Parent Accuses Teacher of 'Threatening' Their Child Because He Brought Up Summer School to Their Failing Student

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Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
May 13, 2023 7:00 PM EDT

When you're a little kid, there's nothing scarier than the possibility of attending summer school. That's where you go when you're a juvenile delinquent throughout the year and don't finish your schoolwork. When a teacher brings up the dreaded idea of attending summer school, it's usually a simple scare tactic to submit a class of youngsters into obedience. There's nothing wrong with that!

Once you get to high school, you realize that summer school is an actual possibility and not just a scare tactic. Some kids go to summer school on purpose to get credits like Health and Drivers Ed out of the way, but other kids have to stay all summer, retaking the classes they failed to ensure they don't get held back a grade. If you're a parent of a student on the verge of being in the latter group, you will do whatever it takes to help your kid pass their classes, even if it involves a little tough love from their teachers. Unfortunately, not all parents think that way. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/Teachers u/SlipSlapMagoo . 1d I had to have a 25 minute meeting with admin, a parent, and their child because I was, "threatening," the student. It was with summer school.
    via u/SlipSlapMagoo
  • 02
    Font - A parent asked for a meeting without giving any specifics, but said that I was threatening her child. My principal asked several times for specifics, but said it had to be a face-to-face meeting and we would discuss it then. During my prep, we sat down and the parent was essentially laughed out of the building when, "the threats," came to light.
    via u/SlipSlapMagoo
  • 03
    Font - I told the student that if they did not complete this final assignment, that it would guarantee she went to summer school, because she needed a 68% or higher to keep that from happening. In our meeting I used an analogy that the IRS isn't threatening you with incarceration for not paying your taxes. They are making sure that people understand the consequences of the choices they make.
    via u/SlipSlapMagoo
  • 04
    Font - Admin was on my side and the parent was left tongue-tied. That was fun. 2154 ↓ 106 ↑ Share +
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  • 05
    Font - divingstar 1d HS Science Teacher HOW DARE you threaten a child with the truth of consequences for his actions!?!?!? Reply 940 940
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  • 06
    Font - • 17h 01xxxthrowawayxXx10 Former Science Teacher | VA When I was I was teaching, I told my students "I do not care if you play on your phone, don't turn in assignments, or sleep. Just remember when you fail, that I was always here to help you and redirect. I can't force you do your work. It's like leading a horse to water; I can't make you drink, like the horse, but if you did, you'd probably drown."
    via u/01xxxthrowawayxXx10
  • 07
    Organism - A student went running to admin crying, saying that I said that I would t drown them if they didn't do their work. Thankfully, I had a couple of students paying attention that repeated word for word what I said because admin wouldn't believe me. 285
    via u/01xxxthrowawayxXx10
  • 08
    Human body - Go-to-helenhunt . 17h You can lead a kid to knowledge, but you can't make them think 163
    via u/Go-to-helenhunt
  • 09
    Font - laceymusic317. 16h You can lead a kid to knowledge, but if they don't learn, you're gonna drown them -student in OPs class 4137
    via u/laceymusic317
  • 10
    Font - Dry-Tune-5989 - 22h A parent came in today to ask why her child isn't going to graduate. My response- well, in your child's words, my mom doesn't care if I don't graduate. Mic drop Reply 503
    via u/Dry-Tune-5989
  • 11
    Font - rawterror. 23h Parent once told me I was threatening her because I said her son wouldn't pass the class if he didn't start turning in work. Reply 229
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  • 12
    Rectangle - Hanners87. 1d A rare win. I imagine there was a lot of laughter after that. ... Reply 100
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  • 13
    Font - throwaway_gag. 14h I'd imagine admin was also a bit annoyed that they had to sit through this absurd meeting when this could have just been handled over email. ... 25
    via u/throwaway_gag
  • 14
    Human body - Brave_battalion . 21h Even with supportive admin I find those convos SO stressful.... Parents are Something Else now Reply 86
    via u/Brave_battalion
  • 15
    Font - Trotter823. 13h I really don't understand the audacity people have. My freshman year in college I failed a class because the final paper was due by 8:10 am in person. Well I showed up around 8:25 because I was an idiot and overslept. The professor didn't budge and though I thought her position was harsh (still do) I didn't even think to get my parents involved or to complain to admin.
    via u/Trotter823
  • 16
    Font - The embarrassment of having to explain that as an adult no I couldn't wake up on time once to turn in an assignment was way too much. I just took the L and learned. When I was younger my dad would yell at me when I messed up in school. Usually my parents wouldn't even really listen to my excuses. What happened to that? 30
    via u/Trotter823
  • 17
    Font - PiccoloTiccolo. 20h I told a kid I was going to talk to his coach about his language if he didn't stop dropping near- constant F-bombs. He said "you really gonna threaten me like that?". Best I could come up with was "When nothing else works, what am I left to motivate you with? If you don't like threatening consequences then more subtle hints need to be effective". I mean I understand how they can conflate consequences with threats, but dodging accountability is going to come full circle
    via u/PiccoloTiccolo
  • 18
    Font - Most-Flight-9505 • 22h I once "threatened" a child with failing an assignment with failing as they plagiarized. Admin threatened to fire me.... Reply 107
    via u/Most-Flight-9505
  • 19
    Rectangle - Artteachlove. 18h Ask them to put in writing that plagiarism is okay lol ... 459 +
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  • 20
    Font - kazakhstanthetrumpet • 17h HS Science/Math I'm still mad about a meeting I had 2 years ago with an admin and counselor about whether my use of the term "plagiarism" was "too harsh". The assignment was to give a presentation where each person came up with 3 questions to ask the class They stole the questions from an assignment that I had given them earlier in the year. So I knew it was plagiarized because I was the one who wrote it... 59
    via u/kazakhstanthetrumpet
  • 21
    Font - Caffeinetank. 23h Social Studies | High School Whenever a student asks me if I'm threatening them, I just give them a devilish smile and say, "I don't make threats. I just communicate warnings." Reply 106
    via u/Caffeinetank

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teach threats teaching teachers awesome teacher teacher parenting threatening failing Parenting Fail parents Parenting FAILS school crazy things parents say high school
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