incompetent teacher -- what can parents do?

[Anonymous]

For obvious reasons I don't want to be too specific.

I have a kid in middle school in MCPS, and one of her teachers is clearly incompetent. I have spoken to school administration (as have many others) and I gather that some sort of performance improvement plan (if that's the right term in this context) is in place.

Anyone know how this process plays out, and how long it takes? The school seems to be doing what it can with "resource teachers" and other supports for the kids, but I want to know if there is any hope that they can get this teacher out and a new (presumably competent?) teacher in the classroom before too long.

[Anonymous]

I assume like everything with schools, it will take forever. You could try going to the press, and that might speed things up. If you don't want to do that, the only other thing you can do besides checking in with the school each month is to supplement at home.

[Anonymous]

There are many schools with teachers who are much, much worse than you're describing, and it is nearly impossible to get them out. Any kind of "performance improvement" you may have heard about is showing that at least the school is aware of it and trying to address it (which is better than nothing). At best, the teacher could be encouraged to take a lateral move to another school, but you're not going to see removal, not now, and probably not ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are many schools with teachers who are much, much worse than you're describing, and it is nearly impossible to get them out. Any kind of "performance improvement" you may have heard about is showing that at least the school is aware of it and trying to address it (which is better than nothing). At best, the teacher could be encouraged to take a lateral move to another school, but you're not going to see removal, not now, and probably not ever.

This.

It is incredibly difficult to 'remove' or fire a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Teacher has all the strength that the Union is going to provide him/her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are many schools with teachers who are much, much worse than you're describing, and it is nearly impossible to get them out. Any kind of "performance improvement" you may have heard about is showing that at least the school is aware of it and trying to address it (which is better than nothing). At best, the teacher could be encouraged to take a lateral move to another school, but you're not going to see removal, not now, and probably not ever.

Not now in the middle of the year, but teachers can be removed if they don't meet standards. Whatever performance review thing that is going on is probably PAR, which lasts for a school year. At the end of the year, the teacher either makes standard and continues to teach, doesn't make standard and is removed from the county, or made significant progress without making standard and goes through another year on PAR. I've seen teachers removed, so it does happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For obvious reasons I don't want to be too specific.

I have a kid in middle school in MCPS, and one of her teachers is clearly incompetent. I have spoken to school administration (as have many others) and I gather that some sort of performance improvement plan (if that's the right term in this context) is in place.

Anyone know how this process plays out, and how long it takes? The school seems to be doing what it can with "resource teachers" and other supports for the kids, but I want to know if there is any hope that they can get this teacher out and a new (presumably competent?) teacher in the classroom before too long.

Be the squeaky wheel with the guidance counselor and get your kid moved to another teacher, and don't let up until the change is made. At the same time, ride the teacher so much that she WANTS to get rid of your kid. That should help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[
Be the squeaky wheel with the guidance counselor and get your kid moved to another teacher, and don't let up until the change is made. At the same time, ride the teacher so much that she WANTS to get rid of your kid. That should help.

OP here. I am squeaking like crazy, but it sounds like they're not letting anyone out of this class -- or any of this teacher's classes. Which I can (perversely) understand because there would be a stampede otherwise.

I am just so FRUSTRATED because this teacher doesn't belong in the classroom, and I don't see how this ends even halfway decently for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[
Be the squeaky wheel with the guidance counselor and get your kid moved to another teacher, and don't let up until the change is made. At the same time, ride the teacher so much that she WANTS to get rid of your kid. That should help.

OP here. I am squeaking like crazy, but it sounds like they're not letting anyone out of this class -- or any of this teacher's classes. Which I can (perversely) understand because there would be a stampede otherwise.

I am just so FRUSTRATED because this teacher doesn't belong in the classroom, and I don't see how this ends even halfway decently for my kid.

The way it ends halfway decent for your kids is that you have to fill in the gaps as a parent. Just like with anything else.
Give the teacher a minute. There have been years that I haven't understood a teacher's methods until they were hindsight.

[Anonymous]

1. Give it some time. Per PP, it may work out fine. Teachers that I have actively disliked have worked out fine for my kid.

2. Supplement at home - do what you can, or just suck it up and get a tutor. That's what kept my kid on-level through a full year of an utterly incompetent math teacher. Just view it as one of the costs of public school - a tutor once or twice a week is still a lot cheaper than private school tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[
Be the squeaky wheel with the guidance counselor and get your kid moved to another teacher, and don't let up until the change is made. At the same time, ride the teacher so much that she WANTS to get rid of your kid. That should help.

OP here. I am squeaking like crazy, but it sounds like they're not letting anyone out of this class -- or any of this teacher's classes. Which I can (perversely) understand because there would be a stampede otherwise.

I am just so FRUSTRATED because this teacher doesn't belong in the classroom, and I don't see how this ends even halfway decently for my kid.

how long has this teacher been teaching?

[Anonymous]

Don't vote for politicians of a political party that is beholden to teachers' unions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume like everything with schools, it will take forever. You could try going to the press, and that might speed things up. If you don't want to do that, the only other thing you can do besides checking in with the school each month is to supplement at home.

Former journalist here. An incompetent teacher isn't newsworthy. Don't "go to the press."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Give it some time. Per PP, it may work out fine. Teachers that I have actively disliked have worked out fine for my kid.

2. Supplement at home - do what you can, or just suck it up and get a tutor. That's what kept my kid on-level through a full year of an utterly incompetent math teacher. Just view it as one of the costs of public school - a tutor once or twice a week is still a lot cheaper than private school tuition.

I love using Khan Academy to keep up my DD's math skills

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume like everything with schools, it will take forever. You could try going to the press, and that might speed things up. If you don't want to do that, the only other thing you can do besides checking in with the school each month is to supplement at home.

Former journalist here. An incompetent teacher isn't newsworthy. Don't "go to the press."

HAHAHA can you imagine.