I just realized: I don't really like my kid's teacher and I don't think she's that great

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 16:42 and I ASSURE you, I am a mom of three and a former teacher at one the schools mentioned on these boards often.

I cannot tell you how many times parents have sat in my office SHOCKED, just SHOCKED! that things were not more perfect for their child. And while I did feel a certain level of empathy (if I bought a mercedes, I WOULD be more pissed at problems than let's say, a Kia) it was so naive and frankly LAZY of them to think that human nature changes when dollar amounts go up.

Certainly, you have paid enough to create a stink and get listened to, and many of those parents were correct to complain, but some of the parents simply wanted to create a perfect world for little Miles b/c they thought they bought it....and well, those parents were in for a long, bumpy ride.

I watched many a student go the same path of any other adolescent, in any other school (even, GASP! public school kids). Maybe even moreso, b/c no one at home was really watching them. The parents thought the tuition somehow reached into the spaces of home and family. I wish.

OP, I do not think you are saying ALL THAT, and it is perfectly normal to be disappointed at crap teaching and you should say so with lots of examples and a pleasant smile on your face, but the assertion that you have "bought" some kind of assurance and perfection, well, get that out of your pretty blond (dyed in a Georgetown hair salon, don't be mad, mine is too) head.

Is the use of the name "Miles" a Murphy Brown reference?

"Miles" is so '80s. "Milo" would be the 21st-century reference.

[Anonymous]

Regardless of whether our children need to eventually learn to get along with all different kinds of teachers, when a parent pays $25-$27K for a private school, their teachers SHOULD be stellar.

My DS attends a private school with the same price tag and his KG teacher is no better than a public school teacher and possibly more ignorant.

[Anonymous]

I bet if each of the parents offered to pay their $27K directly to the teacher she'd smile!

[Anonymous]

Aren't many private school teachers not even certified?

[Anonymous]

Having attended both public and private schools and having children who have attended public and private schools, I take issue with the notion that private-school teachers are or should be better than public-school teachers. There are good and bad teachers in both systems. Paying a high tuition is no guarantee of excellence.

[Anonymous]

Private school teachers do not need to be certified or have any kind of license to teach. Their salaries are often less than those of public school teachers. Caveat emptor.

[Anonymous]

Teachers in private schools frequently are given much more freedom to devise lesson plans. If they have areas of particular expertise they can incorporate that into the curriculum. When you have a talented teacher, this is a wonderful situation. When you have a not so great teacher or an inexperienced one, this can be a recipe for disaster. We've had both extremes - wonderful teachers who created incredible one of a kind learning experiences for our child. We've also had teachers who did not do a good job with the freedom afforded them by a private school.

[Anonymous]

PP, very insightful post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers in private schools frequently are given much more freedom to devise lesson plans. If they have areas of particular expertise they can incorporate that into the curriculum. When you have a talented teacher, this is a wonderful situation. When you have a not so great teacher or an inexperienced one, this can be a recipe for disaster. We've had both extremes - wonderful teachers who created incredible one of a kind learning experiences for our child. We've also had teachers who did not do a good job with the freedom afforded them by a private school.

I am 21:21 here. When I started teaching (I was 22 years old), I was one of the ONLY people on staff to have a speciality degree (science) and a teaching degree. I replaced a gentleman who had two phd's, but could not control a room of 8th graders. My TEACHING degree (as well as the fact that I do not take any crap) is what helped me to control the class, while the science part was EASY.

I cannot agree more with the PP above. A great private school will demand that the teachers continue to train or work toward getting education credits....it really does help. An education degree will NOT make a great teacher (see public schools), but it will help some good teachers become great.

[Anonymous]

My child's school lists all teacher credentials from college to all other degrees under each name. In all cases, they have at least 2 degreees, sometimes 3.

The MS boasts that each teacher is accredited specifically for whatever subject they teach. Potentially, for LSs, there may not be a typical accreditation as education at this stage is more general.