Reply to Unhappy with my child's school but it's too late to break the contract

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Unhappy with my child's school but it's too late to break the contract"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How large is the class?  Unacceptable even if class is on the larger side.  I would not let this go even if you leave the school.  [b]Write a letter to the board and give specifics.[/b]  [/quote]

Don't write a letter to the Board! The Board of Directors for most independent schools is there for strategic planning, [u]not[/u] the day-to-day operations of the school. They have hired professionals to handle these operations because most Boards are made up of parents, alumni and members of the community. They are usually [u]not[/u]educational professionals and it would not be appropriate for them to intervene. You will only be frustrated when the Board won't give you the answer you want.

In going forward I would let this year go. Work with your child over the summer to keep her skills in tact (which we should all be doing - sometimes easier said then done, though...). At the beginning of next year contact the new teacher early in the year for a meeting. Do not criticize the former teacher because you will only sound like a PIA and, even if the new teacher is wonderful, she will be weary of you and your child. Pitting colleagues against each other and putting them on the defensive is never a good place to start (and this applies in all professional situations, not just a school). Explain your concerns about your child's learning and make a plan for the year. Give the new teacher some time to get to know your child and see how it goes. Make plans for follow-up meetings, if necessary. Also, listen to the teacher when she says things about your child and let her know if what you see is different than what she is explaining. If they differ try to figure it out together. This will help you to determine if the teacher is ignoring your child or if your child performs well at school and doesn't tend to show you at home or vice versa. Then make appropriate adjustments.

It also sounds like the Director had checked out since she probably knew she was leaving so there wasn't much she was going to do - very frustrating, I agree. However, I would give the new teacher a chance and if you still don't get the results you are wanting then approach the new Director. The PP is correct that the new Director may not see the issues with teacher during the beginning, but if given a situation that needs attention the Director should respond. If all of this fails then make a decision of whether to keep your child in the school. This can all be achieved in plenty of time for applications to go out to other privates (if you're interested) and also to switch to your local public.

Good luck![/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics