Angry 9pm emails to teachers of Independent schools

[jeanne16]

This is very common apparently, according to Daily Mail article. After a glass of wine, parents fire off angry emails to teachers, expecting instant replies.

So have you ever done this and if so, what was your complaint?

[apple1992]

I don't think time is an issue at all! I regularly receive emails from other school staff late into the evening and at the weekend.

I don't think it's ever acceptable to send angry emails. Maybe in independent schools it is over marking etc, but in my state school it is angry phone calls or visits because 'my child will not be doing the detention you set for calling Mr X a ' or something similarly unsupportive!

[apple1992]

I've just read the article. It's pretty ridiculous!

Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said that staff at private schools were expected to respond to emails and phone calls ‘24/7’.
I don't work in a private school so I can't comment on whether this is true, but surely they're not expected the reply 24/7?! Are their any independent teachers out there..?

[merrymouse]

Who is expecting teachers to reply immediately - the school or the parents?

Parents, like anybody else can expect a lot of things. That doesn't mean they get it.

[noblegiraffe]

Teachers can't reply to emails during the 'working day' because they are teaching.

[GetAHaircutCarl]

Surely 9pm would be a common time to send an email?

You've finished work and dinner, caught up with everyone and everything. I doubt anyone expects a reply that day, though. The next working day, surely?

[JackandDiane]

oh fgs this is not common to fee paying schools
i get them all the time - often in caps with the sender often drunk, and with no idea what they are talking about,

IME the more ferocious the email the more of a pussy cat the parent is

[merrymouse]

Teachers can't reply to emails during the 'working day' because they are teaching.

The point is that most parents would expect a teacher to reply within a reasonable time at a time of day when they have decided to work, not immediately when they notice that they have received an email.

[JackandDiane]

and parents before you mail, do consider that you might be utterly utterly wrong, or very very rude ( as is almost always the case)

Loved one to my colleague once in caps about her idle kid 'WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY A TUTOR TO DO YOUR JOB?' , all like that

My mate calmly replied with a list of all the revision sessions said kid had chosen to not attend and all the deadlines they had missed

was fantastic

[JackandDiane]

and boak at the term ' indie'

[merrymouse]

If you ever send an angry email to anyone with bits in caps, you are probably wrong.

[JackandDiane]

yes. Sadly quite a few.
Often accusing too of fixing ( truly random) draws about who goes on over subscribed trips, challenging detentions issued based on ' my kid said s/he didnt talk' ) etc

[JackandDiane]

having said that, I met a lovely parent on Sunday who said ' well if he fails his exams this summer, it won't be because of school - you couldn't have done more' and stuff like that which is lovely.

If only parents realised how much we really really care.

[apple1992]

Exactly, challenging issues or decisions based on what their child has come home and said. Which is very often not true. I have lost count of the number of times I have SEEN a child do something, and then had the parent aggressively insistently little Jonny is totally innocent, because he told her so and therefore they are right.

Just to add: most parents are wonderful and understand boundaries, and have decent social skills!

[Snazarooney]

Not expected as such, but keeping the parents happy is vital so therefore in your interests to reply at 11pm 3am 6am etc.

[UrgentSchoolHelp]

It would BU of a parent to expect a response out of school hours, but it would also BU for schools to expect parents not to email outside office hours.

I think the article is bollocks. I think the ONLY time a parent might reasonably expect a reply after 9pm would be from a HoMM of a boarder who was having considerable difficulties / medical problems.... But in that case 9pm would be within working hours.

I just can't believe there are lots of parents cross because they don't have a weekend or evening response from their teachers.

[melonribena]

I echo what apple said. Teachers are teaching during work hours. If a detailed response is required then this takes a lot of time. If a few parents e mail each day then this takes a while to respond to and teachers also have lots of other things to do before and after school.

If I receive an email, which is usually once a dayish then this is easily manageable. I often would ring a parent after school rather than emailing back as I prefer to do this. If you are receiving 5+ a day then this becomes ridiculous and I can see in secondary then this could happen.

[JackandDiane]

we once had a fabulous thread on here something like ' teachers! what is your most random parents complaint'

parents were SHOCKED

[Caprinihahahaha]

At the schools my DC have attended the teachers email is a school email . So as far as the few emails I've sent are concerned, if I've sent them in the evening my assumption is that the teacher will see it when he/she arrives at school or starts work the next day. If they replied immediately I'd been surprised.

Also, I'm not sure I've ever fired off an email . I would imagine that invokes hitting the keys quite hard and tutting or, at the very least, sucking ones teeth a bit. Probably have to go 'ha!' When you press send.

[WellErrr]

Wow, the OP lazy journalist hasn't returned!

Shocker

[melonribena]

Jack, I agree! The term 'indie' really grates on me too. Not sure why!

[Passmethecrisps]

The whole article just seems an attempt to put teachers versus parents. Total garbage non story

[ShanghaiDiva]

and parents before you mail, do consider that you might be utterly utterly wrong, or very very rude ( as is almost always the case)

I think most parents do this. When I sent an email re book not being marked (for more than 6 weeks ) I had the evidence right in front of me!
Not sure what is rude about asking a teacher to mark the work they have set.

[Snazarooney]

Work emails still come through on your phone 24/7.

[UnmentionedElephantDildo]

I think a rude email is a problem, whether sent to a state or independent school and whatever time it is sent.

Expecting an immediate reply is unreasonable whether during the day (when staff may be engaged in performing other duties) or other times (when they may or may not be working).

So the story is 'some people are rude'. Is that news?

[TeddTess]

UnmentionedElephantDildo

i think you have summed it up perfectly.

it's a non story. but it's got us talking so job done by journalists. i bet they are having a fantastic day basking in glory.