05/28/99

Investigate your Child's Complaints - Part 2

... in response to (Part One) (5/14/99)

Parents often feel helpless when their children report circumstances at school that neither they nor their children can control. SNET readers point out, however, that every school administrator is answerable to a superintendent who reports to a Board of Education, usually elected by the people in the community. Parents can exert their considerable influence at any one or all of these levels of school governance. Reader comments follow:

"When my son, who is now entering his senior year in college, was in the 5th grade, his veteran teacher's husband was diagnosed with cancer. This happened in early October and the teacher was permitted to work on a day to day basis. The students never knew who would be their teacher on any given day until that person walked into the classroom. There was quite a parade of substitutes -- some experienced, some not, some structured, some not. After several months of different subs on different consecutive days, the principal and school board listened to parent complaints and required the original teacher to take a leave of absence. One sub was hired for the rest of the year so the students would have some continuity. I know it was a lost year for all of them, because they didn't get appropriate instruction. I thought that schools were held more accountable these days, so this couldn't happen. Last week's article told me that it still does -- what a shame!"

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"Perhaps if more parents listened to their children, there would be fewer problems in this world. Our children are crying out to us; what does it take to listen to them? I have been dealing with several school systems for six years. I finally pulled in some consulting professionals to help me have my son's needs addressed. Until school systems are made accountable, financially and otherwise, nothing will change."

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"The story about the student who had a disastrous year happens all too often. I have several comments to make about it. First, similar disasters occur in out-of-school activities, too, such as town or church sponsored youth groups or on sports teams. Volunteer organizations are especially vulnerable to bad situations like this because they are run by volunteers, who are often untrained and in short supply. I encourage parents to get involved and volunteer their time, to make these youth groups more stable and successful. Secondly, schools also need more volunteers. Perhaps if the parent who reported that she observed poor conditions in her child's class had volunteered to help out, she could have improved the class. Finally, I think parents need to commit themselves to improving any bad situation in their child's school, rather than increasing the pressure on teachers who are already having a difficult time coping."

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"I recently read an article in the newspaper that stated that Harvard University came out with the results of a study they have been doing. The results showed that teachers are not well taught themselves, so there will have to be some changes made in their college training programs. When I graduated from school in 1949 I do not believe there was a non-reader among us. When I tried to discuss the inability of kids to read today with the husband of a teacher, his comment was always the same. He said that it has to be the parents' fault. I do not believe that for a moment."

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"Parents who find themselves in similar circumstances (in a class that has not gone well for their child this school year) should:

1. Investigate and request, nicely, the teachers who they think would be best for their children for the upcoming year -- and do it NOW.
2. Request that any complaint shared with the principal about any teacher be placed in that teacher's review file. Some teachers should not remain in the teaching profession, but to remove them, a case against them has to be made over time. Many parents do not realize this.
3. If a parent gets no response to written requests, that parent should make a written complaint to the Board of Education. In most cases, members of the Board are parents, too, and share a joint interest in improving the quality of education in their town. Remember that towns are judged by the quality of their schools."

"I think the voucher system is a way to push public schools to do better. I feel for any parent who encounters serious problems at their child's school. I recently became involved in my children's school as a substitute teacher. My main goal was to get to know the ins and outs of the administration and what my kids do. With no prior experience as a substitute, I requested that I be able to sit in on a class beforehand. My request was brushed aside more than once, so I decided to bite the bullet. My concerns were not only about what and how to teach but also about safety procedures to follow, especially after what happened in Littleton and elsewhere. My first day as a sub proved interesting with a fire drill in the morning. Later I learned that there was a specific procedure to follow for serious emergencies. No one ever addressed this with me before! It's pretty scary to think that our children are so vulnerable, even in their own school. It's even scarier to know that the administration in some schools couldn't give a darn."

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.