Annoyed at son's school

[sneezeybreezey]

Hi,

My son ( 14) is having some issues at school - school are concerned that he is being disruptive in class etc, and affecting the learning of others kids. I am not making excuses for him, but I think that they are too quick to criticise rather than look at what is making him behave like this.

I have contacted the school and have asked for meeting. My work commitment and younger kids etc mean that I am only available to meet at either 7.30am or 5.30pm. Someone from school has called to say that they can't accommodate this as it's outside of their normal hours, and can I make a meeting between 8 and 4.30pm!!

I am not happy - surely they have a duty to support working parents?

Oh dear.

Actually, the more I read this I think it's a wind up, it's so ridiculous.

This could well be a troll, but quite honestly this entitlement is very real, and what teachers (me included!) put up with regularly. I haven't had time to RTFT, but am I right in thinking the OP hasn't returned?

It's a very common thing - we've had complaints that parents' evenings aren't held from 12-2pm, that they're from 3.30pm, that they're from 4.45pm, they don't start until 5pm and depending upon the start time that they've finished at 5.30, 6.30, 7.30, 8.45 and on one occasion that I switched all the lights off other than the ones leading to the exit at 9.25pm where they were enjoying a chat with some other parents over the free teas since the meetings finished at 8.30.

See also agreeing to a 7.10am appointment only to have them at the door kicking off at the cleaners by 6.25am and then waiting in the car park to tailgate in on foot and see what vehicle the staff member got out of and the 7.30am appointment where the parent turned up at 9.12am wondering why the staff member wasn't available. And, of course the 'how dare you hold a parents' evening remotely, you're all just government stooges promulgating the Covid lies as a means of separating us from our sovereign rights over our children by not letting us to cough all over your older members of staff' and 'we always need at least 30 minutes per teacher, how dare you restrict it to five minutes apiece and CUT US OFF if we attempt to overrun like we do in person' ones, too.

Can't bloody win.

Having worked in Education settings, I am 100% certain this is true. The entitlement is STRONG with some parents. Really fucking strong

Remember when you were a child and thought teachers lived in school? When you couldn’t imagine them being anything other than your teacher?

well sadly some parents still seem to be in that mindset and can’t fathom that their child’s teacher dares have a life outside school.