<p>I have an 5th grader that makes mostly A’s with a B here and there, but HATES reading. (but is a good reader and does really well on standardized testing) Because we are moving this summer and therefore moving school districts, the new school district uses the 5th grades to determine placements for incoming students (Pre-AP, Regular or Remedial Classes) To make into the Pre-AP world, students must have a 90 or better average and meet a certain mark on the TAKS test (Texas) The TAKS was a breeze for little guy so a check mark there. He has done really, really well in reading this quarter, mainly because they are reading historical fiction, and for whatever reason it lights his fire. Now, this kid has perfect attendance and has for 6 years. He had no idea the protocol for make up work. In his world it does not apply to him. I early dismissed him in late April to get his passport. He missed a quiz in reading. (I had no idea…and neither did he because it was not a scheduled quiz) When the “missing” posted in the grade place two weeks later, (she is not very quick to post grades) I emailed the teacher and asked what he needed to do to make this up and I instructed him to go to her also (but I knew that may not happen, hence why I sent an email) She never responded to the email, so Friday, I sent another asking the same question since he quarter is coming to an end. I get a reply today that says he is basically SOL because that unit is closed. (It closed May 23) I sent the original email to her more than a week before the unit closed. So I have just forwarded the email to her (the original one) and said I am raising the BS flag because I basically said if I send an email, I expect to be in the loop and although I appreciate that she is speaking to tmy son, I started the communication and expect to be part of the solution. The zero brings his grade down 8 points. That takes him from a 93 to a 85. That 85 will not qualify him for the Pre-AP track. Should I go to the Principal if I don’t receive a favorable reply?</p>
<p>I totally agree. I was not the type of a parent to go over a teacher’s head (I did it probably less than 4 times in 12 years) and once son got into middle school it was rare for me to ever have to get involved but I think that is ridiculous. Students should be given the opportunity to makeup an unannounced quiz due to an early dismissal.</p>
<p>I do wonder though, if she felt the burden was on your son to approach her and if he didn’t, then he wasn’t all that interested in making up the grade. I know by the time my son was in 5th grade, the teachers expected the kids to take a lot of responsibility in following up on their work. Did you ask to be contacted if he didn’t go to her and ask for makeup work? I agree that it was unacceptable that she never replied to your email. IMO, that’s part of a teacher’s job.</p>
<p>I think I’d be more upset with the idea that the new district is deciding as early as 6th grade who can qualify for AP classes and who can’t.</p>
<p>Every kid blooms at a different age. My son didn’t decide he wanted to try an AP class until he was entering his junior year of HS. Thankfully, he didn’t have to ‘track’ into it.</p>
<p>Your son is in 5th grade, go speak with the principal. Unfortunately a lot of adults do not take kids seriously. I still email D2’s teachers and she is 17. I don’t do it often, but when I do, I expect a response.</p>
<p>If your son’s absence is excused and it is a surprise quiz, then he should either be allowed to make it up or not have it counted.</p>
<p>It is disturbing to me also that your school district does tracking so early.</p>
<p>I’d go to the principal, too, since his entire high school curriculum is on the line (for 8 points because of a missed pop quiz). Which is ridiculous, as others have said - what kind of crystal ball is it that allows a district to know in fifth grade what a kid will be capable of in high school? I’ll be shaking my head over this one all day.</p>
<p>Can you move? Silly suggestion, I know, but with that mindset, what other weird stuff is the district capable of? Good luck with the principal - hope you succeed.</p>
<p>Definitely, go over her head if she doesn’t fix this immediately. Moreover, I would go in to the school THIS WEEK and address it in person before more time passes. The next thing you know, school will be over, people will be gone, and it will be impossible to get it dealt with.</p>
<p>The idea that a fifth grader should be responsible for dealing with a recalcitrant teacher who posts grades late and doesn’t respond to parental emails is beyond unrealistic, IMHO. It’s a good thing and a learning experience if he makes an attempt to approach her, but he’s a child and she’s an adult with authority over him.</p>
<p>The idea that the grade on a pop quiz in fifth grade should determine whether he is on a pre-AP track is even more ridiculous.</p>
<p>Every teacher has a plan for make up work. They give it to you and your student at the beginning of the year. By the fifth grade the responsibility is on the student to approach the teacher and find out what they missed and make arrangements to make that work up. Realistically kids need help, so as a parent you remind your student ‘Did you speak with your teacher directly to see what work you missed?’. The fact that he’s never been out before so not familiar with the process is bunk. He left and should assume he missed something. It’s his job to ask…not hers. </p>
<p>Regarding tracking. All our middle schools do this. Kids are put in ‘extended’ math and language arts classes in 6th grade. If they are successful they move on to Algebra and first year of foreign language in 8th grade. Ninth grade they move to pre-AP classes. ALL of this starts for our kids by being fed into the gifted program at the end of THIRD grade largely driven by the COGAT testing. Now that’s early tracking. </p>
<p>Because of the long lasting nature of tracking I understand why the OP will intervene. She should understand it was her sons ultimate responsibility.</p>
<p>I don’t recall ever being presented with a plan for make up work by a teacher until S started taking high school classes in jr high due to acceleration. (It was not a middle school then.) I can vividly recall what he was like in 5th grade. There is no way he would have been able to advocate for himself with a teacher like this. On the other hand, none of his teachers would have failed to inform him that he missed a quiz and made arrangements for him to make it up. They were interested in nurturing the kids, not playing gotcha games.</p>
<p>Wow- not familiar with all this early AP tracking (doesn’t happen in our state), but would expect that a student in 5th grade who missed a quiz “legally” would simply be given an option for the make up that worked for the teacher. I agree with Consolation that it is the rare elementary student who would thoroughly follow up on this. The teacher dropped the ball by not getting back to the parent, even if it was to say that her policy is for the student to come to her to arrange make up or receive a 0. At least then, all would have known the consequences. She did not even choose to tell him he had missed the original quiz. There is too much riding on this to ignore it. Good luck.</p>
<p>Of course go over her head. This is what I used to do: 1st email goes to the teacher. If it goes unanswered, phone call follow up. Still no answer, send a 2nd (polite and cheery) email referring to the unanswered phone call and email (with first email attached), clearly cc’d to the principal (plus counselor, if it’s HS). You’ll get an answer, and you’ll get an answer to every future inquiry.</p>
<p>IMO, a missed pop quiz due to an excused absence in 5th grade should simply be dropped from the average. I’ll bet the principal agrees. If not, I’ll bet your son will be given a chance to make it up.</p>
<p>I’m a teacher and I say go over her head. As a teacher, I have a duty to educate my students, but my responsibility is to communicate with parents. I’d have to strongly disagree with what blueiguana is suggesting… that the responsibility rests on the 5th grader only. Parents have the right to get involved and if they contact a teacher, then the teacher should respond. A non-response is not acceptable.</p>
<p>Absolutely go over her head. Go as far as you need to go to get this fixed. It’s ridiculous to think that a missed quiz could affect your son’s ability to be on the AP track in high school. It’s good to teach children responsibility, but handling this entirely on his own is beyond the scope of what a ten year old should have to do.</p>
While I respect your opinion as an educator…I do want to point out I did say…
I am in the minority here, and that’s fine. We can all respectfully have our opinions. I try to listen and learn, understanding that others come from a different background. Our kids were changing classes by 5th grade and a large emphasis was put on student self-advocating.</p>
<p>I hope the OP finds a solution she and her student are comfortable with.</p>
<p>It is outrageous that some might make the “irresponsibility” of a 5th grader the centerpiece when the real story here is the “irresponsibility” of a teacher who so heavily penalizes a student in this way and, most importantly, does not respond to emails.</p>
<p>This is probably one of the most deplorable uses of tracking I have ever heard.</p>
<p>yes, you should ultimately go over the teacher’s head. But escalating an issue based on emails can be problematic. I would call the teacher first, and lay out the facts and your concerns in a professional but friendly way, your facts. I would make it clear to the teacher that you understand the student has a responsibility for make up work, but that the ramifications of this particular test are so significant that you, as the parent, owe it to your son to ensure that one bad decision (i.e., not approaching her to make it up) does not adversely affect his entire high school career. He is, after all, TEN. </p>
<p>This is like the difference between remembering his lunch, vs remembering to visit the nurse’s office for asthma medication. They’re both responsibilities, but one I wouldn’t get involved with, and the other, I would.</p>
<p>edited to add: azcpamom, yes the teacher is grossly at fault for not responding to emails promptly, and for not dealing with this problem appropriately. But we’re trying to help the OP. She’s responsible for raising her son, not raising the teacher. Approaching this issue by pointing out how bad the teacher is, is not usually a winning approach.</p>
<p>My kids didn´t get a course plan until 7th or 8th grade. When they missed a school day, their homework was sent home (either delivered by a student close by, or we arranged to picked it up). We want to teach our kids to be responsible, but a 5th grader is not the same as a 9th grader.</p>
<p>Married to an elementary-school teacher who would NEVER not answer a parent’s e-mail. If he did, I’d help the parent go over his head. :)</p>
<p>I would hope that a call/visit to the teacher that includes stressing that you didn’t receive information from her despite requesting it well before the May 23 deadline and the high-stakes nature of this grade would persuade her to make accomodations. If not, I’d leave her room and head straight to the principal’s office.</p>
<p>When I go to pick him up from school today I will address the issue in person. I sent a pretty firm email to her this moring after her email to me started “Did <em>he</em> not tell you what we discussed?” Awwhh…NO. He is not a talker and she knows this and she knows that I have to ride his butt on many things. This child is beyond absent minded. </p>
<p>I am a keeper of papers (there is not one mention in her welcome packet that address missed quiz or tests grades) to address blueiguana’s point that it is my kiddos responsibility. You are correct to a point. When the assignment, ie quiz showed up on the grade report with a date 18 days prior to it appearing, it was the first I knew there was even work to make up. I told him to go to her first thing the next morning and discuss this. He only has this teacher for reading. She is not is main teacher. When I asked him that afternoon if he did that, I got the “oh I forgot” and that is when I addressed the email. Frankly, I too forgot as our movers come tomorrow and to say I am preoccupied is an understatement. Only the night before last when I was signing off on his reading logs did I make the connection that my original email had gone unanswered. That is when I addressed it again and she addressed it with my son…that being… sucks to be you. So point to her this morning is that this book was still being taught when I first addressed the issue. And that for her to decide that he can’t make it up yesterday because the unit is closed is crazy.</p>
<p>As far as tracking…the district he is in now does the same thing but the Pre-AP cut off is 85. I am not sure Pre-Aps are even right for him but the way it works is you can start in them and back down but going back into Pre-AP from “regular” classes, borders on impossible. So I would still like him to have a shot and determine his own fate.</p>