Insane/Ill-Informed/Presumptuous/Entitled Parents

[DigMe]

Worst part about teaching...by far. Just sayin'.

My favorite is when they assume the worst about the teacher KNOWING that their kid has a history of unreliable reporting.

Carry on.

bc

[MakiSupaStar]

Hehe. I love when parents insist that thier child be moved out of your class because I'm not a good teacher. Let's not mention the fact that kid is failing three other classes besides mine. Couldn't possibly be anything to do with the fact that he doesn't do his homework in their classes either. Please, don't go. Please don't make my life easier.

[Gopherbassist]

What are you opinions of actual bad teachers though?

[bassteban]

Just to cleanse both of your pallates(sp?), I will say that when my 5th-grader(or either/both of the other two)'s teacher says they did ______ today, 9 out of 10 times I'll side w/the teacher. My children are part me- I know they're effin up. Props to both of you guys if you haven't offed a kid(or better yet- a parent)yet.

[rr5025]

Originally Posted by bassteban

Just to cleanse both of your pallates(sp?), I will say that when my 5th-grader(or either/both of the other two)'s teacher says they did ______ today, 9 out of 10 times I'll side w/the teacher. My children are part me- I know they're effin up. Props to both of you guys if you haven't offed a kid(or better yet- a parent)yet.

My parents always did this. Even when the class average was failing. Apparently they don't know how averages work, and when the entire class fails the teacher is obviously doing something wrong in conveying the material.

That being said I would hate to be a high school teacher, especially in some rich over privileged area

[Mark Latimour]

When I saw the thread title, I thought the Qintar was just making a list of synonyms!

[DigMe]

Originally Posted by Gopherbassist

What are you opinions of actual bad teachers though?

I have such opinions but that is irrelevant to my thread.

bc

[RWP]

I am fortunate to have great kids doing well in school but I could see why parents would find any reason NOT to blame themselves or their rotten kids in today's world. Seems no one takes personal responsibility anymore.

The only advice I have for teachers is communicate. It would really piss me off to have my kid come home from school with a poor report card and never have gotten an email letting me know things were going wrong.

[flipper_gv]

My father is an English 2nd language teacher here in Quebec and he has troubles with parents. What pisses him the most is when the parents will shout at my father for applying the dressing code and supporting their 15 years old girl to wear mini skirt and such. Oh and then there are the parents who take their kids for vacation during a school week. And the ones blaming the teachers because his child can't have good scores (but the child in question is stoned at every single course and don't seem to study), etc...

[Relic]

Originally Posted by DigMe

Worst part about teaching...by far. Just sayin'.

My favorite is when they assume the worst about the teacher KNOWING that their kid has a history of unreliable reporting.

Carry on.

bc

You know....everyone loves to complain at how "ridiculous" schools are these days, usually it's public schools. Zero tolerance policies, out of control political correctness, soft discipline, and so on and so on. There's some sort of incident every week.
No one ever stops for a minute to realize that it's out of control parents that contributed to things being that way - you know, the ones who complain about this and that and launch their own personal crusade over some perceived injustice, or "cause du jour"....
Well, it's either that or the "parents" (or rather sperm and egg donors) who really just don't give a poop about actually parenting and leave it up to teachers and later the law to discipline and "parent" their offspring.
Don't even get me started..

[need4mospd]

Parents are the biggest reason for the decline in the quality of education in America. Either they're just stupid(ignorant) or they don't care. For the 10-15% of the ones that TRULY care and take an ACTIVE interest in their child's education, they're children have NO PROBLEM getting a brilliant education from our public school system.

I hear about ridiculous parents from my wife all the time and it just amazes me. One example, long story:
My wife gives the students the answers to the tests on the projector the day after and allows the kids to correct them for a better grade. Keep in mind, this is choir. And the particular classes are the "rotation" classes with kids that would rather be in art or theater, but they only have 12 weeks per class in the rotation. It's essentially impossible for a kid to fail this class. One student failed to make ANY corrections to ANY test for half a semester, on top of making a 50(lowest possible grade). THE ANSWERS WERE GIVEN TO THIS CHILD AND HE STILL FAILED! They didn't participate in anything during class either, which goes on a participation grade.
So the outcome, not surprisingly, was a failing grade on the report card. The parent called to complain and when the situation was explained, they didn't care. Their little angel couldn't have possibly done this and my wife was obviously a racist, besides the fact that class is half minority and most of them got A's. The principle got involved, the counselor, other teachers from the school, etc... It finally ended with the kid switching classes. From what I heard, he failed that one too.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by need4mospd

Parents are the biggest reason for the decline in the quality of education in America. Either they're just stupid(ignorant) or they don't care. For the 10-15% of the ones that TRULY care and take an ACTIVE interest in their child's education, they're children have NO PROBLEM getting a brilliant education from our public school system.

I hear about ridiculous parents from my wife all the time and it just amazes me. One example, long story:
My wife gives the students the answers to the tests on the projector the day after and allows the kids to correct them for a better grade. Keep in mind, this is choir. And the particular classes are the "rotation" classes with kids that would rather be in art or theater, but they only have 12 weeks per class in the rotation. It's essentially impossible for a kid to fail this class. One student failed to make ANY corrections to ANY test for half a semester, on top of making a 50(lowest possible grade). THE ANSWERS WERE GIVEN TO THIS CHILD AND HE STILL FAILED! They didn't participate in anything during class either, which goes on a participation grade.
So the outcome, not surprisingly, was a failing grade on the report card. The parent called to complain and when the situation was explained, they didn't care. Their little angel couldn't have possibly done this and my wife was obviously a racist, besides the fact that class is half minority and most of them got A's. The principle got involved, the counselor, other teachers from the school, etc... It finally ended with the kid switching classes. From what I heard, he failed that one too.

One of our band members was briefly teaching in an inner city school, he was telling us how that term, "racist" would be thrown around for everything to the point where he was nervous to even grade tests. (this from the parents)If there was a discipline problem, he would have to go get a minority teacher to assist him in talking to the kid. Ridiculous..
His lament was that these kids almost all had amazing potential and some were downright brilliant, but it was the parents and their attitudes that potentially doomed them.
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with him, I'm not a teacher, just passing on his particular claims.

[MakiSupaStar]

If I had a nickel for everytime I was called a racist by parents, I wouldn't need to be a teacher anymore.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Hehe. I love when parents insist that thier child be moved out of your class because I'm not a good teacher. Let's not mention the fact that kid is failing three other classes besides mine. Couldn't possibly be anything to do with the fact that he doesn't do his homework in their classes either. Please, don't go. Please don't make my life easier.

Uggg... I'm a parent, and man do I hate that.

If the school/teacher contacts me about my kid - the first thing out of my mouth is "what did he do?"... and my kid is good.

The worst kids, and their parents can't believe their little anger would ever do anything wrong...

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by need4mospd

Parents are the biggest reason for the decline in the quality of education in America. Either they're just stupid(ignorant) or they don't care. For the 10-15% of the ones that TRULY care and take an ACTIVE interest in their child's education, they're children have NO PROBLEM getting a brilliant education from our public school system.

Absolutely and completely correct.

[anyonefortennis]

I just toured the day care for my first kind coming this summer.

What should I not do to avoid being that parent?

[DudeistMonk]

You have a system where you can't punish a kid who steals another kids chips and then slams him into a lunch table (me) when he tries to get them back, because this kid apparently "has family issues."

You have a system where half the teachers could give less than a crap and the other half are control freaks who think your only taking one class a year.

You have a system so caught up in red tape, political correctness and safety from law suits, that there is no time for actual education.

You have a system where the solution to the problem is always "More funding." Except it doesn't seem to help.

You have a system where tenure allows teachers to sit back and relax regardless of how effective they are.


....I could go on all day.

[Munjibunga]

My daughter, who's eleven, has the good fortune to go to one of the better public elementary schools in the state (API=941). She's got a good teacher this year, but last year, not so good. In our district (small - six elementary schools), there is the mixed blessing of very high parent involvement. On one hand, there are over 100 parent volunteers in the school each week. On the other, parents have their nose in pretty much everything. Nothing happens at the school without every parent knowing about it. If there's a teacher who's not so hot, there are changes made.

I have spent a lot of time in classrooms from kindergarten to graduate school, and I've seen some really good teachers and some who just suck. The best are the ones who are passionate about teaching. The worst are the ones who are just riding it out to retirement. Many of the classes I've taught in are AVID classes, where BS is not tolerated. I wish all classes were AVID. Kids and their parents have to sign a contract that they will meet the requirements of the class. Those who don't perform well academically or behaviorally are kicked out.

The educational system in California is truly screwed up. We have our legislators, many of whom owe their positions to the teachers' union, to thank for that. It is ludicrous that the union resists all attempts to hold teachers accountable for their performance.

As far as incorrigible kids, I wish it were easier to get them out of classes. They rob other kids of educational time when the teacher has to take time to deal with them. When I was in school, getting in trouble meant something. Now it's often a badge of honor.

[neurotictim]

Originally Posted by RWP

Seems no one takes personal responsibility anymore.

+1

My singer is a high school teacher, and the stories she tells!

I always find it sad (if darkly humorous) that there are so many people out there with a sense of entitlement but no sense of work ethic or personal accountability/responsibility. Everything is supposed to be handed out on a silver platter, and if you can't get it the easy way, it's someone else's fault.

Everyone's kid is special, and there's always some sort of chain of circumstances that prevent success... Never mind that the kid doesn't work, doesn't pay attention, and doesn't even have the same basic respect for his/her elders that I was raised with... And I'm not old!

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

My daughter, who's eleven, has the good fortune to go to one of the better public elementary schools in the state (API=941). She's got a good teacher this year, but last year, not so good. In our district (small - six elementary schools), there is the mixed blessing of very high parent involvement. On one hand, there are over 100 parent volunteers in the school each week. On the other, parents have their nose in pretty much everything. Nothing happens at the school without every parent knowing about it. If there's a teacher who's not so hot, there are changes made.

I have spent a lot of time in classrooms from kindergarten to graduate school, and I've seen some really good teachers and some who just suck. The best are the ones who are passionate about teaching. The worst are the ones who are just riding it out to retirement. Many of the classes I've taught in are AVID classes, where BS is not tolerated. I wish all classes were AVID. Kids and their parents have to sign a contract that they will meet the requirements of the class. Those who don't perform well academically or behaviorally are kicked out.

The educational system in California is truly screwed up. We have our legislators, many of whom owe their positions to the teachers' union, to thank for that. It is ludicrous that the union resists all attempts to hold teachers accountable for their performance.

As far as incorrigible kids, I wish it were easier to get them out of classes. They rob other kids of educational time when the teacher has to take time to deal with them. When I was in school, getting in trouble meant something. Now it's often a badge of honor.

This is a good accurate post. Doesn't reflect the school, I teach in, but more the school my son goes to.

IMO, a child's education is the shared responsibility of the child, parent, and teacher. If one of those people fail, the child fails to get an education.