Requesting a teacher

[Anonymous]

I have a unique reason to request a certain kindergarten teacher for my incoming k student - what’s the best way to do this? Email office? Should I do it now or wait until after school lets out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a unique reason to request a certain kindergarten teacher for my incoming k student - what’s the best way to do this? Email office? Should I do it now or wait until after school lets out?

aps by the way

[Anonymous]

Most likely your request will be denied, but I would email the principal and explain why you feel this is necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most likely your request will be denied, but I would email the principal and explain why you feel this is necessary.

P
+100

[Anonymous]

I’m an elementary principal. I don’t take teacher requests because staffing changes can and often happen over the summer. The teacher may request to move to a different grade. Or they leave the school—maybe their spouse is relocating. What I ask for instead are the qualities in a teacher that you think will best meet your child’s needs. For example, parents want a teacher that is softer, more nurturing, while others want someone who has a more no-nonsense approach. You may want a teacher who “gets” the kid who marches to a different drummer. You know your kid best. Rather than give the name, give the qualities you think this teacher has.

[Anonymous]

What PP said. I have requested not to have a specific teacher in the past if I knew they were not going to be a good fit, but otherwise I’ve just asked for a certain personality I know my kid does well with.

[Anonymous]

You can ask for a specific teaching style based on knowing what works for you kid the best but that’s about it.

[Anonymous]

If I had it to do over again I would have requested NOT to have had DDs K teacher (I know of several parents who made that request for their 2nd kid). She was a terrible fit for my kid (she was a teacher who demanded the kids sit down and shut up all the time, something my 5-year-old couldn’t do). That seems like something a principal may consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most likely your request will be denied, but I would email the principal and explain why you feel this is necessary.

That’s not try. Just set a time to speak in person or over phone with the principal. Discuss your child needs and why you think the teacher would be a good fit. Then listen to her response. Keep in mind the teacher meh have other plans for next year.

[Anonymous]

The one time I know of that our APS elementary honored a request like that was for an incoming K student who spoke virtually no English and there was a kindergarten teacher who spoke the child's native language. Principals tends to be very strict about when they will honor such requests to avoid being flooded by similar requests. Unless your child is in a truly unique situation where it is highly unlikely that other families could make similar requests, it will not be honored.