Unprofessional teacher conduct / Counselor incompotancy

[ajkroy]

Speaking of perspective, let me give you some. Do you attend a public high school, by any chance? I spend most of my life in one. I teach seniors and am my school's Senior Advisor, so I plan all of the activities involving seniors (including the prom, graduation, awards night, etc). Point is, I spend a lot of time with kids in your age group.

In my school (which employs over a dozen guidance counselors, two social workers, and one school psychologist), I can tell you that those people are the hardest working people I know. They literally do therapy sessions in their offices in between career counseling, schedule-changing, dozens of parent phone calls every day, and mounds and mounds of paperwork. Kids are lined up at their doors ALL DAY LONG. And now with the new bullying mandates that have come down in our state, guess what falls on the counselors' shoulders? Investigating each and every incident that we teachers and other students report. And we have to report EVERYTHING.

If your counselor's work load is like that of a typical counselor in an average high school, on average she has one student come out to her each week, one come to her with a pregnancy scare, and over 30 reports of bullying or sexual harrassment. So, if you are all upset that your guidance counselor isn't "doing the job she is PAID to do"...trust me, she probably isn't sitting back and having a series of spa days at your expense. Most likely, she is prioritizing helping the variety of kids with ACTUAL problems before filling out some paper.

Finally, if you were MY student and had come to me FIRST and ASKED if you could go somewhere to print your paper (and given me the choice to give you permission) it would have been much better for you than if you had just strolled in after half the class was over. By the way you handled it, I would have already reported you truant and you would have been picked up (wherever you were) by campus security and would have been sent directly to the Dean for skipping. I don't play.

 

[seagulheit]

Most likely, she is prioritizing helping the variety of kids with ACTUAL problems before filling out some paper.

Students trying to go to college is not important?
A form, which these schools apparently cannot accept me without, is just some piece of paper? Really?

Okay. Say I do it your way and play nice with my counselor.
What happens? The necessary papers don't get filled out, and I don't go to college because of one missing document. These documents (and the unsent transcripts) are the only reason I don't have a decision already.

Petty situation right there, eh?

Look, I am not saying her job is easy. What I AM saying is that she needs to DO it. Completely. Applications have deadlines. I've already missed one because of her. I refuse to miss another one.

And you're fully correct about the skipping situation. I've already admitted I was wrong for it and I was punished for it.
However, what no one seems to get is that circulating negative assumptions about a student like a virus is NOT acceptable. Or do teachers think it is?

BTW - I do attend a public school. You may consider pregnancy scares more important than whether or not a student gets into college, and end up blowing off the college-bound student. But this should not be happening.

And the complaint against the teacher is essentially a bullying complaint. I feel completely intimidated by the whole situation.

 

[seagulheit]

Since I am not your child, it's easy to take the teacher's/counselor's side on this, although they have both obviously either failed to do an aspect of their job or have created an environment for the student that is not conductive to his/her success. I've served my punishment for my actions. And so shall they.

But since I am their child, my parents care enough to listen to the situation. And that's all I need. My mother just told me she's filed a complaint on both individuals and will meet with the superintendent upon their return about this. I hate to run to mommy, but that's what I've got to do to get anything done. So I did it. End.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Here's your lesson for the day:

When someone is not qualified to do the job for which he has been hired, one would say that he is demonstrating i-n-c-o-m-p-e-t-e-n-c-y.

Not "incompotancy".

Surprising since your posts are well written.

 

[st-kitts]

Students trying to go to college is not important?
A form, which these schools apparently cannot accept me without, is just some piece of paper? Really?

Yes, OP, it is just a piece of paper. College admission isn’t a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you miss one deadline, the next one is available to you. Sure, you wanted early admission, but it isn’t too late to apply for college. So, there is no crisis.

Okay. Say I do it your way and play nice with my counselor.
What happens? The necessary papers don't get filled out, and I don't go to college because of one missing document. These documents (and the unsent transcripts) are the only reason I don't have a decision already.

If you honestly believe that missing an early application deadline means you don’t get to go to college, ever, than you were not college material.

Petty situation right there, eh?

Yep.

Look, I am not saying her job is easy. What I AM saying is that she needs to DO it. Completely. Applications have deadlines. I've already missed one because of her. I refuse to miss another one.

You don’t write her job description. You don’t prioritize her work. You can’t force her or your teachers to recommend you. Your parents may be able to ensure the paperwork is filled out, but the content is not within their control. Thus, the advice to be polite is valuable.

And you're fully correct about the skipping situation. I've already admitted I was wrong for it and I was punished for it.

Actually, you sound quite angry that a teacher talked about the fact you skipped class with your other teachers, which seems the opposite of taking accountability.

However, what no one seems to get is that circulating negative assumptions about a student like a virus is NOT acceptable. Or do teachers think it is?

I think it is acceptable behavior in the context you have provided.

BTW - I do attend a public school. You may consider pregnancy scares more important than whether or not a student gets into college, and end up blowing off the college-bound student. But this should not be happening.

Yes, I do think that pregnancy scares, and bullying, and sexual harassment, and abuse and all sorts of other issues the counselor is dealing with are more time sensitive than your college paperwork. I think college is important as well, but the other issues may require higher prioritization than your early admission.

And the complaint against the teacher is essentially a bullying complaint. I feel completely intimidated by the whole situation.

Your feelings do not equate to a legal case. Your parents can write strongly worded letters or have choice words with the principal, superintendent, or anyone else they care to speak with about your treatment, but it is not likely to have the outcome you desire. If anything, it will likely move you away from the outcome you desire.
Your best bet might be to tuck tail, apologize to everyone for your presumptive behavior, speak sincerely with the counselor about your hopes for a college education and go from there.