DDs new teacher is Queen Bee at gate

[Boofy1]

I've got that sinking feeling - any words of wisdom to keep me afloat? I've kept out of ALL school gate cliques/nonsense thus far. Hooray!Only one alpha Mum is proper horrid (even DH noticed, unprompted, and was taken aback!) and I avoid like the plague - makes catty comments at me & DD, teacher-hogs every morning, crazy competitive, face liked smacked arse, manners of a piggy, barks orders at her own kids and others;, basically your bog-standard miserable, toxic mare. Said Mum's just got a teaching job at school and is likely to be DDs form teacher come September. Wail! Anyone been there and survived?! Feel sick...

If you go to the Headteacher with this you'll look daft. Grow up. Drop your daughter and go do your own thing. No need to get involved in this petty stuff.

@NewIdeasToday

Children's well-being is not a petty issue and there is no way I would allow someone with a history of negative and judgmental behaviour to have a large influence on my child.

It's really not that big an issue to have the OPs dd moved to a different class either. The woman will probably have a different personality professionally as a teacher but why the hell should OP risk it?

I think she may well have 'fun' with all the parents she's upset over the year.

On the plus side if she is a terrible teacher you can complain about her to her superiors. So in a weird way you now hold the power here.

If you've had this much contact with her, presumably her child is in the same year group as yours. They won't give her that year group to teach.

thepatchworkcat I had someone say to be before my DS started school, You will be there 15 minutes early to get the gossip.. I said I won't truely.

I have done the school run for 6 years and never felt the need to leave early to get the gossip but some do I assume. I have spoken to some lovely helpful people on the playground , others I don't particularly like however I do simply say morning, smile and continue on my way.

OP..Hopefully she will be different as a teacher..It is a wait and see

I feel your pain. I do wish schools would think twice about employing parents.

You can wait and see or ask for your child to go in a different group. Be warned, they may refuse then tell her about your request. I had a competitive, gossipy 'friend' work as a TA in DS ' class. It was a pain. She would drone on about the schools/parents/children/teachers on nights out (I now don't go) and' advise' me at every opportunity. Thankfully she has left. It also gave me an insight into what an unprofessional place the school was, teachers incapable of keeping information private and awful comments being made about parents and children in the staff room.

I feel your pain. I do wish schools would think twice about employing parents
If they're the best person for the job, why not employ them?
I teach 3 students whose parents work in my school. All of them are hugely professional (but then I'm secondary and we don't have parents at the gate each night so maybe that changes the dynamic)

If there's an issue with gossiping then it's not an issue with employing parents, it's an issue with someone being unprofessional.

One of our nicest TA's who is in no way a gossip had a DD at our school, she has now gone up to high school....Also a teacher whose DS was a couple of years older so was at regular things together cubs. and similar.

The things with gossips is many people who simply say they don't gossip so listen and nod and reinforce the gossiper. Obviously this is not OP.. I have redirected people before..If you have an issue go and talk to the teacher...They don't want to sort it out just bitch...I find it tiring and dull.

However you cannot discrimiate against giving the parent a job because they have a child in the school.

Thanks all!
Paxillin - excellent points. Hopefully the extreme competitiveness will now be channelled into top-notch teaching rather than running down other parents (i.e. loudly criticising children's parties - as they are happening (cringe!!), ticking off and/or criticising other people's children at drop-off & collection, gossiping, and teacher-hogging.

Chocolate - I appreciate how judgemental, whiny, and in need a grip I sound. But this woman is just not very nice. Plain and simple. From her hugely inconsiderate parking to her catty comments, she's not a person I want DD to be around in any context, let alone a power position. I always stay relentlessly positive for DD.This is just my pressure valve moment to go AAAAAAAGH! I will of course go in with an open mind. Thanks for the reminder about little ears, though - never to be underestimated!
Thanks again to all. Over and out!