Parent Teacher Consultations. Teachers too busy to contact me. AIBU?!

[WhoUpsetTheEquilibrium]

The PT C’s were two weeks ago. They put clip boards out in the morning, it’s a mad dash to get to them to write down what slot you want. This only works for the parents who aren’t at work that morning.

I’m at uni and I work and I have placements. Suffice to say, I’m rarely at the school so I miss this opportunity. Usually this isn’t a problem, I simply call the school and arrange it with the teacher.

Both teachers (two kids, primary school) offered times that I was in training or at work (I can’t get time off for a 15 minute meeting) and I offer a whole bunch of times and days that I can do. They call back (via the woman in the office) and offer a time I’m at work. Helpful.

Nothing since. I’ve called three times and left messages.
I call this morning about it and about my son being in hysterics again about a maths thing. I mention that no one has contacted me yet and got “Yes that’s becuase they are extremely busy.”
Well them and us both! She sounded pissed off.
AIBU?! I’m getting pissed off now.

But they aren't!
8-4 is a standard day taken up with prepping the room, morning briefings, before school playground duty, after school clubs, meetings etc.
After 430 - unless it's a meeting day so covered by directed time the teacher is not required to be on site. They may (shock horror) be picking their own child up.

I would be around after 430pm.
But I know other colleagues who leave as soon as possible after the bell when it's not meeting nights because they split pickups etc with their partner.

It's the OP's attitude that is the issue. Getting stroppy because someone called on a day that didn't suit them because they didn't attend a parents evening which didn't suit them.
Maybe the teacher's PPA for the week falls on the day OP says she's only ever available after 430. Should she go home and then call that evening frok home because the OP is so important that the world should fit her timetable?

Attitude is everything.

Our TAs prep rooms,there is only one weekly morning briefing and clubs are during the day. There is plenty of time before and after school( parents are always being seen during these times re all sorts of things) and yes our school is also very proactive re chasing unseen parents too.

As a governor expected to have regular meetings with the teacher in charge of the area I'm linked with, I can generally arrange an appointment for that purpose (usually at around 8 a.m, but occasionally at 3.30 or 4.) with no difficulty whatsoever. It's therefore difficult to believe that one teacher really can't find a space for 15 minutes, or even two minutes to call or email OP.

Getting stroppy because someone called on a day that didn't suit them

Well, no, they haven't called, have they? And OP hasn't suggested that the office bod called on a day that didn't suit her. Nor do you know that she's been stroppy with anyone, plenty of people vent on here because they can't do so directly.

because they didn't attend a parents evening which didn't suit them.

OP didn't say the parents' evening didn't suit her, did she? She couldn't attend because they have an utterly stupid system for signing up which doesn't recognise the reality of parents' working lives.

I wonder what all these people who insist on clocking off on the dot think about nurses who stay at work after their shifts are over if they're mid treatment or mid emergency, or just to support a vulnerable patient? Are they all mugs?

She couldn't attend because they have an utterly stupid system for signing up which doesn't recognise the reality of parents' working lives.

Not what she said. She thinks the system is stupid, but she has no intention of going to Parents' Evening, and for the last 7 years has expected the teacher to run round after her, calling her at her convenience. It's plain rude.

on clocking off on the dot think about nurses who stay at work after their shifts are over if they're mid treatment or mid emergency, or just to support a vulnerable patient? Are they all mugs?

When I sign up to give people emergency medical treatment, I will accept that this means sticking around to deal with...you know...emergencies.

The OP's situation was entirely predictable. I'm not sure what was to stop her asking the teacher at any point in the last 6-7 months to call her at their leisure, seeing as she never had any intention of attending on the night set aside for the teacher to discuss her child's progress with her.

GnotherGnu
I don't like the system for signing up.

However she hasn't attended in 7 years and expects school to fit around her. Add into it the attitude that her life and commitments are so important and inflexible that everything must fit around them. That would kill my willingness.

I always try to arrange to contact parents who can't make it (secondary so different set up).
Whilst I am around after 430 so could call then, I would object to being directed to call at certain hours over an hour after the end of the day because someone has decdied that's what they want. What if I had childcare pick ups? Or other commitments which i'm more than entitled to have as it's not my directed time?
Attitude is everything and the OP has got too used to school catering around her.

The system is outdated,shit and doesn't suit working parents. Sorry but as said school haven't taken the time to organise a more updated system they will have to suck up the fall out i.e. teacher returns a call to arrange a suitable time to discuss op's child.

Re 7 years we don't know the details. Quite probably, as many schools do,said school probably over the last 7 years acknowledged working parent restraints and suggested parents/teachers make alternative arrangements to parents evening if a problem. It sounds as if this worked previously and was never a problem. Sounds as if now the op's child has a teacher who doesn't bother to return calls and relies on office staff to run backewards and forwards. Not on.

Sorry but as said school haven't taken the time to organise a more updated system they will have to suck up the fall out i.e. teacher returns a call to arrange a suitable time to discuss op's child.

The teacher isn't the school. The burden of filling gaps left by poor resourcing, planning, inadequate budgets etc., cannot fall on teachers forever. They are leaving.

Teachers have plenty of time to raise issues re things like parents evening and request a better system that costs nothing.

My dc's school sent out slips that came home with child,you highlighted a chunk of time that worked and the teacher gave a time. It was always split over two evenings from 3.30 into evening so working parents could attend. Those doing the school run didn't hog the best times,everybody got the same chance. If you couldn't do either they gladly arranged other times. I know several who did shift work that did arrange other times. Wasn't hard.

Toomanytealights

But the system is not, at the end of the day, their responsibility. If SLT don't or can't put in place a better system, that doesn't mean teachers should have to use their own time, unpaid, to plug the gap.

Parental involvement is so important, a few minutes during a weekly staff meeting discussing a way that would suit all is entirely doable.

Any SLT team not listening to staff and parents to facilitate this quite frankly aren't doing their job properly which is a whole other issue. Most are and would.

Toomanytealights

I don't disagree. It still doesn't mean I can't go home at the end of my working day.

a better system that costs nothing

There is always a cost.

If you couldn't do either they gladly arranged other times. I know several who did shift work that did arrange other times. Wasn't hard

Where did that time come from? See above.

Most parents are already on an email system,can print at home. Those that can't cost the price of a few slips squashed onto A4. Schools are skilled in saving money,pretty sure they could bring those skills to the fore in order to make the most important calendar date of the year workable for all. Most already are.

Because its important for your son, if you can’t get a call back from the teacher, escalate it politely to the head.