A letter to Kaitlyn's teacher

Dear Kaitlyn's teacher,
All year long I have been trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. You seemed to care and want to find out what was wrong with my child. I have let the things she has come home telling me slide. I'm afraid I can do that no longer.

So just FYI, it is not okay that as a punishment to the whole class for some talking out of turn that you make them miss part of their lunch. My daughter deserves the entire 20 minutes she is given and should not either be forced to scarf down her food at lightning speed or not get to finish her lunch because she did not have enough time. Especially if she is not the one acting up. She deserves to have her snack every single day. Not miss it because she's pulled out for extra reading time and it should not be given to her half an hour before lunch time either. That defeats the whole purpose of a snack.

I should be spoken to when you have issues with her homework, any extra work you send home for her to do with me, and if you disapprove of her clothing. You are not to bring these concerns up to Kaitlyn. And until you are buying her clothes you will not be telling my child what to wear to school. This is a public school and the length of her shorts is my concern not yours.

If I choose not to do the memorization phrases with her during a school vacation or over the weekend my daughter SHOULD NOT receive any flack about it. Our time is much better spent actually reading rather than memorizing when she is home. I am perfectly fine with doing that as part of her homework, but as far as I am concerned this is only teaching her to memorize and not read and it is not helping her one bit.

Taking away a part of my child's education because of how another child behaves is not acceptable at all. My child deserves to have computer time. If you want to take recess or free time away from the children when the class acts out that's one thing. I may not entirely agree with the whole class being in trouble for the actions of a few, but I get that peer pressure is a good teaching tool for those who do act out. However, when you start taking away from my child's education and learning time for this little teaching tool then we have a problem. I would like to keep my child interested in learning and in school and if you are going to take away everything she enjoys because of another child's actions then that is a serious problem. Don't allow those children to participate, but don't prevent my child from having that experience. I have taken a lot of time to teach my children manners and respect and they should be getting back what they give.

I cannot hold my tongue any longer. There is only another 6 weeks of school left and I am hoping we can end on a good note this year.

Sincerely,
Kaitlyn's mom