Parenting

Teacher Shares Wild Messages She Got From Neglectful Parent About Report Card Fails

To say this is a stressful time in the world is an enormous understatement. It’s very hard to say who has it the worst, but school teachers are probably high up there in terms of people who still have to work and under remarkably difficult conditions. In some places, classes are happening in-person and teachers have shared the tragically small effort being made to properly clean and socially distance students, and how little PPE they’ve been offered by various school boards.

In other places, virtual learning has taken the place of classroom teaching, which presents challenges for both teachers and parents at home, who may have to work, or even have limited access to wifi and a functioning computer. It’s understandable that some parents might be having as hard a time as teachers in this new situation. But not the parent in these text messages posted on Imgur by DontTakeMySparkle, or Ms. Jackson.

Jackson shared screenshots of the increasingly bizarre convo, which starts with a message from a mom who is unhappy with the fact that their child is failing school.

“Ms. Jackson, let me start off by saying that I am disgusted at the school system,” she wrote. “Working parents shouldn’t have to be teachers that[sic] why you all get paid. I get home and see my child is failing. That is ridiculous. It’s your job to make sure they understand. How the hell is she failing every course except math and science. Please explain before I go higher up the chain.”

Well well. Throw down the gauntlet, why don’t you.

Incredibly politely, Ms. Jackson explains that the kid in question never shows up online, and hasn’t submitted an assignment since August. She also says that she is only in charge of math and science and gave the kid a 65 based on the benefit of the doubt. If they’re failing elsewhere, that’s on other teachers. “My role as you stated is to teach,” she responds. “Your role is to have your child ready to learn in a safe, quiet environment with supplies.”

Jackson says that she has tried, unsuccessfully, to contact both the student and their parents many, many times. That then turns into the mom insinuating that the teacher has actually been trying to message her husband for some nefarious purpose.

None of the teacher’s reasonable responses seems to make a dent in the mom’s attitude. She is convinced the teacher is lazy and doesn’t want a meeting or to talk about it further. She wants RESULTS. The only result is Ms. Jackson’s promise that she’ll be hearing from the principal.

More parent texts:

Aimeé Lutkin