Thank you all for your help. It took all year, a two page letter, and a note from my kids Dr. to get my kids out of that school. They are going to a new school next year. It was hard because the kids are going to have to start over with new teachers and new friends. They are good kids and happy kids so I know they will be ok. Thank you all !!!
Is there another teacher in the present school that you have heard good things about? Request your child be transfered into that classroom for all of the reasons that you propose. If the Principal will not do this it would be time to go to their boss, likely the Superintendant of Schools, or the leader of the town's School Committee.
Worst case, there may be another avenue...
I know that due to the "No child left behind act" that certain scores are looked at on a yearly basis and set improvment must be shown each year. In my state it is the MCAS scores. Because of the "No child left behind act" I know that in my town if a school is behind the national requirement (which all but two of the Elelmentary Schools are) then a parent has the right to have their child in the "better" school. In fact, the system has to even provide bussing for this purpose.
With the problems that you have explained It is more than likely that your school is not within the acceptible parameters, but I would recommend checking. If your Principal has issues putting your child in the other class then you might wish to reference this and explain how you will then be planning on talking with the Superintendant of Schools about transfering your child.
I am in school for education and we just talked about the lasting effects of one bad teacher, who has not taught the children what they need in one grade. Research shows that it takes 3 years of GOOD (not ok, but really good) teachers to make up for one bad year.
If academic achievement of all students is not the main goal of this school, GET OUT!! Otherwise, what are they all there for? Plus NCLB mandates that students pass state tests. If you don't feel your child can pass those tests, go to the board of ed or to the state BOE. Not only is your child affected, but so are all others. Talk to other parents in the class, and see how they feel. Get together with some of them and seek action.
One of my children had the unfortunate luck of having a bad teacher one year and it was a good learning experience to say the least, but it also taught me to appreciate a good teacher all the more
Here's what I did:
After complaining to the principal once (which didn't do a much good), I went to our states ed site and downloaded their curriculam guidelines and set up lesson plans at home. I also talked with a few other parents and got them to loan me some of their children's work. I got lucky that one of my friends who had a child a year ahead of mine had kept all of her kid's work from the previous year
I just added in a few extra wooksheets in everyday to my kid's homework and he didn't lose any learning for the year.
Luvmykids is right don't let this slide by, the damage have severe educational and longterm ramifications.
When deciding what to do about this situation look at this way: You're child is being cheated out of the education he needs and deserves. The education you are paying for with your tax dollars.
Express to the teacher your concerns, then go to the principal, and continue right on up the chain of command, until you get change. The change must be immediate, don't wait it out until next year. If you don't feel you are getting the situation resolved, then move your child to another school that will provide him with a proper education.
