New recruit teacher is inadequate

I know how tax works in the States Math, we are never going to agree. Your tax does not give you a right to dictate policy to the school also: " Students report home that their university freshman year biology courses were a breeze thanks to the excellent teacher they had when they were 14." Doesn't say much about the course content at US universities at undergraduate level does it? They come out top in the rankings, but that's mainly to do with post grad work and U.S universities cherry pick from the rest of the world there.

I will admit that parental discussion/input is needed, never said otherwise, but I will be vociferous in my opinion that parents should not "dictate" school policy.

Tax is not a pay in, get out system, its far more complicated than that, and you are well aware of it.

I agree with mathanxiety's response to this. In addition, in some US states, there is a separate school tax (which is also an ad valorem property tax) that goes directly to the schools.

How do you know how change comes about in organisations? Responding to client feedback is a very mainstream approach to honing your product.

Okay, now I know the OP is winding us up.

In the US, local property taxes pay for the public schools. There is also a state subsidy.

It absolutely is a pay in and get out system. Rateable property values are the basis for the local taxes. Property values remain high in School Districts where schools are excellent. People move to good School Districts in order to send their children to the schools. They have a stake in the community remaining graffiti free, petty crime free, and in the reputation of the school upon which their property values depend.

The teachers are paid well above the going rate. This is because the community wants to attract the best and is willing to pay the high taxes that support that sort of investment. Most of my children's teachers have at least a masters degree. Many hold PhDs. They are respected as long as the school keeps on sending students to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc,. year after year, as long as the weakest students are pushed as hard as possible and remain in school productively, and go on to either jobs or further ed courses, and as long as students report home that their university freshman year biology courses were a breeze thanks to the excellent teacher they had when they were 14.

Indeed your life chances can be ruined in the US by a poor maths teacher from age 12 to 14. Students intending to go to universities have to do core courses in English, maths, science, humanities and language. None of those can be dropped as they can in the UK. When high schools stream students in maths (which they do by means of assessments the year before you enroll) they often peg science to the level of maths. So students in the lowest maths levels do not get to do the honours courses in science either. There are lots of second rate universities that will take most applicants, including those with mediocre grades and those who have not done honours courses in high school. But if you want to get a job after university or go on to grad school, students need to apply for better schools.

You will want to get a job afterwards or go on to grad school, since the loans you take out to spend four years at a second rate university at a cost of perhaps $40k+ per year come due six months after graduation for you just as they come due for those who have borrowed to pay for their third level education in an excellent, very selective institution whose graduates are virtually assured of a job. Whether you make $10 an hour working in a supermarket after university or $70K a year you have to repay those loans after graduation. There is no income threshold.

"high property taxes are paid and there is a very reasonable expectation of a return for that money in the form of a high school with a well earned reputation for excellent results for all students."

Tax is not a pay in, get out system, its far more complicated than that, and you are well aware of it.

Want better results? Pay teachers more, respect the profession, don't teacher bash on public forums. The aspersions which are cast on teachers on here are awful.

Finally almost all of the research shows that your school/teachers etc etc have very little influence on your life chances, know what is the major influence by far? Parents, making remarks like "life chances ruined by a bad teacher between 12-14" are hyprbolic and a flawed post hoc argument tbf.

But the relationship between a school and a parent is not one of provider and customer. It is far more collaborative than that, there is no "sale" but a joint end goal, and the drive to see the relationship as such is a major failing in what is going on in modern education.

In a customer/provider relationship it is down to the provider to deliver the customers needs in order to ensure customer satisfaction. In a school it is possible to broadly do that, and to attend to very specific needs, but it is not possible to guarentee that in the customer will be satisfied. It involves a great deal more flexibility than the traditional customer/service provider relationship, and to cast it as such is inherently wrong.

In the fairly extreme cases above there is need for intervention, on this thread math many people were suggesting to the OP that calling for the head of a teacher two weeks into term, whilst throwing terms such as "moron" about was a bit OTT. She then comes back and says she and she alone has identified and glaring curriculum flaw which she is now (with messanic zeal) going to fix, it all sounds a bit odd, no?

And thinking about it. Your original post only mentioned the teacher being inadequate. Where did the poor curriculum idea even come from? That wasn't even mentioned until after your meeting with the head

I have a question - how come the new teachers lack of subject knowledge has morphed into an inadequate curriculum?? What was the teacher from last year doing? Did he/she teach the inadequate curriculum and the incorrect subject knowledge or not teach the curriculum and teach the correct subject knowledge?

My children attend and have attended schools, both public and private where the attitude most certainly was one of provider and customer.

In both schools, one private and one public, the idea that he who pays the piper calls the tune is respected.

What if every parent wants different things, so you have upto 30 'tunes'. By all means say stuff, but to dictate is ridiculous.

That is why small groups of parents get together and present a united front.

It starts with a few parents unhappy with the fact that students from the private elementary school get placed in remedial or lowest streams in maths in all the high schools they attend, even those getting As in maths. From the grumbling a group forms. Much discussion goes on behind the admin's back, approaches are made to the school board members who are parents, and finally the administration becomes aware that a parents' maths committee has been formed. [True story, btw].

Or a group of African American parents suspects that black students are not getting a fair shake in the high school and get together to present proposals for a wide range of changes that they hope will result in less detention of black students, more enthusiastic encouragement by teachers of black students in honours classes, the hiring of more African American teachers, inclusion of more African American history courses and novels in literature courses, a spoken word poetry group, etc.

The pressure groups are well aware that the majority of parents are ambivalent or don't want to get involved or are even happy with their students' progress. But those pushing for change do not have to have all the parents behind them. All they need is a united front and a coherent set of proposals.

Dictation is not the right word for this. It is holding administrations accountable for their actions to those who pay the salaries of the administrators. In the case of the elementary school, fees are paid and parents expect results, not to see their students' life chances ruined by a bad teacher from age 12 to 14. In the case of the high school, high property taxes are paid and there is a very reasonable expectation of a return for that money in the form of a high school with a well earned reputation for excellent results for all students.

This thread is epic!!!

"How do you know how change comes about in organisations? Responding to client feedback is a very mainstream approach to honing your product."

In an industry where the relationship is customer and provider yes, but following extensive market research, not one or two customers complaining.

Its not a customer/provider relationship though is it, and if you see it as one, then your view is deeply flawed.

BoboChic It's perfectly usual for parents to raise concerns about the quality of teaching with a school.

Fully agree.

Is it also perfectly usual for parents to change the curriculum for a school when the head is not able/willing to?

How do you know how change comes about in organisations? Responding to client feedback is a very mainstream approach to honing your product.

Coming from a family of a number of heads I can tell you that it isn't 'usual' for parents to dictate to the school on who can and can't teach etc

Schools change subject curricula and teachers all the time.

Not usually due to maybe unreasonable pressure from parents!

I'm really interested in all these perfect schools with perfect management and perfect transparency at all times wink. So much outrage at what seem to me quite small communication issues with straightforward resolution are giving rise to so much outrage on this thread - lucky all of you whose schools are so impeccable

I see we have now moved onto sarcasm

It isn't a 'small communication problem' though is it as according to your pp it is going to involve completely changing the curriculum and removing a teacher!

I'm really interested in this imperfect school with hopeless teacher, flawed curriculum and a HT who doesn't understand what is going on until a parent points it out to him and who can't get the MD to listen to him, anyway (I wonder why?...). Lucky school to have you to sort it out, OP.

Good insight Wonder

"the idea that he who pays the piper calls the tune is respected."

Maybe in some private schools Math, in many others you would be given short shrift if you came in saying you want XYZ changed because you disagree with it.I'm thinking here of the most prestigious public schools in the country!

I really hate the idea of education being customer service, it seems to be heading more that way, there is an element of it of course. However it is far more collaborative than a customer and service provider exchange and needs to be recognised as so.

Although in this case, I don't think the OP would actually like a strong, effective and resourceful HT, as then the OP would have less influence over the curriculum (which the OP apparently had a massive influence on 5 years ago, too - alas, she didn't notice these flaws, then...).

... probably not to have much say in finance, either... maybe the HT is also disenchanted at their lack of influence. OP might be looking for a new HT soon, too!