The "helicopter parents" that I know did it from day one. While I worked as a classroom assistant, I saw some of these parents at school constantly. Parent involvement at school can be a good thing, but there is a point where it can become too much of a good thing (and I say that as a parent who tried to be involved at an appropriate level).
The public school that my son attends keeps on saying how they like parental involvement.
Well, I’ve complained about quite a few things, but with the complaints has come solutions to the problems and offers to help fix the problems.
One of my complaints was that several of his teachers this past year would not input the students grades onto an online website for parents to see. I offered to come in an input the grades. I could have easily come in for an hour a week and entered grades, but the teachers never called, and the grades were not entered in a timely fashion.
I’ve asked to get a directory for the families in my son’s classes, but the school can’t figure out a way of doing that. I could even send in a form for the parents to fill out for each of my son’s classes and then I could make up the directories, but the teachers don’t want my help.
I think if I am paying for something, then I want information.
I’ve actually had more problems with the teachers screwing up than my son screwing up. Teachers have said my son did not do work, but I keep all of his work during the school year in case there is a problem. I’ve had to send back graded assignments so that they are entered in correctly.
My son is only 12, and he’s starting to take responsibility for some of this. However, whenever I step out of the loop and let him handle something, the teachers screw things up.
Last year, the computer center was closed when my son needed to take an online computer test. He had to take the test after school (as per class policy), and the only day available for him to stay after school was the day before the due date. The school failed to notify parents that the computer center was going to be closed, and the school did not post the closure on their website. The only notification that it was going to be closed was during morning announcements, and my son can’t hear the announcements because of other children talking.
The next day, my son went to his teacher and told her what happened. The teacher gave him a zero for the assignment, and the assignment was worth 10% of his grade. She didn’t help to get him on a computer. She didn’t offer another solution. She let another kid type up a report and send it to her after school, but she didn’t let my son do this.
I just don’t trust public educators and what they say about parents. I think that public educators just don’t like the scrutiny.