessional. I understand how sick you feel about this.
Misbehavior is one thing, but depriving a child of water is never called for. It is abusive.
The teacher may be"great" but she has done something horrible. An apology to your husband is not enough. She needs to apologize to your son. She has violated his trust as a care giver.
I am a teacher, and usually I can see the teacher's side, but no matter how stressed she was, she did something horrible. Ask her to apologize to your son. If he can forgive her, then you should too.
However, I would strongly consider withdrawing your son and putting him in a different school with a teacher who has a heart and a useful form of discipline. This manner is not condonned by any school board, any teaching program, and any teacher I have ever known. It is abuse.
If she is great with him most of the time, and she apologizes to him, and he can move on, I would give her one more chance. However, if she is not a good teacher and she is, as I suspect, abusive and controlling of her students, complain to the school board and withdraw your son from that school.
He deserves much better! There are good teachers out there, I promise, teachers who genuinely care about their students and do not seek to punish them, but rather to correct their behavior. She seems like she just wanted him to suffer.
Make her apologize to HIM whether or not you intend to keep him in that school.
This is a very serious violation of his rights as a student and as a human being.
ps
don't write a letter to her. Write a letter to the school board, the principal etc. Make sure your letter is very formal. Go in person. Do what needs to be done to right this wrong. If you feel like she is a nasty and abusive person, get a lawyer. If you believe that this was a stupid mistake, then just switch your son out with a written reason as to why. It will go on her permanent file.
2007-10-04 13:15:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have every right to be upset. No child no matter how they were acting should be withheld water. Call your school board, the principal should not be sweeping this under the rug at all, if nothing happens, then I would seriously think about contacting local media, and moving your son to a different school.
2007-10-04 22:21:13 · answer #3 · answered by Zyggy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go to the school with your husband and your son in the morning and refuse to leave until you have a signed outline of appropriate punishment that your child may receive if needed. After you have this let them know that you have decided that an apology is no longer suitable in this situation and that you have decided to take other steps.
Then, contact your local child services agency and let them know what happened and they will take a long look at that teacher her history and you and your son will receive an apology. It may also be a good idea to take your child to your pediatrician and discuss this with them.
My daughter who is now a Jr. in High School had her chair taken away for 3 weeks in the first grade. I had been worried sick because she was having headaches and backaches and on the day I was taking her to the Doctors her friend came off the bus and said "Brenna got her chair back today". Her doctor wanted to report her for abuse and I didn't let her and I will never forgive myself for that one.
Making a fuss for the sake of your child is always the right thing to do.
2007-10-04 13:15:49 · answer #4 · answered by New England Babe 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What should you do next? Well, I know that if he were my son, my next move would be to get my child out of that school and then call an attorney and the newspapers. Hopefully, you saved whatever documentation you have of the incident (a letter of apology perhaps?). A person like that should not be in charge of children, especially handicapped (for lack of a better word) children. I am absolutely appalled at the responses of both the teacher and the principal! Your son is right ... he IS being treated like an insignificant, unfeeling object.
2007-10-04 13:09:59 · answer #5 · answered by Emily Dew 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Go to the superintendant and the school board.
If that does nothing, go to the local news station. Seriously. I'm a parent, and I would want to know if my child is in a school where the principal stands up for a teacher who did something like that. If going the traditional way is completely unaffected, having to answer to hundreds of pissed off parents might lead the superintendant and everyone else down the chain to realize that hey, maybe that's NOT okay to do, and it would light a fire under their backsides.
Another route, speak with a lawyer. I'm fairly certain what she did was not entirely legal.
But no, you're right, sorry does not cut it.
2007-10-04 16:31:24 · answer #6 · answered by CrazyChick 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go to the newspapers and TV news. No child should be denied water as punishment. I think that the teacher should be fired. If there are other incidents that have occured and the principal just sweeps it under the rug then she needs fired as well. That makes me livid. I think that they think that they are GOD as far as your child goes. They can't use that as a punishment. You should talk to the other parents in your son's class and find out if that teacher has caused any of the other childrent trauma. If so you should all write a letter stating each time and what happened(write it to the school board and one to the newspaper.)
Good luck!
2007-10-04 14:53:30 · answer #7 · answered by mommymystic 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Contact your local newspaper. Write a letter to the editor or just call the news paper itself. This is totally unacceptable from a teacher and the principal should be ashamed of herself. I would also contact a lawyer, this is abuse, if you did this at home, you would be reported for neglect. Don't let this slide and demand an apology, go to the next PTO meeting and make people aware that this is what happens when their children "are not being cooperative"
2007-10-04 14:33:45 · answer #8 · answered by schmoopie 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to your son. I am a teacher myself and know a little bit about the legal side to special education. You need to go above and beyond both the teacher and principal. This is only one incident that you know of in which she has treated a student this way. Who knows what other inhumane forms of "discipline" the teacher is using on other students. Because of your son's disabililty he is protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which intitles him to a free public education in a safe school. This is not a safe environment and the teacher needs to be reported of her violation. Go to the school board and if that doesnt work alert other parents in the school as well.
2007-10-04 14:02:11 · answer #9 · answered by Ashley 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My brother is in a wheelchair and i will be Damned if any teacher treated him this away. NO MATTER WHAT they should not have not gave him the water. He is in a special needs class and if the teacher was that good of a teacher she should have known that is a something u can make a law suit out of and for the principal to hang up on u me and my lawyer will have been there in the next 30 MINUTES U NEED TO GET A LAWYER OR CALL PNA of ur state protection and advocacy THEY WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!
2007-10-04 13:18:57 · answer #10 · answered by More then one on this account 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋