My dd 1st grade teacher was a total witch to her, because my daughter was shy and had a hard time in French classes. We live in a french community and the school told me when I enrolled her in J/k that it would really help her to be in an immersion program. first 2 years all was good and then they hired this new teacher to teach in grade one. She often ridiculed my daughter in front of the class by making her stand up and leave her standing until she tried speaking french, when she didn't get it right she would make her sit at a table all to herself and not participate with the rest of the class. She would refuse my daughter when she needed to go pee and about 3 times a week I would get a call that my daughter wet herself because of this. Eventually my daughter told me about this, and then I went to 2 of my friends who had children in the same class and asked them if we could speak with their children and they also said the teacher did all that to my DD.
that week we got the report card for my dd's first term and the teacher had failed her in every subject. I called and made an appointment with her and I talked to her about what she was doing, this teacher was cold as ice and she looked at me and she told me, no word of a lie, I don't want her in my class if she cannot speak french. I got up and walked to the principals office and spoke to her, well as well as any parent can speak to anyone when they are super angry. I wrote a letter to the school board and they got involved too, I know the principal told the teacher that until they figured out how to best solve this that they would be putting in a substitute. A board member and the principal interviewed the kids and the kids told them exactly what she was doing. Well, the teacher was suspended for the rest of the school year and I switched my daughter to an English program, the teacher was supposed to apologize to my dd and to us but she has never done so. in fact when she sees us she curls her nose up in the air and sourly walks on by. Needless to say she now has teaching assistant in her class, and she will continue to have one until they feel she no longer is subject to be watched. I guess she is unionized or something.
by the way, my dd, was switched to an english program immediately, 2 weeks later her teacher asked me to come in for a chat. When I went in he told me how my dd was super smart and such a joy to have in class, and that he couldn't believe what a great young lady she was. at the end of the second term she had all B's and A's and in her one French class she had an A?? At teacher parent interviews at the end of the second term, the teacher told me my DD was his star pupil, and she was very helpful tho her peers those who knew less and she was willing to sit with them and help them with reading or math, or french.
that summer my DD, came home with a great report card. this made us really dislike that other teacher that much more.
Bottom line is, I had an issue, and a serious one and I know teachers like these give good teachers a terrible name, but that school is full of wonderful teachers who the kids just adore. Just not her, that is for sure, but I didn't call the school and made an anonymous complaint. When there is merit to a subject people don't make secretive phone calls, they handle it the best they know how by going to the teacher or the principal and if all else fails the school board, not the news media....to me a phone call like that is just someone looking to make trouble or someone who has a grudge towards a certain teacher or teachers.
Ema