Can I request a teacher/classroom switch?

[Anonymous]

We are currently enrolled at our local DCPS in PK4. We are very lucky to have neighbors who’s kid is there too. Same grade different class though. The parents alternate pick ups.

When I pick up, it is obviously clear to me that my child is in the wrong class. We have a second year teacher. My kid often comes home missing things like hats and water bottles. He’s also having way too many accidents from rough play at school. When I ask about his day, he says he watches videos and eats snacks. When I have visited class for drop offs or pick ups, it’s chaotic and messy. One time the teacher was on the phone when I dropped off. I understand first and second year teachers but this is ridiculous.

My neighbors kid talks about playing in centers, growing seeds, sounding out words, writing their name and counting. Can I ask for my child to be switched or should I just wait it out??

I assumed all classes would be doing the same thing in ECE but the difference is so drastic. Is this always the case? Now, I feel like I need to research the Kindergarten teachers to see which one would be the better fit. Is this a thing parents should be looking for? I can understand that each teacher has a style and way of doing things but this is crazy. Should I approach the principal? Or the teacher?

[Anonymous]

PK4 class sizes are capped by law so you could only switch if there is an empty seat.

Speak with the teacher directly About your issues, then escalate to the AP of it doesn't improve.

[Anonymous]

You can ask, but principals don't usually allow switching because then all kinds of people will want to switch for all kinds of reasons and it'll be a pain and really disruptive. As a former PTA president, I promise you, there are dissatisfied parents in every class including the one you think you want. It's funny how people in the same class can have totally opposite opinions.

You can raise some of your concerns with the teacher (injuries, losing stuff), but you can also work with your child on making good choices around physical play, having good habits like putting hat in jacket pocket every time, or just get a jacket with a hood and don't wear a hat at all. For the phone thing and the videos, you can raise it with the principal or the AP, but they'll definitely tell the teacher what you said. So if you're looking to avoid awkwardness, that's not really possible.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PPs you can ask but it won’t necessarily happen. In terms of screen time, talk to the teacher and then the AP. I know parents who got their kids switched to a different class for those reasons. The squeaky wheel often gets what they want.

[Anonymous]

If they do allow it, and there is a spot, you might not be the one to get it. Someone else might have asked earlier, or have a more compelling need. Lost hats and roughousing isn't going to compete with something like a family that only speaks a language spoken by one teacher, or special needs that would be better served in a different classroom.

Also, OP, this isn't a daycare where they micro manage 2 year olds. Your child age 4 or 5 is old enough to work on skills like remembering their things and not playing too rough. Mistakes and failure are part of that process. Work with your child at home on these things. They may not improve in the other classroom because the teacher isn't necessarily going to intervene any more. One teacher isn't "better" than another because the kids don't lose their hats as much-- tracking every bit of outerwear isn't that important and arguably should be something the kids learn to do for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you got a teacher who likely doesn’t prioritize the same things you do: order, organization. I had this with my DS 2nd grade teacher. It was a bad fit for us and my son. I’m not sure if she was a bad teacher in the end, but her lack of organization and communication drove me crazy and my son was really struggling. COVID hit, so I never really took action and im not sure if we really had options.

It’s important to be honest with yourself about what you are comfortable with in terms of organization etc in a school. But also, manage your expectations about losing stuff. My now 5th grader still can’t keep track of that stuff.

[Anonymous]

There are only two ways to accomplish this in DCPS:

1. Bring plausible grievances to the principal and expect that it only has a 10% chance of happening.

2. Move to a different school.

[Anonymous]

Seeing a teacher on a phone one time is not grounds to ask for a switch! She might have been dealing with a genuine emergency or serious problem. If she's on the phone every day, that would be different.

[Anonymous]

You can request it, but nothing you have written is grounds for switching your child, unless there is room and it will not cause problems for the school with other requests. I would go met with the teacher and ask what his/her goals are for the class by the end of the year and if there is anything you can be doing at home to emphasize what they are learning in class. The teacher will feel less attacked and more like you want to work with them. I would also talk with the Principal about your concerns. If there is an issue with this teacher, it can help them make changes in the future if there is a history on file.
For the future, it is helpful to ask around about style of teacher in future grades, if the teachers work as a unit and coordinate lessons, etc. But many schools will not take teacher preference into account, so ask around about how it works at your school. It can also help to talk to the Principal about what kinds of people your child responds to rather than ask for an individual: for example, my child does better when they have control over what lessons they do when (more of a Montessori outlook), or my child really needs structure and a teacher who repeats lessons, or my child needs food throughout the day (this becomes an issue as they grow and snack times are limited rather than multiple, to make more time for lessons). Good luck.

[Anonymous]

As a parent and teacher the watch videos comment is a red flag for me. I’d talk to the teacher then principal if it continued. I’d also be concerned that my kid would be behind next year compared to the other class. But I have no problem talking to the AP when I have concerns about my kids’ classes.

[Anonymous]

When my kid was in PreK, I used to watch his same age cousin regularly. We’d sit together and chat about our day. My kid would tell me who pushed who on the playground, and about the ant he watched and every minute of chaos. His cousin would retell the stories they had heard and show me how his reading was coming along, and sing all the songs with all the hand movements. It would have seemed incredibly unfair that they were having such different experiences, except they were in the same class with the same teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kid was in PreK, I used to watch his same age cousin regularly. We’d sit together and chat about our day. My kid would tell me who pushed who on the playground, and about the ant he watched and every minute of chaos. His cousin would retell the stories they had heard and show me how his reading was coming along, and sing all the songs with all the hand movements. It would have seemed incredibly unfair that they were having such different experiences, except they were in the same class with the same teachers.

Lol. So true.. my child is an unreliable narrator in so many ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are only two ways to accomplish this in DCPS:

1. Bring plausible grievances to the principal and expect that it only has a 10% chance of happening.

2. Move to a different school.

Or a different state...you get what you "pay" for.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think we need to gather more info beyond your son's report and your observations at dropoff/pickup. Even in PreK, your teacher will have norms that they need to abide by and certain projects they need to complete (at our school, all the teachers use "creative curriculum" and divide the year into themes like "trees" or "buildings." Also I would be shocked if they classroom didn't have centers!

Before you ask for a switch, get more information somehow. Maybe from other parents (their kids could be reporting on different things), from the teacher (ask for more detail about the daily schedule). I used to volunteer for field trips/to come in and read and that was always extremely informative, too.

[Anonymous]

If you accept the fact that not all teachers are going to be great then who exactly do you think belongs in the classes of new teachers, weak teachers, old teachers, mean teachers, messy teachers, teachers who are new to a particular grade, teachers who have medical problems, etc etc etc.

After working in a public school setting as support staff in classrooms I believe that generally about 10-20% of teachers are really great, about 10-20% are really lacking (with a few being downright horrible) and the rest are basically fine. I think we would all agree that 100% should be at least in the fine category, but that is not reality.

With that said, it is slightly possible you can be part of causing a change either in the teacher or the teacher's employment status by bringing issues to admin or at least to the teacher themself, so go for it if that is your goal.