Reply to Responding calmly and helpfully to a parent whose student waited until the day after the project was due to ask for help

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My students have worked on a project since Day 2 of this school year. It was divided into four sections. Each week, they had two days to work on it during class. I’ve also provided extensive feedback on each step, identifying weak or missing areas and suggested revisions. 99% of my students turned in a successful project yesterday. One student told me her mom would email me. I thought there might be a message about some unexpected occurrence that kept the student from finishing. Prior to this, the student did not appear to be struggling exceptionally.

Today, I received an email from the mom saying that the child didn’t understand the assignment. In fact, she claims the child never understood what to do, she had to pay the math tutor to help with the project, and that the tutor disagreed with my feedback and suggested revisions. She sides with the tutor as she is a doctoral student in math. Note:  I do not teach math and no math was involved in the project.

Mom’s parting shot is that her child will not turn in the assignment unless I Zoom with them tonight to go over each of the four steps. If I do not do this, she is threatening “legal action” over a failing grade.

I’m not afraid of the “legal action”. I’m a veteran teacher who has had nearly a thousand students successful complete this project, many with learning disabilities, serious socioemotional issues, or other challenges including homelessness.

I do worry that mom will try other ways to make my life a living hell for the next 8.5 months. Without caving, how can I respond to her patiently and helpfully.[/quote]

You can accommodate disability and stop being so unprofessional.  That’s what you can do. [/quote]

Find a special ed teacher for that. This teacher actually seems to be working hard for the whole class... minus one kid who can't keep up or is too lazy. God forbid she didn't stop an entire month's inertia of progress for one kid who wouldn't finish the last 1/4 of work. That's why it's called grade appropriate work and this kid doesn't make the cut.[/quote]

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