Hey everyone! Ok, so I'm in need of some feedback if you have a minute to read this. The policy of the middle school I teach at is that all tests/projects must be signed by the parent and returned to the teacher. Number one, some teachers reuse tests and number two, it's a way for parents to stay up-to-date on how their child is doing in each class. All the teachers give the students two days to get it back. If they forget the first day, they have one extra day. After that, they get a lunch detention, which means they stay inside for their 20 minute recess. Last year, I had no problems with this policy. However, this year, I have had a whole host of parents complain that their children shouldn't have to serve a detention for something "as simple as forgetting to get a test signed". I'm just wondering what your policy is regarding this? Is it unfair to give them a detention? Should there be another consequence besides a detention? Or, are the parents just being whiny babies? Thanks for any thoughts you may have regarding this!!
my son got a lunch detention for being one minute late to class...I kid you not...he walked in at 7:31. Did I go in and fight it? No way! I told him he should have walked faster to class. Your parents are whiny babies. I only wish our school gave detentions for late students...and yes, I know, it's pretty much the parents fault. We have kids walking into our school 15-45 minutes late alot! Hey, we ought to have "smilies" here that give the "shame on you" fingers. LOL Shame on those parents!
I'm sure parents and students are informed of this policy in the beginning of the year. If they have a problem with it, that is the time to bring it up...not after their little darling didn't follow the rules. Children need to be held accountable for their actions and they need to learn that earlier rather than later. I don't consider those consequences to be severe.
What will it be like in the big bad world for these kids when they need to get something done and they don't? This is just one way to teach them to be responsible! Will a boss give them an extra day? Will their parent's be able to get them out of being fired in the real world? Your parents are whiney and I would not give in or give up! The only time I might let it go is if the kid was basically raising himself and the parents were just clueless!
Whether or not someone agrees with the policy or not, the time to complain would have been when they first heard of the policy, not after they miss one.
I see no problem with this, my students last year knew that if a paper didn't come back signed the next day they would miss their recess until it did come back. I rarely had any who forgot at all and those that did made sure to bring it the day after it was due!
Nope! No problem with this policy. I think the parents are just whiny babies who think the teachers are picking on their babies. If they had a problem, then it should have been brought up at the beginning of the year when they first learned about the policy.
If I sent tests home I wouldn't get them back. I do think that policy is too harsh. Some parents forget to sign papers.
whinny for sure! To me, it really isn't about the test being signed....on paper it seems that way. It's just another simple thing that middle school kids should be old enough and responsible enough to do! Plain and simple. If not, then the whinny parents need to talk to their kid about responsibility! I find it funny that your middle school kids get recess? I thought once middle school hit, recess was gone.
I think its an unfair policy - but only because my mom was the kind of person who would deliberately refuse to sign because she thought it was funny when her kids got in trouble. And she would lie through her teeth to the teacher claiming she never saw the paper that she spent 30 minutes ranting about how she wasn't going to sign the night before I don't doubt for one moment that she isn't the only parent out there like that.
I'm sorry to hear that your mom was like that. I think that the problem was with your mom, though, and not with the policy. I feel like the policy is not unreasonable, and parents were notified about it early on. We have policies at school so that we can teach children about appropriate behavior. When students are late to school, there is a consequence (at least at my school). Many times students are late because their parents were late in dropping them off. That stinks...but the kid is still late. Unless it's some totally random, bizarre occurrence, the policy stands--If you walk in the door late, even one minute late, you are late, regardless of why.
Thanks for all your input. I feel much better knowing that I'm not being totally unreasonable with this. I wanted to ask the parents if they think I enjoyed cutting my 40 min. lunch time in half so I can sit in the classroom for 20 min. with their kids who can't remember to get a **** test signed!! Seriously! And for the poster that asked about recess...yes, the 6th, 7th and 8th graders STILL have recess, although they all hate going outside for 20 minutes!
Wouldn't it be nice to have detention for the parents who drop their kids off late or who refuse to sign tests because they'll "get to it...just leave it on the table." Sign the test and stop whining about it. Get your kid to school on time. It's "aiding and abetting"!
I'm betting that if little Johnny or Susie came home with a "D" or "F" on their report card, many of these same parents would be the first ones calling the principal demanding to know why they weren't told that Johnny and Susie were struggling in class. Sending tests home to be signed is one way schools can ensure (or at least try to ensure) that parents stay informed about their kids performance in class. I'm sure the parents were informed of this policy at the beginning of the year. If they didn't agree with it, that is when they should have complained. Instead, it seems they are upset to find out the school was serious about the policy. Middle schoolers need to begin learning and taking increased responsibility for themselves and their actions. This is one way to do it. I think the policy is fine.
It might only effect one kid per year, but if nothing is set up in the system to deal with that scenario than it is fundamentally flawed Taking your late example, if I did what the school taught me about being tardy to school, I would have regularly left a 2 and 3 year old home alone just so I'd be on time. I lost my recess many times because I refused to do that in 6th grade - the teacher said that I was old enough to get myself ready so that meant I was old enough to get there on time. Sure I never explained the situation to her - but she proved to me she wasn't the least bit interested in knowing why I was always late by yelling at me for not being responsible for myself before asking why I was late to school whenever my father was late coming home from work. I figured that meant she wouldn't even consider listening to me so why bother. I can see kids with lesser maturity, choosing to leave their siblings alone just so they can have their recess, in which case the school would have served no purpose other than teaching them that being responsible is something to be punished for, and being irresponsible is something to be rewarded for. And that's not teaching appropriate behavior - thats unteaching it
I think your policy is fair-for most students. There are sometimes parents that won't cooperate with school policies for a variety of reasons. My students' parents are completely illiterate (ESL) so while they sometimes sign things they don't know what they are signing. We have a system set up so after school tutors will sign agendas/tests etc. If something merits letting parents know, we will use a translator. If you have some students who seem to never have their tests signed, pull them aside. Give them a chance to explain themselves. If they have a good reason, set up a person at school who can sign papers for them. I'd try to call parents and see if they were okay with this too. On separate note, I went to a school where we had to get everything signed, so I just got really good at forging my parents signature (though I had my parents' permission to forge).
Mixed feelings...if the child forgot to returned a sign paper, then no problem. If the child's parent didn't sign it, then problem. I don't agree that you punish a child because an adult doesn't do what they are asked. I also think that it is my job to stay up on my child's grades...not the schools to "force" me. What if you have a child who makes 100% on most of their tests, but they have a parent who just doesn't care? They get punished...that is punishing the wrong person.
6 of my kids did not return tests yesterday, they all lost recess. Many of the 6 had them in their backpack- they had not given it to the parent to sign. That is their responsibility.
We need to prepare these students for employment. They need to arrive on time with the required materials/attire. As a business owner, we have let go too many young adults who think they can just arrive 5 minutes late. Or who 'forgot' their store apron. Many need to learn to time their bathroom needs. In other words...I love your policy!
I had a teacher make me stand for 90 minutes of class because I was at the door (with a PASS) when the bell rang. I hated her from that moment on, FIVE of her pets were standing up and didn't have to stand. That said, I would keep up with your school's policy it is more than fair.
My state has a law that says we can not take sports, recess or P.E. away as a consequence for poor choices. I have the policy that parents sign student progress reports, and I call home when I don't get them back. This does mean sometimes I make many calls home at the beginning of the year and every once in awhile. We also have the automatic dialer and at the beginning of the year I have it call home to all my parents on Fridays to remind them to look for student progress reports.
