To ask school staff whether they can share this info re a teacher?

[thenasdo]

Am hoping there's some posters on here who work in schools and could shed some light on what may be going on.

DD is in Year 10, she has had the same form teacher since she started Year 7. She has always liked said teacher, and teacher makes special effort to get to know each student and support them if they have anything going on. The past few months DD has had a few issues with a group, ostracizing and bullying her.

Said teacher has been a great support to DD, while pastoral care in the school have brushed her off. Pastoral care seems to think that by Year 10 DD should be coping herself and they are still caught up helping the new Year 7's adjust. DD has only been able to cope going into school becuase this teacher offers her a safe space to go to at lunchtimes and talks to her etc.

However since Monday last week the teacher hasn't been in. The form has had a string of subsitutes. Other staff are being shifty about the teacher's absense and there seems to be some deliberate secrecy. She still has her name up on the school's website so it doesn't look as though she's been sacked. I am quite concerned though as this teachher has been DD's only source of support within the school.

If I were to contact the school and ask why she hasn't been in, would I be likely to get an answer?

OP yabsu here.

Why do you think you have any right to know anything about a teachers personal life?

Perhaps she is just ill!!

I am a TA in a secondary school, of course they won't tell you why she is not in, would you want your personal info divulged to anyone who rings up? Our examinations officer was off sick long term and we weren't told why until she told us herself.
Also school websites are not undated nightly

Good grief. Look past the end of your nose, please.

Eh, no!

Other staff are being shifty about the teacher's absense and there seems to be some deliberate secrecy

Oh my.

Examples please?

Shifty?

There's no reason for you to know why she's off. It's not relevant.

If your DD needs support, talk to them about that. Otherwise keep your beak out.

I was a teacher for 13 years. I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with gossip about my personal life anymore; I love my not teaching life.

What would go on the card? Well, how about "thinking of you, love from X"?

I'm a teacher and had a week and a half off sick this week as I was medically signed off thanks to tonsillitis and glandular fever. I would be furious if a parent took it upon themselves to ask my co workers what was wrong with me. It's no ones business, I'm sure the teacher will be back and I'm sure your DD can talk to someone else.

This is why I left teaching...Some parents think they own you.

Oh and also I came back to 4 students who all needed to share problems with me as I am a mentor to several students. They still were able to wait until I was back!

No. They will not tell you and rightly so. Even other staff are not allowed to ask why a member of staff is off. So they may not know.

So, would it be OK for the poster's child to send a card to the teacher c/o the school for them to forward, do you think?

No , leave the poor woman alone .

She's probably off ill.
Staff can't share details of a colleagues absence with a parent - it'd be grossly unprofessional.
It could be stress, it's an increasingly harsh job - and she sounds nice. 'Nice' is no longer fitting the job description.
It's possible she was asked to leave, which could be for any manner of misdemeanour -taking hot drink to class/ classroom control / not marking correctly / not doing reports correctly / not working 12 hour day.
It's a super difficult job, 1000s leave it every year - they can't recruit quick enough to replace and yet still make it super harsh.
Haven't people noticed that there are hardly any teachers over 30 years old. A postgraduate job so min start age is 22. Teachers last 2 years on average before quitting or being sacked.
Look into it.

No of course you can’t ask. I wouldn’t expect any of my colleagues to tell parents of students why I was off unwell, I haven’t even always told my colleagues the full details when I’ve been off due to my mental health. Plus she’s only been off a few days, it’s not your business why she’s off.

OP you have shown absolutely no concern about this teacher only how your daughter will be affected. That's pretty off and it must be something pretty serious for the sudden departure.

Jeez. Mind your own sodding business!

When mine were at school there were rumours going round school that a teacher had been dismissed for having an affair with a pupil.

Turned out the truth was she had had a nervous breakdown and been off months with stress and MH issues.

Poor poor woman. Not OK, keep your nose out.

@thenasdo, are you still with us?

People are missing the point. With the absence of teacher x, the OP's child has no support in school to help deal with bullying etc. The OP needs to be escalating the problems through to the school's management and asking what they're going to do about it in teacher x's absence.

They absolutely shouldn't tell you and they will be protecting her privacy.

I'm sorry your daughter is getting bullied and although the majority of answers have been factually correct, some people have been pretty spiteful to you, given that this is out of concern for your daughter.
'She's probably burnt out, having given up her lunch breaks and all that.'
Hope you're not a teacher.

People are missing the point.

Yes, people are missing the point of this thread.

People are missing the point

I think most people have caught on to the point by now. Or actually, the lack of it as is usual with these threads.