It is amazing what can get a parent to sit up and actually pay attention.
As a team, we have been trying to get Sassy Girl's mother in for a meeting since September. We have scheduled two meetings, where she was a no-show. She received a personal invitation to our second night of conferences and was again a no-show. She has never returned a phone call, and it's a miracle of nature if she actually picks up the phone when you call. She's received three copies of the letter that went out at the end of the first semester indicating that Sassy Girl was - surprise, surprise - failing all five of her academic classes. She never signed and returned the letter. In short, when it comes to parenting, she's missing in action.
So, the other day, when Sassy Girl got mouthy in Mrs. Language's class it was apparently having to do with a disagreement over a dress code violation. Sassy Girl was showing a bit too much cleavage and Ms. Language told her to go to guidance and get something else to wear. At this point Ms. Language was being nice and giving Sassy Girl a chance to avoid a discipline referral by changing her top. Sassy Girl didn't see it that way and she got really sassy and the long and short of it was she ended up in In School Suspension (insert Happy Dance here) for three days.
Well.
We finally heard from Sassy Girl's Mom. She took offense at the fact that her daughter who "was not dressed bad", got in trouble because of a dress code violation. (Well, actually it was her reaction to the dress code violation and her mouth that got her in trouble, but I digress.) She wrote a note on the back of the referral that basically said that we had no business telling her daughter that she was violating dress code.
Eight months we've been trying to get this parent engaged. Eight months. We've been trying to get her to communicate with us about failing grades (and I mean free-fall failing grades) and her daughter's horrid behavior (which is why she has the failing grades - she's perfectly capable should be be so moved to actually try). Not a word. She's ignored us, stood us up, basically disappeared. God forbid she actually talks to us about something that will impact her daughter's life forever.
But oh, Lordy, how dare we say her daughter is flashing her boobs!!! Now that's cause to get pissed.
Good gracious. I hope I have halfway normal parents next year.
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7 comments:
So sad what actually upsets a parent!
Hmmm...It would be interesting to actually MEET with the mother...you know...just to see what she looks like.
I have seen the parents of these kids, and when you meet them, you wonder how the kid turned out as well as she has. The parents are a mess.
I think I have taught Sassy Girl's clone at another school! I also think that all jr hi kids look alike. I'm at my 4th school now and I still see the same kids!
I believe it.
I should tell you about the dresses (handkerchiefs?) some of our high school girls wore to the dance a couple nights ago.
Or about the mother I once saw in the counseling office. I was sitting in a low chair, she was leaning over the counter, and was *not* wearing panties.
Ugh.
I'd venture a guess that mom was incapable of discussing academics--but capable of discussing cleavage.
oh, poor darren!!!
Bluebird, I you have clones of my students and parents at your school. Are they the same everywhere? Do you know how many times a day I have to tell a girl to button up b/c I don't want to see "all their glory." And the only reason is say it is "because I'm jealous."
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