How much unresponsiveness to email do you tolerate?
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Anonymous
| Less than 10 kids in my DC's class and I'm getting so tired of his teacher not responding to emails. She never works off the clock. Emails are sent only during her planning period or at the end of the day if at all. I've sent a few--direct questions--that have been totally ignored. School has in general been resistant to putting a communication plan in the IEP. She is always super friendly to your face. |
Anonymous
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When a teacher doesn't respond to my email within 24 hours, I will ask my DC if the teacher has been in school. If so, I will wait another 24 hours (48 total). If still no answer, I forward my sent email to the teacher's boss (department head, principal, whoever), explain that the teacher hasn't responded and ask the supervisor to help. I cc the teacher on the email, so the teacher knows I've gone up the chain.
Teachers are professionals, they should be expected to behave like professionals. I would be fired from my job if I didn't respond to customers, clients or consumers. |
Anonymous
| Wow. Your kid's teacher is on break right now!!!!! Are you kidding? |
Anonymous
| How frequently do you email the teacher? |
Anonymous
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I've always found teachers and staff at our MCPS schools to be very responsive, except for one, and she was a special needs coordinator in middle school. I did exactly what PP did - cc the supervisor after 48 hours. It was an important matter and I really needed an answer. I remember I actually asked DCUM about it! In less than 5 minutes after I sent the email to the supervisor, the teacher sent a response... Now my child goes to this middle school, this same coordinator dropped the ball in November for another important matter, and pissed off not only me but also my child's classroom teachers. You've got to wonder why some people go into teaching sometimes. |
Anonymous
Just to be clear, you have no idea whether she works off the clock. You only know that she has not replied to any of your emails off the clock. I'm a special ed teacher, I do all kinds of work outside of school hours, such as creating materials, writing IEPs, attending professional development, planning lessons. However, I have found that it's really easy to get caught up in checking email obsessively, so I've set it up so that I check my email a few times a day, and respond once a day (unless it's urgent). If you've asked her something, and didn't get a response, then resend the email, but complaining about when she sends the reply is ridiculous. |
Anonymous
I do something similar except after 24 hours, I will re-send the email to her with a CC to the principal, vice principal or case manager (depending on whether this is MS or ES). |
Anonymous
| If I email during business hours (not on a break, in the evening or on a weekend) and I don't hear back in 48 hours, I might forward it to the teacher and say I wasn't sure if she got it. If I don't hear back again, I wait a day or two and CC the principal on the next one. Sometimes I wait until the 4th attempt to CC the principal. |
Anonymous
| CC'ing the principal after only 24 hours is kind of intense |
Anonymous
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Elementary principal here: I direct teachers to respond to emails, whether from colleagues or parents, by the end of the next business day. If you email on Thursday morning, you should hear back by the end of the day on Friday. And if you email on Friday afternoon, you should expect to hear back no later than the end of the day on Monday.
We let parents know this. If they're not hearing from a teacher after that time has passed, then we tell them try again and include me. |
Anonymous
I am PP above; of course I don't expect any reply on holidays or weekends. That is the teacher's time. |
Anonymous
The end of the next business day is more generous than the 24 hours you cited above. I think it's ironic that people state that they'd be fired if they didn't respond to customers, clients or consumers, because I can't tell you how often I email parents and get a bounce back message that they are out of the office for a meeting, or at court or something, and thus can't reply. |
Anonymous
OP here. I do not email excessively. I find it odd that when I contact her about a logistical matter with DC's schedule I often receive a message back quickly with a comment or two. When I have emailed about therapy services or curriculum I am getting no reply. |
Anonymous
My MCPS is most impressive. Entire staff replies within same day, even within an hour if after school. Special ed the same. I emailed her on Monday this week about adding an accomodstiins to child's IEP. Special ed teacher said she'd get back to me by the end of the week. She did --along w testing scores (she tested child this week) with supporting scoring and for writing and a plan of action. I'm most impressed. First year moving from private "special school". Wish we'd done it years ago. Child is thriving. |
Anonymous
Why would you email a classroom teacher about therapy services? Curriculum question should be discussed at parent teacher conferences or directed to the principal. Sounds like she is answering those things that are straightforward / within her control quickly. The answers to the other sort of questions you describe are probably more complex and require coordinating with other people. IMO if you are emailing more than 2-3 times per month it is probably excessive. |