Through emails, parent-teacher conferences, phone calls, and even the school’s website, parents are able to stay in the know with what is going on in their student’s school life.
“I think they should have access through emails and parent-teacher conferences,” said chemistry and anatomy teacher Mrs. Lael Lynch. “I think it’s a good thing because it takes everyone in the community to raise kids.”
The issue of where to draw the line with parental access to teachers and coaches is becoming a problem.
“I would limit my parents’ access to my teachers with anything that’s personal,” said junior Blair Parson. “A work email is fine, but unless it’s someone who has your kid like a coach, they shouldn’t have personal contact.”
Mrs. Lynch has received many emails from parents in concern of their students’ grades. She was unable to share the content of these emails due to confidentiality; however, some of the emails could get heated.
“The biggest problem is when the parents believe the child’s lie over the teacher,” said Mrs. Lynch.
Dealing with parent emails is a daily task for teachers, but not all teachers have to deal with hateful emails.
“I don’t think that I’ve had a bad email,” said graphic and design teacher Mrs. Chantelle Rateliff. “I think it’s because I’m very proactive about dealing with things. Via e-mail, I try to stick to just the facts,” said Mrs. Rateliff. “If there is a personal issue or a health issue, it should be dealt with face to face.”
Student athletes and their parents stay in contact with their coaches on a daily basis. When it comes to dealing with an issue on the team, two options are available: either the athlete can confront the coach, or the athlete’s parent will contact the coach.
“Your kid should be able to fix their problem on their own,” said Parson, who played volleyball her sophomore year. “It’s not going to help them any if you do everything for them.”
Responding to emails that could be borderline hateful can be a challenge, but Mrs. Lynch has figured out the best approach.
“I try to bring in the principal, lead teacher, and the parent to see if we can set up a meeting so the parent can see and know the sincerity of the teacher,” said Mrs. Lynch. “There are situations when there needs to be conversations on the phone or face to face.”