I don't feel right about my son, Jimmy , passing onto 7th  grade  without expressing my frustration with the experience he  had in 6th grade. While he loved his math and science teacher, and his grades were not terrible, I found the communication  lacking, and my ability to help him on his homework or prepare for  tests less than satisfactory. I went to a parent teacher conference at  the beginning of the year with both of his teachers, and found the  result unsatisfying, and not really worth the time spent. My primary  frustration was with his Language Arts and Social Studies teacher. I can tell that she loves her subject, and has spent a  number of years developing her curriculum, but with that in mind, I  cannot understand why she doesn't have a syllabus. So many of her larger  projects are/were assigned with short notice and no written explanation  for a parent to guide or support their student. 
I reached  out to this teacher on a number of occasions and offered to help correct  papers, or post grades, or anything to bring her up to date so I could  get a handle on Jimmy's grades and determine whether he was keeping up  with assignments. As it turned out Jimmy was behind on assignments and his teacher only accepted late work on certain things. In Jimmy's  defense, I found that he had been told of large projects very late, or  been given an assignment verbally as he was leaving class. This was  confirmed by a number of parents of students and  former students of this teacher. And this is why I am writing. It sounds  as if this has been going on for some time. My son has survived the  experience, barely, and I do not believe my talking to the teacher  directly about any of these complaints would be any more effective than  it has been in the past...so I just wanted to go on record. 
I  haven't even started with my frustrations about his PE teacher. I am dreading  7th grade for Jiimy. My older son Max was lucky enough to have a great, young enthused young woman as his language arts and social studies teacher; the flip side of  that was the nightmare of having a staunch, hard line, non-accommodating or differentiating math teacher. I am  afraid Jimmy will fail in this man's math class, but know he would thrive with the partner LA and Social studies teacher- these are my choices?!  
As  a parent, who happens to be a credentialed teacher, I am more than  willing to have a second text at home for my son to work from and to  insure he is keeping up with his readings. But I need be informed what  text, AND WHAT EDITION, they are using in class so I can get the correct  text. Please insist that teachers post their assignments on school  loop- and if there is a long term project to attach, the instructions.  These kids are LEARNING how to get organized, but they are not there  yet. As a committed, though over extended working parent of three  children, I need all the help I can get from the teachers in order to  help my son be a prepared student in their class- this is a partnership,  not a blame game.
 
 
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