There is nothing in this world that will aggravate me faster than a teacher whom is so pious, so egotistical, so hell bent on being God’s gift to the profession that they forget their responsibility to their students. They believe their superior status or education makes them untouchable. I battled with this as a kid. I battled with this working in the public school systems. I battle with this as a parent.
Luckily, I can say the high and mighty, pain in the rear, teachers are a minority to all the amazing teachers we’ve been lucky enough to work with. A minority, but no less of a pain in the ass to deal with.
Blue Girl has a myriad of health issues that require her to miss school from time to time. Sometimes for days on end. It’s nothing she can control. It’s nothing I can take away from her and shoulder in her place. Although I’d be happy to do that if I could. It sucks.
Despite her health issues, Blue Girl is my goal driven over achiever. She is highly intelligent. Sometimes I wonder if she isn’t smarter than me; that she pretends to need to learn things to humor me. She is one of those kids whom enjoys being a student. She doesn’t get tied into knots over tests. Homework is easy for her. She excels in honors classes in her strong areas. She knows her limitations at the same time though. She doesn’t overload in the areas that are not strengths; rather defaulting to regular core curriculum to achieve better grades. She knows that to be a student athlete she will need to walk a fine line between class load, training time, and social life. She handles it all with grace.
Up until last year we did not have Blue Girl on a classic 504 learning plan. We didn’t need it due to her teachers being phenomenal with her. They understood from emails and communication from me that she had challenges and were happy to help her. Last year, knowing what I know from working at a high school, I had her formal 504 written. I did this in preparation of her entering high school, knowing that teachers at that level won’t always be so easy to communicate with.
The first term of this year I was proactive once again. I went to every one of her teachers to tell them she would be missing school for reasons outside our control. I advised them all to look over her 504 and contact us with any questions they may have. Her teachers all assured me they would be prepared, and would take the 504 into consideration for her. Most of them followed through on their word.
For whatever reason her English teacher, despite telling me she would read it, obviously never did. She sent home a term grade slip with a notation that excessive absences contributed to some of her lower grades. I again had a conversation with this teacher that absences can not be penalized per the 504 in place. That I expected that 504 to be followed. She again, agreed, and brushed me to the side.
Blue Girl, after every absence, would ask what she missed. What could she do to make up the time lost in class? This teacher would tell her to read the homework and do it. At one point, after a multi-day absence, the teacher got frustrated with her saying: “You missed a lot. I don’t have time to reteach you.”. When Blue Girl returned to this teacher asking for clarification on the assignment packet she was reading, the teacher again stated to “read the packet and do what it says.”. Quickly Blue Girl came to believe that this teacher was not going to support her and only wanted to see her fail. She was tired of advocating for herself and being shut down. She started asking the kids in class for help. This backfired as they also didn’t understand the assignments. You can see where this is going.
At the end of the term I was going through grades with Blue Girl. This English teacher had left several assignments out of the grade book, yet they were graded and handed back. I instructed Broken Girl to take those assignments in and have them entered into the grade book as they should boost her to a B in that class.
Report cards came home over holiday break. Imagine my surprise when I find out that Blue Girl still had a C, and that she lost credit for her teacher not doing her job the first time. Apparently the teacher felt it would be appropriate to penalize her 5% for late work on assignments. WHAT? I don’t think so.
Blue Girl and I combed through her grades. A pattern started to develop. After every single absence Blue Girl had terrible grades. She had kept a journal of what responses she got from this teacher upon her return to school. See? Smart girl. There was a direct correlation to her absences and penalized work. Her 504 protects her from this exact issue!
I contacted the counselor at the end of break. I verified she had, in fact, notified all of Blue Girl’s teachers of her 504. I verified that 504 was distributed to each teacher in writing. I had her reach out to the teacher. I then followed up with that counselor in her office a week later. AGAIN, this teacher had told the counselor that she got a C due to excessive absences and being unprepared. I told the counselor it was time for a meeting. I wanted the principal, counselor, and teacher in this meeting to clarify the 504 and expectations. My kid qualifies for support, and this teacher can not continue to ignore a legally binding contract.
Prior to the meeting the teacher decided to email me that she doesn’t want to “bother” the principal with this meeting. What was the issue? I was blunt in my response that she had violated the 504, and there needed to be a recalculation of Blue Girl’s grade. She denied everything, including having had conversations with me about this. Naturally, this triggered me. I told her I would not discuss this any further without the principal involved.
At the meeting I, again, was very blunt with the principal about what the issue was. I clarified my daughters diagnoses. The principal was rocked to learn what she battles on a daily basis. He agreed she was going to miss school, sometimes in chunks, and shouldn’t be penalized. He then asked the teacher if she violated the 504. Of course she said no. I said yes. She got defensive….
Teacher: What we all need to understand is that THIS is an HONORS Engli…..
I knew where this condescending nonsense was going….
Me: You can play up the snobby honors part all you want. What we ALL need to understand is that 504 plans apply to honors programs, your school doesn’t weigh honors grades for GPA, AND so this means the kids in the honors classes are only there so they don’t get bored in core English.
The principal and the counselor sat in silence staring at me as the teacher looked as though she may cry. Sorry, not sorry. It’s the honest to god truth of the matter. Don’t get all high and mighty thinking I’m uneducated and will accept crap.
In the end, the principal recognized not only the health battles we deal with, and the need to recalculate my daughter’s first term grade, but also the need to be even more specific when we renew her 504 plan in a couple months. He wants a stronger contract regarding her education. He was also good to point out that “it is odd” that all the other teachers supported my daughter’s plan, yet this one didn’t feel the need to apply proper adjustments to her syllabus.
I left this meeting happy. I can’t say the same for this English teacher.
Sometimes teachers that are high on themselves forget that part of their job is setting a kid up for success. Sometimes they forget that there are those of us out there that have no problem advocating for our children. Sometimes they forget that even people whom do not have masters degrees can teach them a thing or two.
Sometimes they just need a refresher lesson.
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