<p>@noimagination,
In my school, a teacher (math) has refused to write recs for a couple of kids. My mom, who taught for ten years, told me that it was in most teachers job description’s to write necessary recs. So, actually this English teacher is in the wrong here.</p>
<p>It is part of a teacher’s job to write recommendations. Period. Now, those recommendations need not be positive. It would be fair for a teacher to be more enthusiastic about one student than another student.</p>
<p>dodgersmom,
my current history teacher isn’t very fond of me so I’m not sure if it would be worth it to ask him for a recommendation. I’m going to try to go right after school tomorrow to my 8th grade english teacher and ask her for this favor and see how it works out. Thanks for telling me that a email isn’t needed at this moment, but I think I should at least include a note with the recommendation explaining why I don’t have my current english teacher fill it out. I’m not sure whether to email it to them or to also give it to the teacher to include in the envelopes.</p>
<p>I looked up a job description for a teaching position in my school district. Nowhere does it come even close to requiring recommendation writing. Students are required to submit a request for any recommendation, and it’s up to the teacher to decide whether to write it.</p>
<p>Now, do I believe the OP’s teacher should write a letter of rec? Absolutely. Would I have less respect for her as a person because of this decision? Absolutely. But I do not see it as her professional responsibility to write a letter of recommendation unless her contract explicitly says otherwise. And if it does, I disagree with the school district’s decision to make that part of the contract.</p>
<p>swimmergirl - When your rec. is in the mail, send an email to the school(s) explaining why a current English rec was not available. Be very diplomatic about it - just say that your current English teacher did not feel comfortable writing rec.'s for multiple students, so you asked your 8th grade teacher to do it for you instead. Do add something like: “If you require anything further, please let me know.”</p>
<p>Don’t ask your 8th grade teacher to include a note from you - that’s a bit more trouble from her and it would look a bit odd, I think, for a note from you to be included with your recommendation.</p>
<p>And isn’t it amazing that one piece of paper (an English recommendation) could cause this much trouble! Good luck to you!!!</p>
<p>dodgersmom
I typed up a note tonight and included it in the envelopes so it wouldn’t be necessary for my 8th grade teacher to write one. I think instead of emailing the schools, the notes should be sufficient. Although you are write that it might be odd to receive a note from me inside my teachers recommendation.</p>