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Reply to "Aloof teacher is heavy on app use and doesn't communicate well - would you take it to the principal? "

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's like if we came to your job and kept complaining to your manager that we keep on getting Mickey as our Happy meal toy when we need Donald Duck.  You go back and there is a giant box of Mickey's and no Donald's.  Your boss threatens and fires you because your customers keep complaining but the manager is who gets the toys.  They fire someone because customer complains but they are complaining of the Managers decision.

That's what it's like when they fire teachers and try to ruin their lives with bad reviews.  [/quote]

No it’s not.  Teachers have some agency in how they teach the curriculum.  They aren’t mandated to phone it in with EdTech and apps[/quote]

What curriculum? It is ridiculous schools have moved away from physical math textbooks and workbooks. So many students benefit from direct instruction in math with worked examples, which are several problems worked out and the steps methodically explained often in different colors. So if a student was absent, wasn't paying attention, didn't understand they could go home and figure out how to do the homework and in class work. Parents and students would know what topic the lesson was on, what the previous and next lesson was on.  Answers to the odd questions were often in the back so that a student could do some problems and make sure they were solving the problems correctly. Teachers would have a teachers' guide so a new teacher or a teacher that was teaching different lessons wouldn't have to spend so much time planning and creating a curriculum. More experienced teachers could supplement or change some things around but would still have a base to fall back on.

Instead math teachers are given an online program and/or are expected to create their own lessons. They are told not to guide students but be on the side encouraging them in a "productive struggle". Students in groups are supposed to figure out and invent solutions and algorithms. Teachers are told the district purchased online programs so someone is often tracking how often it is being used.

So the OP can take it to the principal but first OP needs to think about these questions:

1) Have your kid actually show you the online system and where she allegedly turned in work on time. Everything is time stamped. If you haven't bothered to do this, you have been wasting the teachers time.

2) Where are the emails your child first sent to the teacher? You say you emailed the teacher, but you are not taking the class. Your child needs to be the one emailing FIRST. If there is no response or it is inadequate, then you step in.   A student email is much more effective if they can truthfully write something like: [i]Teacher, after meeting with you on this date at this time to discuss why my assignments are getting zeros when I have been turning them in, I am still confused. I followed your instruction too ...., and it is still ....."[/I]. If there is no response then you can take it higher because then there is proof your child tried discussing with the teacher and tried emailing.

3) If your child is doing well (you write, " my kid is doing well overall"), the school is going to come back with - then what is the problem or issue if your child is thriving?

3) What is the math curriculum that is used a that school and that class level? Is it a textbook, an online program, a collection of nebulous resources that varies by teacher?

4) What is the math progression in high school? OP writes she is in 8th grade in an advanced math class. Is that Honors 8 math?  Algebra or Geometry or Algebra 2?  Math 1 or 2? An accelerated 8th grade / Math 1 or 2 class?   Will your child be using the same math progression in the high school your child is attending.

5) The reason many Asian students do so well is their parents understand math is a progression. Additionally practice and lessons in math is going to help prepare and pre-teach a child how to do well in a class like Algebra so they are 100% solid for higher level math. If the school isn't doing a good job teaching math, they supplement (and some will supplement regardless). [/quote]

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