Seeking advice for sticky teacher situation...

Parents Forum
21

<p>
[quote]
...discussion with the counselor voicing my concerns.

[/quote]

Deirdre:
Again, speaking with the counselor is fine but you have to remember that the counselor is in no position of authority over the teacher. The best they can usually do is tell you what options might exist but with a single teacher, the options will be slim.</p>

<p>It's the principal's office that has authority over the teachers and are responsible for the staff. If a member of the staff is incompetent, as this one is, especially given the anti-semitic remarks along with an incorrect version of history, then it's only the principal's office that can (and should) deal with it.</p>

<p>I've noticed in the public schools around here though that the administration seems to prefer to smooth things over with the parent rather than address the root problem of dealing with the teacher. This may be an unfortunate side effect of a strong teachers union since getting rid of an incompetent teacher can be very difficult. However, I would hope they have a low tolerance for the discriminatory remarks and practices of this teacher. I say 'practice' because by recommending students not attend a college because they're 'not Jewish enough' and by stating they're not excused to visit colleges within reason because the teacher will just tell them 'everything they need to know' is in the realm of 'practice' rather than 'opinion'.</p>

<p>Don't hesitate to see the principal. A major part of their job is to deal with staff issues. Don't worry about their schedule being too 'busy', your issue is important and something they need to deal with.</p>

22

<p>But what can the principal really do? He could remove the teacher-- thus leaving the school without a qualified IB History teacher and possibly costing my son and other students their chance to earn the full dipoloma. But I can't see much else that he could do.... I don't think "talking" to the teacher would help, as I don't think the teacher is really capable of changing whatever the issue is. If I make a formal complaint to the principal-- the principal may well have no choice but to follow a set of procedures that inevitably lead to the teacher's dismissal mid year. I want to be sure that I don't set that in motion unless I am sure that it won't cause more harm to the students than good.</p>

<p>I guess my real hope is that I can get the grading issue on the administration's radar, have them track down the "exam" and get them on the track of gently retiring this teacher at the end of the school year. Even though the teacher's behaviour is, at this point, imo, harmful, he has been a very fine teacher for many years before this issue developed. He cares about his student's achievement and futures and pushes them to read, think, write and argue well. This is not a man just marking time, this is a once excellent teacher who seems to be becoming ill.</p>

23

<p>Perhaps the school will go along with the student teacher or aide idea if they know that will save the ib program for this year. That will give them the year to figure out what to do for next year. At the very least, your S should have some other adult confirm his attendance in the class each day and to monitor his grades on course work regularly. One last thing, perhaps the guidance counselo will agree to make a note in his college applications to help explain the course grade/testing scores disparity.</p>

24

<p>
[quote]
But what can the principal really do? He could remove the teacher-- thus leaving the school without a qualified IB History teacher

[/quote]

He's not the only history teacher around. The school could decide to hire someone to replace him. Depending on the size of the school there may be other teachers already there who could replace him. </p>

<p>You'll need to discuss it with the principal to find out the options. If no one ever raises these types of concerns with the principal office then nothing will ever get done.</p>

<p>
[quote]
this is a once excellent teacher who seems to be becoming ill

[/quote]

From your description he's not currently an excellent teacher, perhaps because of illness, perhaps not. His performance in the past years doesn't help the students he's assigned to teach now. If he's no longer performing properly he should be replaced.</p>

25

<p>
[quote]
He could remove the teacher-- thus leaving the school without a qualified IB History teacher

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Doesn't sound like you have a qualified teacher now. Better to bring this situation to the administration sooner rather than later. The GC cannot change what is going on, but the principal can. The time has come to take this to the next level of authority.</p>

26

<p>The IBO requires certain training of their teachers in order to teach IB courses. I don't know whether an untrained (by IB) teacher would be acceptable to the IBO, so that is something else that would have to be determined before removing this teacher.</p>

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<p>My understanding is that they can't just hire another "history" teacher, the instructor must be IB qualified in order for the course to be approved by the Itnl IB organization.</p>

28

<p>That's why the principal and the district ought to consider having an assistant to this teacher. Wacky or not, he is certified, he knows (or should know) the curriculum.</p>

<p>As an aside, someone I know had a stroke followed by bouts of forgetfulness. It has since been diagnosed as early onset Alzheimer's. He has days of lucidity and days when he can't remember the names of colleagues. Because of his erratic memory, he decided to retire. It's very sad to meet him on days when he is fully lucid and realize what a brilliant mind is still there.</p>

29

<p>I wonder if they have another IB qualified history teacher who's teaching another subject right now? They also might be able to hire another one who's already qualified or perhaps transfer them from another school if this is a large district.</p>

<p>Realistically, assuming this is a public school, unless there are major justifiable complaints they probably wouldn't remove him before year-end anyway but they might monitor him more closely, 'counsel' him, and if possible, provide him with an assistant.</p>

30

<p>It seems to me that you are describing two different problems, both of which may well stem from the same issue (the teacher is losing it), but which may have to be handled separately.</p>

<p>First, the teacher is treating your son unfairly. He is accusing him of cutting class -- humiliating him in front of the class -- which your son has not done, and he claims that your son failed an exam and consequently gave your son a B+ grade in the class, which was lower than the grade he earned. (The exam in question might possibly be something that was administered when your son was out of class because he was taking AP exams.)</p>

<p>Any concerned parent would want to pursue it when she heard that her son was cutting class and failing a final in a core academic course. To address the cutting class issue, it would be difficult to reconstruct. (Did the teacher actually mark your son absent?) But perhaps for the future the teacher could have a daily sign-in sheet. In terms of the failed final, of course, you need to see the exam. (The fact that the teacher will not be able to produce an exam that your son failed should reveal a lot to the principal, the person with whom IMHO this whole conversation should be taking place.)</p>

<p>Second, the teacher is behaving erratically, and his ability to teach would seem to be impaired. The fact that he made the weird anti-Semitic comment would seem to fit into this category. It might, in fact, be the only thing the district can hang its hat on in terms of addressing the issue, since, as I undertand it following some interesting problems with a real doozy of a teacher at our elementary school, mere incompetence can be very difficult to establish when teachers have really good contracts. The school needs to be aware of this second problem, and it is entirely possible that exploring the first issue -- relating only to the bizarre, and not-reality-based way the teacher is grading and making accusations against your son-- will help to illuminate the underlying issue (teacher losing it). Maybe not. </p>

<p>But it seems to me that you absolutely have to become an advocate for your son in terms of the first problem, the way the teacher is calling him out in front of the class for non-existent absenses and grading him based on an imaginary failed exam. Because who knows if the teacher will think your son, a boy he can't even tell is in class every day, "looks good" in time for him to grade him this year? Who knows how many imaginary tests your invisible child will fail? Hopefully, when the true situation is clear to the principal through his investigation of the problems your son is encountering with the teacher, he will realize the extent of the teacher's current incompetence, and he will address the second problem, perhaps bringing in a substitute, or an assistant, or whatever works best for the school.</p>

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<p>It sounds to me like you need to have a sit-down with the Principal. You may technically have a "certified" IB history teacher, but clearly not a qualified one. If the district cannot replace him, then there's a choice: continue the class with the kids essentially teaching themselves, or end it and the kids don't get the IB diploma. I don't know much about IB, our district only does AP, so I'm not sure how big of a deal it is but it is clear that it is important to your son.</p>

<p>My D had an honors English teacher last year who was clearly slacking off. Her students all said they were very unprepared for their final exam (a department-wide test), and from the students and parents I have spoken to they were right. The kids I knew who ended the year with A's and B's in the class got D's on the final. I sat down with a vice-principal to discuss this, and he was VERY grateful that I had brought the complaint and wanted to know specifically what areas the kids felt unprepared in. He said he'd had a few complaints throughout the year, but I think the more parents complain, the stronger his position is in being able to discipline this teacher. The teacher is back this year, but I haven't given up. I still want to know the average grade for her class on the dept-wide final, compared to the average grade for the other classes. I'd bet a large sum of money that it's 10 - 15 points lower. We'll see...</p>

<p>My point is, the administration has a lot on their plate. Ideally they would know exactly what goes on in every classroom. In reality, they can't. You need to speak to the Principal about the inappropriate comments and behavior.</p>