Parents Demand Teacher Give Their 8th Grader More Extra Credit Because His Grade of 87 is Significantly Below Their Expectations

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jun 10, 2026 7:45 AM EDT

Shouldn't he accept the grade that he has? 

When I was younger, I could not particularly relate to the kids who had to get straight As no matter what. Maybe that was because I was an A- or B+ student, but I was always annoyed when people acted like getting the grade that you earned was the worst thing in the world. I was lucky enough that I didn't have parents who totally micromanaged my education, constantly asking me about my grades and why I earned the grades I did. I knew I was responsible for my own grades, and if I did a bad job, my mom wasn't going to go crying to the teacher about why I got the grade I did. She knew that I was the only one who could control my grades, and so did I. 

Not all kids have parents who can accept that they're imperfect. They either demand their kids earn perfect grades, or else they go to the teacher and demand that she explain why little Billy got an 89 on the essay he spent 30 whole minutes writing. I do not envy the kids whose parents demand perfection, nor the teachers who have to justify their grading to entitled, whiny parents. Teachers aren't always emboldened to tell parents directly that their kid did not do the work to the best of their ability, and that's why they didn't earn a perfect grade. 

The teacher in this story is struggling with how to respond to parents who are incredibly disappointed that their son has an 87% in her class. He hasn't even started on the extra credit she assigned, due tomorrow, and they already want her to come up with solutions to their son's problem for him. If they think they're raising a well-adjusted future adult with this parenting method, they've got a big storm coming. 

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  • Models representing a teacher looking at her student as he takes a test in her classroom.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Models representing a teacher looking at her student as he takes a test in her classroom.

  • Got an email from a kid's parents saying his grade is "significantly below their expectations" and asking whether I'd received his extra work and would factor it into
    via u/Successful-Spring-30
  • his grade. He has an 87. This is middle school where there is no GPA, no ranking, the grades don't matter, and the kid has been doing well all year. | just... I mean, I guess it's
    via u/Successful-Spring-30
  • good that some parents care at least. But speaking from experience having the pressure to only have As or nothing isn't ideal.
    via u/Successful-Spring-30
  • flatteringhippo "The child earned an 87 for this marking period. Have a great summer!"
    via u/flatteringhippo
  • Successful-Spring-30 OP I mean there are still multiple assignments remaining to be graded, including a whole final project we're starting on Friday, so it could definitely go up. But he didn't start the extra credit project that's due tomorrow so idk why I'd be expected to go out of my way to give him different extra work...
    via u/Successful-Spring-30
  • Tall-Rice9915 Why extra credit if no gpa's etc??? Extra work when they haven't done the original work? It is all more work for you. It may feel nice but it is not reality. The kids need to learn the consequences of their (non)completion of required work.
    via u/Tall-Rice9915
  • calm-your-liver As a rule, I don't give extra credit assignments because if I do it for one student, I have to for all, and I don't have time to grade all that extra work
    via u/calm-your-liver
  • Medieval-Mind I feel like if the parent really cared, s/he'd probably have reached out some time before the end of the year...
    via u/Medieval-Mind
  • Successful-Spring-30 OP I don't think he's had below a 90 before.
    via u/Successful-Spring-30
  • Hands of actors pointing at a test with an A+ grade, which means that the test-taker got higher than a 90% on said test.
    via Andy Quezada (Unsplash+)

    Hands of actors pointing at a test with an A+ grade, which means that the test-taker got higher than a 90% on said test. 

  • Tall-Rice9915 Why does that number matter so much???!
    via u/Tall-Rice9915
  • xocindilou72 Do the kid and your colleagues at the high school a favor and tell them no lol Don't set a precedent! Be sure to let the kid know that they've done excellent work.
    via u/xocindilou72
  • turquoisecat45 That sounds like my mother. I received my first B in social studies in 8th grade and she treated me as if it was the worst thing I ever did. That same year, I got an F on a geometry test she didn't pick me up from school. She sent my father instead. She now knows at the time I was struggling with undiagnosed anxiety but that's neither here nor there.
    via u/turquoisecat45
  • A representation of a mother scolding a teenage girl for getting a B in Social Studies, which only makes her rebel more by getting an F on a Geometry test.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A representation of a mother scolding a teenage girl for getting a B in Social Studies, which only makes her rebel more by getting an F on a Geometry test. 

  • Because of my experience and now as a teacher myself, I feel horrible for students with these types of parents. I would get emails about extra credit or grades when the student had a 92% in class. These expectations put a lot of pressure on me and still affects me now in my late 20s. If there are any parents here who expect their kids to get nothing but A's, please stop it! There is a difference between wanting your child to get good grades and expecting perfect grades. From personal experience,
    via u/turquoisecat45
  • Tall-Rice9915 And whatever happened to how much they learned??? It is not "my kid did not master this concept", it's my kid doesn't have the number I expect
    via u/Tall-Rice9915
  • DangerousNoodles My parents were the same way. A B meant I was grounded. They saw me as their "retirement investment." Now they wonder why I no longer talk to them. Breaks my heart seeing this happen.
    via u/DangerousNoodles
  • fieldbottle Same here on the grades... B meant I was grounded, but it wasn't from selfishness on my parents part. They really cared about me and wanted to set me up for a successful future. Having that high standard early helped me out a lot in life.
    via u/fieldbottle
  • BlackOrre Repeat after me, "I don't get paid enough for this." (Close computer).
    via u/BlackOrre
  • elrey2020 Extra work to prove he's a B student? What good would that do?
    via u/elrey2020

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expectations extra credit students email middle school assignment teacher parenting grades
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