I have a voicemail waiting for me when I return to school on Monday from a very angry parent. She is upset after seeing her fourth grade son’s report card yesterday because his grades in reading and math went down from an A- to a B+. Really? Are elementary school grades really that important in a child’s life?
According to her message, this mom is especially upset because the teacher did not contact her to advise her that the grades were “dropping” this trimester.
So, I will need to call this parent on Monday to explain my points of view which include:
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The student received all +’s in the more important areas of Work Habits and Socialization. To me that is way more important than an A or a B.
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I have instructed our teachers to contact parents when a child’s grade drops significantly (e.g. from an A to a C). I agree that there should not be surprises for parents, and that a significant drop may signal an issue.
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In my opinion, going from an A- to a B+ is not significant, especially at the end of the school year when the curriculum should be the most challenging for students.
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This is elementary school. A child’s grades have no impact on his future. (Makes me wonder if the parent is internalizing this as if they are HER grades…)
