Mondays

Mondays are hard enough, but I just wish the god of Mondays had cut me some slack today. I had 2 concerned parents before school began, a concerned parent who popped in at 9:00, and 2 voluminous parent emails after school. All different concerned parents. All the same problem--why is my child failing (choose one or more) math, social studies, all classes.

I am a parent of 4 children. When any of my children failed, I never once--not even for a teensy moment--supposed it was the teacher's fault. My students' helicopter parents don't see how it could be anyone's fault but the teacher's (mine, in case this is unclear.) One parent (really custodian, but not really--just acting for the custodian--opening up the whole FERPA can of worms!) wants me to allow her darling to retake tests until As or Bs are achieved. Yeah--like that's going to happen. But it seems it did happen at another school in our district that this darling attended. Um, getting multiple chances to pass a test does not make your child an A/B honor roll student. It makes your child lucky or the best bubbler-in-er or something, but it does not mean that your child's grades match his/her ability level and that's what grades should do, shouldn't they? Doggone it.

And, just for the record--if a child has made it to 4th grade and there is not an accountability system set up by you the parent to check your child's daily work, then that is not the teacher's fault, either. You know your child. If s/he has made a habit in the past of having missing assignments, then why do you suppose that I have lost them? Why don't you set up a system so that your child has a place for his/her work and knows that you will check to see that it is completed? Oh, you're too busy you say? Well, try dealing with 20 other children, all with their own unique needs that are just as important as your darling's. Just try it. I'd like to see that. Not so easy, is it?

I don't think I have anyone reading these posts, but if you are and are horrified by my attitude, I wish I could say I'm sorry. But I can't. The god of Mondays has won this week.