As parents, we entrust our children’s education to teachers who are expected to provide a nurturing and supportive learning environment. However, there are instances when a teacher’s actions can cause distress and concern for a child.
In this collection of stories, we delve into the experiences of parents who found themselves standing up to a teacher who was picking on their child. From unfair treatment to bullying and favoritism, these accounts shed light on the moments when parents had to advocate fiercely for their child’s well-being and academic success. Join us as we navigate the complexities of the parent-teacher relationship and explore the tales that remind us of the importance of advocating for our children’s rights.
Get ready to empathize, reflect, and perhaps gain insights into how to effectively address issues and support our children when faced with a challenging educational situation.
All content has been edited for clarity.
She Got Shut Down By A 6th Grader
“My son was in the 6th grade. One day he came home and said, ‘Mom, I want to ask you something.’
I said, ‘Okay.’
He proceeded to explain that his teacher had been calling the students stupid and dumb. He said she’d call the entire class dummies and worse if they didn’t understand what she was trying to teach. He said he thought that was verbal abuse.
I agreed. Then I asked what he thought should be done. I expected to hear him say that I should call the school. But no, he had a different take on it. Keep in mind this is an eleven-year-old.
He said, ‘You can’t do it because you haven’t heard her do it. But I can.’
We discussed what he could do. We finally decided that he would stand up for himself and I’d back him up against the teacher.
So a few days later, when the teacher started to rant at the kids again. He stood up, packed his backpack, and headed for the door as we had agreed.
She screamed, ‘Just where do you think you are going?!’
According to him, he said, ‘What you are doing is verbal abuse and I don’t have to take it. I’m going to the office to report you.’ He walked out the door.
She followed him all the way to the office, ranting and screaming at him as she went. When they got to the office he spoke to the principal and the teacher denied everything. She had forgotten one little thing: by screaming at him all the way to the office most of the school heard her and many other teachers witnessed her behavior from their classrooms.
I was called to the school and, after a long discussion, that teacher wasn’t there the next day. I was really proud of him. It takes guts for a kid to stand against an adult, but he said, ‘I could take it. I knew she was mean but some of the other kids were really hurting. I did it for them.'”
Hopefully, She Never Taught Again
“My first husband had a child before we met. A few years into our marriage my husband was offered custody, and we accepted. When my new son came to us at 8 years old, his life had already become a train wreck, abused in every way possible, he had no self-esteem, and he was behind his peers in every way. With two toddlers and an infant, I knew two things, I had to make it better for him, and I would never let any of my kids feel like he had.
Our school district had testing for new students, to determine placement. Once the testing was done, and evaluated, we were given two options, he could be held back or he could be placed in special classes. I asked for a third option, let me work with him and then test him after, then place him by that testing. They agreed but warned me that we only had about six weeks before the last testing would be administered.
He was an amazing kid. Once I showed him a concept, I didn’t have to do much more in most cases. He worked hard, he brought himself from a pre-k level in math and an early kindergarten level in English to a mid-third-grade level in both. All before those six weeks were up. He was tested and entered third grade with his peers.
Fast forward to the middle of fourth grade. His grades were slipping, he was getting restless in class. They gave him a few tests, one was an IQ test (without notifying us of any issues, let alone the testing). They told his teachers the results (again no notice to us of any issues, the testing, or now the results).
My son comes home one day, sits down, and just cries his heart out. I held him and waited for him to calm down enough to tell me what was wrong. He told me that his teacher had had him come to the front of the classroom, and announced to him and the rest of the class that he was special.
I was beyond furious, called my (then) husband, and informed him of what had happened, and that I was going to the school the next day. He didn’t argue, I think he may not have dared.
By the next day, I was calm(ish), left the youngest three with a family member, and walked my boy to school. When we got there, I signed him in but kept him with me. I asked to speak with the principal, I did not offer any more explanation than that my son was being bullied. I told the secretary my son was not going to go to his classroom until we had spoken to the principal.
We waited while the principal did his work, including morning announcements, etc. We had been there half an hour when the principal came to meet us. I let my son explain what had happened the day before, including the teasing that resulted.
I honestly don’t think the principal had known of any of it. As he listened I could see the shock, anger, and pity mix on his face. But as he spoke with my son his voice was calm, I knew we had a good ally, and I calmed down a bit more.
The principal called for the teacher and the testing results. While we waited I was able to look over the results. Not hard, it was just a number and the association with borderline retardation. I was confused and explained what my son had done prior to entering the school, the principal and I agreed that something was off. I decided then, I was going to have an independent evaluation done.
When the teacher finally came in, as I was explaining to the principal my thoughts on the independent eval, she rolled her eyes, looked at me, and told me it was unnecessary, that they take measures to be sure of the accuracy of the tests.
The principal didn’t have time to react. I turned on the woman. I was not calm, sweet, or nice. I told her that even if those results were right, which they weren’t, what she had done constituted child abuse, and she would be the subject of an investigation. I told her my son would no longer be in her classroom, and that by the time I was done, she would be looking at a career flipping burgers. I explained to her that the results were not enough to determine why he had scored so low, especially after what he had done to pull himself up so far. She attempted to defend herself several times during my tirade, and I refused, there is absolutely no cause for a teacher to discuss anything like that with a child, without a parent, counselor, and other staff present for an IEP meeting. It was beyond inexcusable for a teacher to loudly announce to a child, in a classroom full of his peers that he is special, no matter what their reason.
Apparently, while I was speaking, the principal had left to make some arrangements. When I turned back, he was coming back into the meeting room. He looked at the teacher and told her to return to her classroom and pack up, she would be on leave until an investigation was conducted, and her replacement was on the way. After she left, he told me my son could have the day off, and that I should go ahead and get the evaluation, and let him know what it said.
We got the evaluation, the results were much the same, a low score pointing to borderline retardation. However, the notes pointed to boredom. My son was answering, correctly, the hardest questions first, and not touching the easier questions. They suspected that he just didn’t have time or possibly the inclination to bother with the age-appropriate questions. I talked to my son and went over the results, he explained that he tried but got bored with them.
I took the papers to the principal, at first he laughed, then he copied them. We then talked to my son about it. We explained that there are going to be a lot of times when he was going to have to do things he didn’t like, just get them done and then he will have time to do fun stuff.
As for the teacher, she was fired. During the investigation, they found that my son wasn’t the only one she had treated like this, I was just the first to bring it to the school’s attention. I did report her to children’s services, I’m not sure what happened with any of it. We had to move not long afterward because the damage had already been done, the kids in that school all had heard that he was special and there was no end to the bullying.
If you feel like your child is being mistreated by anyone, you need to be the one to address it. I’m not talking about your child getting an F on an assignment they didn’t do. I’m talking about your child coming home in tears, or acting oddly. There is usually a problem.”
All It Takes Is One Good Teacher
“My eldest son had a brain injury at birth.
This meant, whilst he was perfect in every other way, his speech was slightly delayed and it took him a while to catch up.
His response to confrontation was a scream or cry. He had no other way to express himself.
Through hard work and determination, he spoke. He got into the reception class, but his speech was still behind others, and that’s where the trouble started.
I began to get reports of biting, nipping, and slapping. You name it. I couldn’t work out why my gentle son would do it.
Until I fell pregnant with my youngest. It was snowy, so my mom decided to walk up to the school with me in case I stumbled. When we got to the school, I could hear my son screaming. I made my way in to see him sitting, back to the rest of the class, and crying pitifully.
I called him over, and he raised his shirt. There, on his stomach, was the outline of a shoe. It was so deep I could read ADIDAS. I asked him, ‘Be a brave boy and tell Mammy who did it.’
He pointed to twins, whose mother was a friend of this teacher. I glared at the teacher, who then said in front of an entire class of kids and parents, ‘He’s a liar! Nothing happened to him!’
Everything clicked, my son was hitting out because the teacher wouldn’t help him! He reported stuff, she called him a liar!
I kicked up such a stink, the early years head ran in and demanded to know what was going on, my son showed her and she stared at it in complete disbelief.
The teacher kept proclaiming the twin’s innocence until their own mother walked in and said, ‘Oh, have they done it again?’
That was enough for me, I grabbed my son and stormed to the principal’s office, I demanded she saw me and showed her my son’s stomach. She paled and nodded, then sat down and said, ‘Darling, you have had some nasty things said about you and done to you, and Miss L didn’t do anything about it. I’m sorry. Mrs. C will sort it all out for you. This. Stops. Now. I promise you, I promise you in front of Granny, in front of Mommy, in front of your sister, and in front of your new baby in Mommy’s tummy, you won’t get hurt again! Mrs. C is going to stop it. Tomorrow, Granny can you bring the kids in, please? I’m frightened Mommy is going to fall in the snow. I will call Mommy when I’ve done everything.’
My mom took my kids in the next day. My son didn’t want to go, but he came home with his dad bouncing! He had a new class, with a new teacher!
He still stammers a bit, but he’s now a teenager who is studying for a qualification in computer science. You would never know my son was once told he had 6 hours to live. He’s a wonderful, gentle man, and it’s an honor to be his mom. Whenever Mrs. C sees me in the street and compliments me on him, I say, ‘That is all your doing, You did that!'”
