Tuition for music classes of music school

[littleMike]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

My 13 year old daughter has been attending weekend class in a music school. This is a chamber music, so one teacher teaches two students, one plays piano and the other one plays violin. This teacher was the worst teacher ever we have seen over many years, she doesn't teach much in the class, just let two kids practice and didn't even tell any errors or provide advices. Even worse, the teacher often teaches 30-40 minutes for 60 minute class and let kids go home 20-30 minute earlier. The other student parents complained and requested to change teacher, so after a few weeks, a replaced violin student came to this class. After another earlier dismissal of the class, I raised the issue to administration and requested for changing a teacher. The school told me there is no other teacher. So I decided to quit and requested for tuition refund. The school refused any refund and said the school policy requires student to quit in the first two weeks, we are not in 5th week.

I have been dealing with the school administration over the last a few weeks and no solutions. The tuition is $2500. What steps or options do I have to pursue this refund? Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

Mike.

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

My 13 year old daughter has been attending weekend class in a music school. This is a chamber music, so one teacher teaches two students, one plays piano and the other one plays violin. This teacher was the worst teacher ever we have seen over many years, she doesn't teach much in the class, just let two kids practice and didn't even tell any errors or provide advices. Even worse, the teacher often teaches 30-40 minutes for 60 minute class and let kids go home 20-30 minute earlier. The other student parents complained and requested to change teacher, so after a few weeks, a replaced violin student came to this class. After another earlier dismissal of the class, I raised the issue to administration and requested for changing a teacher. The school told me there is no other teacher. So I decided to quit and requested for tuition refund. The school refused any refund and said the school policy requires student to quit in the first two weeks, we are not in 5th week.

I have been dealing with the school administration over the last a few weeks and no solutions. The tuition is $2500. What steps or options do I have to pursue this refund? Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

Mike.

Sounds to me like you waited too long to address these alleged issues, thinking they would go away soon enough.

Your options here are to quit the school and forfeit the tuition already paid, or to keep your child in the school and demand some kind of recourse.

 

[littleMike]

According to the class description, students are attending classes and learning under teacher's coaching, each session is 60 minutes. So if teacher repeatedly only gives much less time for each class, is it bleaching a contract? I am considering send my complains to the office of state attorney general. I have never done this before, is it useful? Or I may just file small claim through district court? Which option is better and are there any negative consequence to me?

Thanks for your legal advice.

 

[LdiJ]

According to the class description, students are attending classes and learning under teacher's coaching, each session is 60 minutes. So if teacher repeatedly only gives much less time for each class, is it bleaching a contract? I am considering send my complains to the office of state attorney general. I have never done this before, is it useful? Or I may just file small claim through district court? Which option is better and are there any negative consequence to me?

Thanks for your legal advice.

The word you want is "breaching" not "bleaching".

Yes, you have a valid argument that you are not getting what you are paying for. However, you have to give the school the opportunity to correct their breach of the contract. I am not sure that making a complaint to the office of state attorney general would be useful at all. A complaint to the Better Business Bureau, which would hurt their reputation might be useful, and you might possibly prevail in small claims court if you gave them more of an opportunity to correct their breach, but otherwise, you have to accept that you might not prevail on this issue.

 

[littleMike]

I am not sure if what I did was part of the opportunities given to school to correct.
The other student, who paired with my daughter, already moved to other teacher after similar complaining, the school replaced a new student to pair with my daughter, but the new student is almost a novice and doesn't match. I did request for a teacher change, but this time, they told me there was no new teacher available and no other student to pair.

Compare to do nothing, filing a small claim may give me a chance, I don't loss anything, correct?

 

[LdiJ]

I am not sure if what I did was part of the opportunities given to school to correct.
The other student, who paired with my daughter, already moved to other teacher after similar complaining, the school replaced a new student to pair with my daughter, but the new student is almost a novice and doesn't match. I did request for a teacher change, but this time, they told me there was no new teacher available and no other student to pair.

Compare to do nothing, filing a small claim may give me a chance, I don't loss anything, correct?

The only thing that you might lose is the fee for filing a small claims case. Generally those are not much.

 

[justalayman]

LdiJ;3220260]The word you want is "breaching" not "bleaching".

well, I don't know. If you bleach it, then nobody would know the specifics of the contract. Seems like a good way to void the contract without the possibility of recourse. (that's just a joke in case nobody got it)

Yes, you have a valid argument that you are not getting what you are paying for. However, you have to give the school the opportunity to correct their breach of the contract.

not sure there is a breach. Unless the contract specifically stated the teacher will provide 60 minutes of instruction and anything else the OP is not happy with, it is not likely to be a breach.

as an example; when you send your children to school, is there any requirement the teacher actively teach for the entire period. Is there a requirement they not allow them to do their homework in class(tantamount to practice on a musical instrument)? Is there a requirement they actively correct the student XX number of times during a class period?

I am not sure that making a complaint to the office of state attorney general would be useful at all.

I am nearly certain it wouldn't

A complaint to the Better Business Bureau, which would hurt their reputation might be useful, and you might possibly prevail in small claims court if you gave them more of an opportunity to correct their breach, but otherwise, you have to accept that you might not prevail on this issue.

BBB, as usual, is likely to result in zilch happening. Suing, unless the OP can support a basis for the claim, will also result in zilch.


(btw; not picking on you LdiJ. Just using your answers as a point to address mine to)

Don't get me wrong; I think the OP is getting the royal shaft because it appears the instructor is...well, not. Not sure she has any recourse though.



Are these classes actually provided by the school or is it simply that the school is a convenient venue for the classes? It sounds like it is a school sponsored/provided training.

If they are under the control of the school, then start chasing administration, all the way to the top if necessary. Is this a private school or public school?

Private schools are often under the control of a board of directors and other typical corporate entities. While they generally do not directly control the school, ultimately their job is to cause the school to make money. Unhappy parents are often a concern as they don't spend money with the school. If you have exhausted your paths with the administration, look higher.

If a public school, there is the board of education if there has been no success with the school administration.


Before I went there, I would be a real regular visitor to the head administrators office though urging them to fix issue. Do they have the option of giving the instructor directives that must be complied with? If so, then ask why they are not controlling the instructor as required to ensure the students are given proper instruction and the parents are given a fair value for their money.

Before I filed in court, I would let the administration know of your intentions. (do NOT bluff on this though. Do not threaten it if you are not actually going to do it as it is likely to alienate them and stop all future discussion, even if you don';t file). It might make them take another look at the problem.