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I'd like to get some replies from teachers who can maybe relate to what we're going through; I'm really not sure that I should be criticizing my daughter's teacher, and maybe I'm making too big a deal of this, but ...
My daughter is in Grade 2. She has gone to the same school since kindergarten, and has always received good 'grades' ... never Exceptional but always Meeting Expectations or Beginning To Meet Expectations; can't remember what the lowest level is called, but she's never been there!
In September of this year, we were contacted by the school and informed that because her reading is only at a level 5, and they'd like her to be at level 20, that she was a candidate for a reading resource program. This program has been great. She leaves the classroom 3 days a week for about an hour, and gets one-on-one assistance with a teacher (who happens to be an acquaintance of mine). Her reading absolutely took off in about November, right around the time of our first parent-teacher interview, and both the teacher and the resource teacher told us that they were very happy with her progress. At this interview, no other difficulties were apparent, and her report card was good.
Last Tuesday, my daughter came home with 10 pages of homework and said she had to have it all done to hand in the next day. This from a teacher who had said he doesn't believe in homework! Until then, she'd had a weekly spelling list, brought home on Mondays, to practice 10 words for a test on Fridays. Occasionally, I was put off by some of the spelling words - 'chrysanthemum' in particular - but it was a 'bonus' word and I assumed kind of a 'just for fun' thing. So anyway, Tuesday night we did homework for an hour and then a half-hour again Wed a.m. to get it finished. I contacted the teacher on Wed a.m. by fax, just asking him to confirm that this 10 page assignment was due overnight, and told him I wasn't sure that my daughter always understood what was expected of her. He called me back, and said that 6 of the 10 pages were assigned on Monday, and due Thursday (much better!) The other 4 pages were work that she hadn't completed in class, and it was due the next day. I told him that I wasn't making excuses for her, but that she has just turned 7, and she is a 'young' 7, and he said he didn't realize that, and that sometimes parents ask him whether Nov-Dec babies should be held back a year; He tells them that he can always tell the kids that have been held back, because they do better grade-level work when they are at the older end of the spectrum. My daughter was 4 when she started kindergarten, tho she turned 5 by Dec 31. He said, You of course didn't have the option to hold her back. I said, Well I never even considered it. Then he said, Did you have her then? When did you get her? and I told him we'd adopted her as a baby. Oh well, he said, I misunderstood, I thought she was a foster child. Which made me wonder about some of the other things we've experienced with him:
- At the parent-teacher interview in Nov, we talked about the library in the classroom, and he said every day the kids can pick out a new book to take home. My daughter was bringing home the same book for an entire week. I told him, she is shy enough that she won't pick out a book on her own. Could you help her and suggest books at her level? and he said, I don't have time. I'm too busy dealing with the problem kids at the end of the day.
- My daughter has occasionally complained that she missed recess because she had to stay inside to finish her work, and that the reason she couldn't do her work was that 'xxx' who is an autistic child, integrated into the classroom with a full time assistant, was screaming.
My question to teachers and/or more experienced parents!!!
- Is this teacher overwhelmed by large class size (he has 24 kids, including 2 who have full time assistants) to the point that he can't devote ANY time to a child like mine who needs a little extra attention?
- Is there any possibility that this teacher, who assumed that she was a foster child, didn't see any point in helping her, if she was maybe only temporary? Is there some prejudice here?
Sorry I know this is a little big rambling and probably raises more questions than what anyone can answer! but I'd sure love some input.
Incidentally, I was a Dec baby who was never held back! and in fact could've been promoted a grade when I was 10 but my mom vetoed that. I am very convinced that my daughter is very capable of continuing to proceed thru grade levels, she is not in danger of failing or anything. I'm just concerned I think with the attitude of this teacher, who doesn't seem able to give my child the tiniest bit of attention.
Babs
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Hi Babs,
I am not a teacher and I sincerely hope you don't mind my opinion on this.
It's obvious your daughter is struggling in school. It's very obvious you love your daughter and want the best education for her. I can't answer why the teacher didn't let you know of the problem 2 weeks ago and I'd be aggravated by that too.
Maybe if you had your daughter put back into the 2nd grade it would put her in a class with children either her age or a little younger. As she would be an older kid in the class her self-esteem would increase as she would obviously be a little ahead of the other children (unless it would be the classroom with the same teacher as last year).
This is 2 years in a row that you have been unhappy with the teachers. Maybe it's time to research other schooling options for your daughter. My friend's son did not do well in public school. She moved him to a Christian School where they work at their own pace and he is excelling like you wouldn't believe! It could be that your daughter is struggling because the pace is too fast in her current school setting.
The third choice is to homeschool her. That way you would be on top of everything she is learning and you would be able to give her the extra attention she needs in subject she has trouble with.
Best of luck to you. I know you only want what is best for your daughter.
Michelle
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Thanx for the quick reply
I've been pacing between the computer and the dining room table, where dd is tackling her math homework;
since I posted, hubby has come home and is equally surprised by this new development coming so quickly after a favourable parent-teacher interview;
his opinion is, if they don't have time to teach it at school, then we'll teach it at home
Admirable! but I don't really feel equipped!
Wouldn't/couldn't consider homeschooling. I don't have the background or patience, honestly! No such thing as a private school where we live! There IS a popular Christian School here, haven't investigated that at all (yet - it IS an option)
DD is much younger than most of her classmates - her best friend is 6 months younger but a grade behind; when I see the 2 of them together, I do see that dd would be a leader rather than a follower if she were to repeat grade 2. I guess if the assessment offers that as an option, we'll consider it.
I'm just taking deep breaths, preparing for the next step, hoping to listen to / factor in teacher's needs as well as ours, seeking the best solution.
Incidentally, dd's grade 2 teacher is currently a hero in her eyes and ours; she talks about him constantly and misses him. She did improve so much in the second half of grade 2. I was actually hoping last June that she would be assigned to a GR 2/3 split with him as teacher, but that didn't happen.
So maybe this little intervention will prove to be beneficial for everyone this time too.
I just wish it didn't come as such a shock. And I'm grateful for this forum that allows us to vent! and gain insight from the impartial observers who've been there, done that ...
I'm a former special ed. teacher, but I am now teaching kindergarten. Not knowing your daughter or the specifics, I think it's worth an evaluation. I'm hearing lots if different things here, and it seems like it's a good idea. In order for a district to really support a child who requires extra assistance, you need to jump through a lot of hoops and have evaluations done.
How is it that your daughter is so much younger than the other kids? (If I may ask)
I am talking myself into being accepting/positive about the assessment.
I am still just curious ?! as to why the teacher didn't bring this up at very recent parent-teacher interview; and also wondering / convincing myself that this is the route the teacher must go in order to access resource teachers.
I would welcome a resource teacher, one-on-one, to help my daughter 'get' math. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I saw the light go on for her reading skills. At the parent-teacher interview, I made a point of saying how much I appreciated Ms XXX and how she helped our daughter.
In response to your post jenni - I no doubt exaggerated her being 'much' younger than her classmates. She is an October baby, started kindergarten at age 4 (and turned 5 that October). I know there are lots of kids who start kindergarten at 4. But I also see that two of ***'s best friends are in the same grade and will turn 9 in December, where *** has just turned 8 in Oct. Makes them a year apart yet in the same grade; I've talked to their parents, they made a choice when their kids were 4 to hold them back. I didn't second guess my decision when dd was 4; I do sometimes question it now.
Hubby is almost reluctant to sign the permission slip for the assessment. He wants to talk to the teacher and request more time to work with her ourselves, ie nightly homework.
Myself, I'm thinking now that the teacher is simply doing what she needs to do to access extra resource assistance with her caseload. Sorry if I'm not being pc. I just recall that ***'s teacher last year said he 'didn't have time...' and I think I'm seeing the same thing this year.
I quizzed dd tonight - I asked her 'Do you ask the teacher when you need help with your work?" and she said, "Well, sometimes I'm too scared and sometimes she's too busy"
I really am OK with her having a resource assistant; I'm just not OK with this coming somewhat out of the blue, and am wondering if there is a hidden agenda here.
I'm not confrontational at all!!! and I'm not looking to start an argument or a cause.
If the teacher had told us at the interview, *** would benefit from having one-on-one assistance but the school board doesn't see a need to hire the required resource teachers, then I might have jumped on the bandwagon freely and insisted on policy change.
If the teacher had told us at the interview, *** needs to do x amount of homework a night to keep up, then I might have jumped on the bandwagon freely and committed to a homework policy.
But, there's been NO homework sent home since school started at the end of August til the p/t interview on Nov 10. Until then, I'd just happily assumed that schoolwork was being done on school time.
I'm just wondering why this all came up in the last 10 days.
This phone call has just blown me away and I'm a little stressed about it!
Hubby thinks we should just talk to the teacher before signing permission slip for assessment.
I don't really have a problem with the assessment but I think I might be unable to talk honestly to the teacher right now, cause I'm a little upset at this turn of events.
Myself, I'm thinking now that the teacher is simply doing what she needs to do to access extra resource assistance with her caseload. Sorry if I'm not being pc. I just recall that ***'s teacher last year said he 'didn't have time...' and I think I'm seeing the same thing this year.
Not to defend the teacher, but that may be the only way the teacher can get help for your daughter. It sounds like the class is large. Assuming they should all get an equal share of the attention, what if there were a few other kids that needed significant amounts of extra help? Unfortunately most schools are cheap, and will only pay for additional services with tons of documentation to support it. The longer you wait for an evaluation, the harder it is to do in the future, and you can't get back those critical years when there's no real stigma to go to resource room. I have a friend that fought for years with our district to get support for her daughter. Now that she finally got it for her, the child refuses to go because she thinks she will be teased.
As for the teacher's actions in relaying information to you, well, let's just say that's not what I would do. In plain English, it sounds like it was unprofessional and I, as a parent, would wonder how this could be missed. You have a right to ask that. However, it sounds like your daughter needs more support than the classroom teacher can give her. It's wonderful that you want to work with her at home, and I strongly encourage that, but perhaps there's other things going on besides not getting enough attention.
I've talked to their parents, they made a choice when their kids were 4 to hold them back. I didn't second guess my decision when dd was 4; I do sometimes question it now.
This is a sore spot for me. Every year, I see tons of kids get held back for various non-academic reasons, and most of the time it only hurts the kids who are actually at grade level. There are clearly some who should be held back, if they are immature for example, but I have seen kids held back for things as "major" as wanting them to have an advantage playing sports. It's unfair, and in at least one district around here, creates a culture where people *have* to hold their kids back to be with their peers, even if they are supposed to be a grade ahead. Stepping of the soapbox now, sorry.
In any case, it sounds like you are carefully considering your daughter's situation, and that's wonderful. Don't feel bad bothering the teacher or the school with questions (although you really can't ask the teacher about other children). You're paying for the education after all. Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions that you would rather not post for the world to see.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thanx, Jenn, for your input.
I am feeling better today about all this! hoping that this process will simply get my daughter back to the resource teacher that helped her with reading. I know dd isn't stupid and I know she can learn this; she just needs extra help that the teacher can't offer.
I'm still disappointed in how this came about, but not disappointed enough to become the kind of parent that teachers hate.
I'm going to go along with this, assuming we are all looking for the best result.
When I talked to dd about this last night, and said that she would be interviewed and that the school was going to find someone to help her learn better, she said, Like the commercial? (They've been advertising Sylvan Learning Centres here recently - don't know if that is a US thing or Canadian) but she was pretty excited about being like the little girl who used to hate math, but now likes it because she 'gets it'.
I think she'll 'get it'.
Thanx again,
Babs
OK, a week after dd took our signed permission for assessment to her teacher, I phoned the school psychologist (their brochure does say that parents can call him anytime). He told me he was a little backlogged, as he had received 8 requests in one day, then gave us an appointment on Dec 6. I asked him what the procedure would be, he said, I meet with the parents, then with the teacher, then with the child. OK.
When I arrived for Mon appointment, he greeted me with 'I had the pleasure of meeting with your daughter this morning'. Then, "It was kind of neat walking into the classroom, because there are 8 kids there that I've worked with before'. He says, 'Your daughter is a beautiful girl'.
So we sit in his office, he has a pad of paper, writes down mine and hubby's names, then asks, 'Are you the biological mother' I shake my head, about to answers, he suggests 'Stepmother? Adopted Mother?' and I say, 'We adopted **, yes'.
He asks about siblings, I say, She has a brother and sister that remain with the birthmom, it is an open adoption and we do have contact, so ** will definitely tell you she has a brother and sister, but of course they don't live with us.
So then we get to the subject of the paperwork that hubby and I must complete. Questionaires, where our answers about **'s learning will be compared with the teacher's observations. The very first form, 'Parent Questionnaire' is headed with Child's Name ___ Date of Birth ___ Adopted Yes/No
Hmmmm... I say to him, I have never seen a questionaire with that heading! And he laughs and says, We had that drawn up especially for you (saying it like he was joking, but ??)
So I gather up all these papers, and ask him, "Is the end result of this possibly that ** will be assigned a resource teacher to help her with math" and he answers, "Well that's out of my hands, I can't comment on that'.
I left with as many questions as I've had all along, but decide to do the paperwork and continue along. One form is basic medical history, nothing abnormal here. Then there are two multiple choice type things, listing different behaviours and asking for a response of "never", "sometimes", "occasionally" and "almost always". Things like bedwetting, swearing, throwing up, threatening to kill someone, saying I Hate Myself, .... a whole myriad of awful things that thankfully I could honestly answer "never" to!!! It made me realize how lucky I am to have this beautiful, healthy child.
I completed the forms and where it asked for my concerns for **, I wrote "I just feel that she needs a little one-on-one attention to bring her skills up'
** told me that Mr. B. came to see her again at school the next day. I asked what they talked about, she said, we did some adding and some taking away, and I drew a picture of my pets.
I'm back to thinking that this assessment is a result fo the teacher noticing some things (lack of focus, solemn expression) as being symptomatic of some disorders. Friends and family tell me that they think a teacher probably has a responsibility to notify someone if they think something might be wrong.
I guess I'm OK with that, because I do think this assessment will show no psychological difficulties with **. And of course if she DID have a disability, I would move heaven and earth to ensure that she receives all she needs.
I'm still a little freaked about this process, though. How often does a questionaire started off with 'Adopted: Yes/No'. How often does an interview start with, Are you the biological mother?
Never happened before, even with a new doctor. I always have to tell them that we adopted.
Well, I'm back to 'Wait and See'. The pamphlet on School Psychologists also invites parents to contact 'specialists' at their school, so I believe I will likely phone the resource teacher who helped ** last year, just to find out if there IS resource assistance for math as there is for spelling and reading. We do know this resource teacher personally/socially as well, so I will make sure I tell her that I understand if she can't talk to me because of conflict issue or anything.
I'm hoping this is all mountain-out-of-molehill thing, and that end result will be beneficial to everyone.
Babs
An update - if only for myself - !
Hubby and I met with school psychologist and teacher this week. End result = dd falls absolutely in 'average' and 'normal' ranges in every test conducted; somewhat below standard grade 3 levels, but with age factoring, all results still within acceptable norms.
The psychologist advised teacher to ensure that ** understands what is required, with eye level contact, and asking ** to repeat the instructions. He has determined that her learning style is more 'hands on' than in verbal/listening. She ranks 77th percentile in visual/motor; and ranges 21 - 40th in pretty much everything else.
I have of course been concerned about this evaluation for some time - have taken lots under advisement, was somewhat prepared to listen and/or do battle. As it was, I mostly listened. He had some good advice for both the teacher and for us.
I was relieved to have vanquished any animosity toward the teacher. She really only was doing what she thought she must do; she saw some problematic areas and no doubt is obligated to report them. When the pyschologist stressed that there is absolutely no ADD or true learning difficulty, the teacher looked at me directly and apologized. And I was able to quickly assure her that I absolutely understood. We are fine.
I did however decide to bring up one thing from my internal ! list of concerns, and acknowledging that ** can be easily distracted and lose focus, asked about her desk placement in the classroom; ie that it appeared that she was at the farthest corner from the teacher's desk, and was it possible that some of the distraction problems could be that the special needs kids were placed between ** and the teacher; and she had kind of a guilty expression on her face! when she said that actually, when she gives the class instructions, she stands in the area directly in front of **, so ** is certainly able to see and hear the teacher; however, she said, she did have a "problem" boy seated next to **, because this boy's behaviour was so much improved when he sits next to **, that he likes her and that she is a good influence on him. As I allowed myself a moment of pride ! for my caring, sensitive child, the teacher said she WOULD separate them, because his needs were causing my ** difficulty.
I am very relieved. I am very proud of my daughter. I believe that we and her teacher now all have a better understanding of where we're at.
Average, normal, ...
Babs
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Good for you, Babs! This whole process was probably more beneficial than you realize and, if anything, makes you see more of her positives than you did before. I have been through this process myself with my 9 yo for the past 3 years beginning in 1st grade and each year they explain that, yes, he is behind but "well within the normal range". I used to say, "Well, what does that mean exactly?" but it turns out to be a huge positive. I remember filling out the questionnaire as well and the teacher filled one out and we compared them before we met with the doctor and we both decided to give Jeremy a big hug for being such a "wonderful kid". He fit none of the ratings except for "difficulty with focusing" and "understanding directions". I did see the categories of "violence", "lying", "problems with authority", etc. and felt that at least he is trying his hardest.
The said thing is that when these kids are NOT a behavior problem, they can easily be lost because they are so loving and compliant. I continue to make sure to partner with his teacher EARLY and this has worked wonders. He is in a private school and, unfortunately, they are not required to work with a child who has a learning disability but fortunately for me, every teacher has gone above and beyond to ensure that he reaches his full potential. I have even had 2 of the teachers tutor him after school AND draft tests specifically for him! They have been a godsend.
Hang in there and good luck! Unfortunately, you may have to go through the process again in a couple of years if she falls behind again. As a teacher myself, this is a good thing because certain "disabilities" may not be fully diagnosed until they are older and at least there will be a record of concern from before that documents that she does not have behavior issues, but learning difficulties. Someone else may be able to see what the first test may not discover OR certain difficulties may come with more of the indicators towards a certain disability. (Does that make sense?) My advice, continue to encourage her, hug her a lot and continue on the journey with her. If she's at least got you, then she got everything, right? :D
Hi Babs, I just read your update and the results of the evaluation. Congrats! It is so obvious you love your daughter very much. Sometimes when there is an issue, or something our children are having trouble with, it is hard for parents to see it. We aren't trained professionals and it doesn't take much for a parent to become defensive for our children, as you've learned. I've been there, done that... got the t-shirt (still waiting for the coffee mug)! :-) We have 2 kids, both adopted. Our dd is 8-1/2 and math is her weakness as well. In reading she is above average for our school district AND the nation. (Yes, I am a proud mommy!) She has some minor difficulties at times, but generally is a typical little girl. She is a young child in that her birthday is in June, so most of her friends will be 9 before school is out, and she'll turn 9 during the summer. Our school district won't let a child begin school unless they are AT LEAST 5 yrs. old by August 1st. I know a lot of parents that hold their kids back from starting kindergarten for many reasons (the "bigger for sports" reason really, REALLY bugs me!). Try to remember that most of the kids in your dd's class are a year older than she is, and some are probably 2 yrs. older, so her level of playing field may not be quite even. Our ds is just about 7 and has severe mental disabilities. We've filled out the same questionare you did, several times (and you do NOT want to know what our answers were for the questions that horrified you! lol). He is in 1st grade and is mainstreamed in class about 50% of his day... the rest of his day he is in his Special Ed class. He has a para professional with him at all times during his day. If he was too much of a distraction for his teacher he wouldn't be in that class. In fact, the times when he just can't participate (i.e. reading, math), that's when he is in his SE class. What I am trying to say is that special needs kids need to be mainstreamed (not always), and do have the right to be. You mentioned a few different times about the special needs kids in your dd's class and thought perhaps because of these kids the teachers didn't have time for your daugther. The aide's are there to be the extra support and attention these kids need. Yes, teachers do spend extra time on special needs kids, but not to the extent you might think. Homework is a tough thing for us because I was really bad at doing MY homework, so trying to teach my kids to do it every day is a challenge for me. Each year the kids get more and more homework and if they don't learn early HOW to study, and have a good study habit, it will only make it more difficult for them each year. I'm constantly learning... that's what being a parent is all about, right? Good luck with the rest of this school year. It isn't always easy dealing with school district's and trying to keep an open mind to what our kids "might" be going through, or need help with. Having this place to vent and get answers is awesome and I'm glad I found it! FYI... The psychologist for our school district is worthless. He evaluated our son a couple of years ago and the report he handed us made us wonder WHO he assessed, because it certainly wasn't OUR kid! LOL! Having a psychologist you like, and feel comfortable with, is a great thing! Peace!
Another update -
After the evaluation was complete, things went back to normal - except that mid-Feb, I noticed that no math homework was coming home and dd assured me that she was getting it done in class. I know, I know, I should've questioned it. About two days later, math homework came home, she was 12 pages behind. Improving on adding and subtracting, struggling with multiplying; and now they've moved on to division, and she is just NOT there.
So 2 days before school let out for a weeklong break in Feb, I phoned the school and asked if the teacher could call me when she had time. She called back within 2 hours, and I told her, I think *** still needs some extra help with math, is there not a resource teacher we could have her see? And the teacher said, Actually, I am going to have to send another student for resource assistance, so maybe they could go together'. I said, Yes, please, please; she did so well with resource assistance for reading, she & we have absolutely no problem with going for resource assistance.
So the second day back to school after their break, I asked dd if she was going to a resource teacher for help with math. Yes, she says, me and *** (who is a good little friend of hers!) go every day. How is it, I ask? I like it, she says.
Well!!! Was that so tough!!!
It's only been a week, so I'm not going to say we've experienced a miracle. I'm just glad she's getting the extra help we knew she needed in Nov, and sorry that we had to go thru all this to get it.
Babs
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Hi Babs... I am an elementary school teacher in Texas... I am currently teaching 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade students who are at risk of failing MATH... I previously taught 3rd grade for 6 years...
I am very glad to see that it seems as if though your daughter is making some progress... hopefully she will make a complete turn around with that little extra boost... Are you currently working with her basic math facts? I know that in Texas they are a MUST to knowin order to be successful... the curriculum is sooooo different than what I was used to at that age... in 3rd grade, I was teaching GEOMETRY... that's something I didn't learn until 5th grade! I will also say that 3rd grade is one of the most difficult years... 2nd is more like a repeat of 1st, you just take the basic concepts a little farther... in 3rd you are teaching MANY, MANY new concepts (i.e. multiplication, division, geometry, etc.)
I will be the first to say that 27 children in a self contained classroom is WAY too many! Texas has a law that there can be no more than 23. I can't immagine! This in NO WAY excuses the teacher's complete lack of concern and notification to you! To me what they have done BOTH years is completely unethical and an injustice to you and your child! If the teacher has aides, then he should be utilizing them! They do not just have to work with their handicapped child... true the handicapped child is their first priority, but trust me, there are many minutes a day that they could help the teacher out!
As far as them talking to you about holding your child back, that is something that is done here, too! In fact in order to start school a child must be 5 y.o. by Aug. 1st (in Texas). My son for instance was born on June 28th and we have decided to hold him back a year becuase of his age. If you think about it, I don't care how smart your child is, if they are one of the young ones, they are being asked to compete with children that are approximately 1 year older than them (i.e. a child born in August 28 would be 10 months ahead of my child academically. He is being required to do what a child 1 year older is being asked to do) There is a HUGE difference in what they are able to do... most of the time these children are seen as immature, etc. We have decided to hold my son who is now 2 1/2 because I don't wan thim to have to deal with the ridicule, etc... That was just intended as insight into why this is done... I would never want him to feel inadequate or like someone who is immature...
Another thing that I didn't see mentioned here is a 504 Modification Plan. I'm not sure if your daughter would have a "hanicapping" contition to qualify for this, but I would certainly check into it! ADD/ ADHD, Iren, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia ... and many more to list would qualify her. What a 504 does is MAKES the teacher (it's a law that will follow her into college if the need be) give her modified tests, extended time to complete assignments, oral testing... etc....
I truly wish you the best of luck, and if I can be of ANY assistance to you, please feel free to contact me on or off of the boards! Hope I made things "clear as mud"...LOL .... Kara
It looks like many teachers have already answered this post but I thought I would add my two-cents worth. I hardly ever assign homework. I personally think kids are kids and should be allowed to remain kids. NCLB pressures districts who pressure the principal who pressures the teachers. And believe it or not, the parents also demand more homework. Yet, I still refuse to give it more than once every two or three weeks. My son had an idiot teacher who gave tons (2 hours worth) of pointless homework each night AND believed that my son (3rd grade) should and could read 2000-5000 pages a quarter. I yanked him from that class in record time. Data shows that if kids are with an ineffective teacher/s for 3 years, they just simply do not catch up. I am not teacher bashing but the honest to god's truth is "Idiots can be found everywhere...including in front of the classroom." If you don't get anywhere, change classes to a teacher who's philosphy matches your own. Frankly, you are the frontline of defense for your child and NO ONE in that school will advocate for her the way you would. If push comes to shove and you do decide to move her, hold your ground. The administrator may not like it but she/he will get over it.