Agreed. Most public school administrators cringe when the typical parent 'speaks' with them about a child's recent school discipline. A great many parents are disrespectful, loud, angry and unwilling to hear a truth about their child. Parents just like the one in this story. I'll wager we'd hear stories of similar child/parent behavior from the kid's teachers.
I wonder how big a percentage of this generation of parents were actually disciplined and controlled by their parents. How many of them actually have a frame of reference for proper parental discipline?
True story: Last year, we were called to a parent-teacher conference at my then 1st grade daughter's private school. Every one of my kid's teachers showed up, and you could tell from the tone of the meeting that they had circled the wagons. Long story short, they were moving our daughter from AP to grade level reading (although she remained in AP math).
It was obvious that they expected us to go ballistic. My wife and I looked at each other, then said , "OK. You know her capabilities best." They were truly surprised that we didn't pitch a hissy fit. Apparently most parents at this school not only believe their children are nothing but little angels, but each one of them is a Little Einstein and woe to anyone who tells them any different.
BTW, it was the best academic thing that could have happened to her. She's now a straight A student and not stressed out by trying to keep up with stuff that's over her head. And one of the teachers took us aside one day, and told us that we're considered "the good ones" (sets of parents) by the teachers.
exactly... that, or they do not show up for the meeting, do not discipline the child for school problems, etc.... If it doesn't inconvenience the parent in some way, the child usually doesn't get punished at home.