incompetent teacher -- what can parents do?

[Anonymous]

New poster - DC is in 9th grade taking Geometry. Having a very hard time with the teacher and teaching style. Teacher encourages kids to help each other learn plus use a book online. Very little "showing" the kids how things are done. DC is very frustrated. Has asked teacher for help. She won't do it.

Meeting with guidance counselor and head of math department. Any advice? Is this the standard for teaching in HS?

[Anonymous]

I would rarely advocate for this, but is there any way for your child to record any incidents in class on a laptop or cell phone?

[Anonymous]

They could get in trouble for having a cell phone out, fwiw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could get in trouble for having a cell phone out, fwiw

Doesn't MD law require consent of all parties (i.e. Teacher + 30 student other students) to record audio? Pretty sure there was a thread in the Kids with Special Needs Forum that mentioned this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could get in trouble for having a cell phone out, fwiw

Doesn't MD law require consent of all parties (i.e. Teacher + 30 student other students) to record audio? Pretty sure there was a thread in the Kids with Special Needs Forum that mentioned this.

http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations

[Anonymous]

OP (and OP from the other thread about the same teacher):

What is being posted on Edline in way of materials?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Edline is practically empty.

Finally spoke to the principal's boss (sorry, I forget this person's title). He sounded well aware of the situation -- I'm not the first parent from our school to contact him about this. I am reading between the lines but it sounded like they were working as fast as they could to remove this teacher. I asked him what that meant for my kid -- would it take the whole year? He wasn't making any promises but it sounded like they're trying to make it happen faster than that.

Thanks to the PP who told me where the students should be by now in terms of what gets covered in the first marking period. I mentioned that I understood the kids were weeks behind and he sounded very interested to hear it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Edline is practically empty.

Finally spoke to the principal's boss (sorry, I forget this person's title). He sounded well aware of the situation -- I'm not the first parent from our school to contact him about this. I am reading between the lines but it sounded like they were working as fast as they could to remove this teacher. I asked him what that meant for my kid -- would it take the whole year? He wasn't making any promises but it sounded like they're trying to make it happen faster than that.

Thanks to the PP who told me where the students should be by now in terms of what gets covered in the first marking period. I mentioned that I understood the kids were weeks behind and he sounded very interested to hear it.

You're welcome. I wish that I could figure out how to just post handouts from my class for you. I don't know if you can afford it, but I really recommend looking at the History Alive curriculum if you have to home school this material. It comes the closest to what MCPS does, IMO. In fact, some activities are almost identical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I don't know if you can afford it, but I really recommend looking at the History Alive curriculum if you have to home school this material. It comes the closest to what MCPS does, IMO. In fact, some activities are almost identical.

History Alive are fabulous materials. The pricing is targeted for schools though, several hundred dollars per topic/unit.

[Anonymous]

Actually, you can buy a single textbook and workbook used from Amazon for less than $100. I'd never suggest something that was hundreds of dollars.

[Anonymous]

Not a used workbook. A used textbook and new workbook.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Can I get a link to the workbook and textbook you're talking about?

[Anonymous]

Op how did he say he will accomplish that? Try to talk the teacher into leaving? What are they promising in the classroom in the interim?

[Anonymous]

OP, what kind of graded work has there been? Interims are Friday!

[Anonymous]

What happens if they bomb interims?