Saying No

For the first time, I've asked a fellow teacher not to take a student on a field trip. She sent out her list yesterday, and I emailed her and let her know that TS is failing English with a 57, that he never makes up his work, and that I thought he should stay at school next week.

So he comes up to me in the hall and says, "Ms. Flower, do you think you could tell Ms. Other-Teacher that I can go to the convention next week? I promise I'll make up all my work."

I said, "TS, you have yet to give me reason to believe that you would do such a thing, as you don't even do your work when you are IN CLASS. I'm still gonna have to say no."

As he walked away, he muttered something under his breath, I'm sure threatening to tell his mom or talk to a principal. I hate when kids think they can go over my head and get their way.

Interesting sidenote: I looked up his report card grades, and he is failing THREE classes. He hasn't even taken his nine-weeks tests in two of those classes (the quarter ended before Fall Break). Aaaaand, after doing some computerized gradebook jiggering, I found that, in my class, he has completed four out of twelve homework assignments, and his homework average is 21%.

And he thinks I should let him go on a week-long trip? RIDICULOUS.