If I order a pizza, and it's late, I call the branch. I talk to an employee, and they pass me onto a manager who deals with my issue and offers a discount next time etc. I would not contact head office.
If I am in Tesco and an offer doesn't go through the till, I go to customer service. I would not contact head office.
In most walks of life, people complain to the next one up in the chain of command.
So why is this not true with parents and schools? Why do most parents on MN seem to go straight to the head teacher rather than talking to the teacher directly? Doesn't the teacher deserve the right to defend/ explain his/her actions?
In my experience, if a parent goes to the head, then the head tells the staff off. The head rarely listens to the staff member explaining their side. This works well for parents, I suppose, but maybe the member of staff has a reason...?
So, when parents have an issue with a teacher, why can't they just tell them?