Ok Let Me Word This Differently - Teacher Issues

Drop it already! Its Kindergarten! What are you going to do when she is on maternity leave?? Out 8 times in two months is 1X a week. I don't think it is excessive.

Hi!
I haven't read others responses, so I dont know what they've said.
I get that you want consistency for you son, but you have no idea what's going on w/her pregnancy. She could be having issues & her ob is telling her to stay home. Coming from someone who has lost 3 babies, staying pregnant at all costs is extremely important. Cut her some slack. She might be having some issues. Maybe she's really sick & can't function. What could is she at work if she's puking her brains out?!!!?
If you're so upset, ask her if she's okay or ask for a change of teachers.
Cut het some slack. You don't know what goes on behind closed doors. Her unborn baby is her priority & that's how it should be.

If it's this concerning to you, why not change classrooms? Usually, when a teacher is out a lot (esp for pregnancy, where 6-12 weeks are expected to be taught by a long term sub) the school has something of a free pass for students to change to other classrooms. (A few schools work in reverse, and won't let anyone switch until they take it to the school board).

It sounds like at least one day a week is being missed, and it's driving you absolutely crazy. Knowing why isn't going to fix that.

I have read all of your posts on this subject and have not responded until now. I am a mom and a teacher and I guess it's to the point that I am taking some of what you are writing as personal attacks on my colleagues.
As a mom & teacher ( I word them that way on purpose, because being a MOM should come above any other job! ) I appreciate your concern for your son's education. It would actually be nice to have more parents get involved these days. However, the tone of all your posts does not seem to be your overall concern for your son, but some sort of anger directed at the teacher for her situation.
I have been a teacher for 13 years. EVERYTHING about this job has changed! I'm not complaining, just stating facts. There are more requirements on teachers now than ever before. For the most part, all the teachers I know take their jobs very seriously and do care about their students. Believe me, you have to love what you do as a teacher in order to stay in a field that has changed and is demanding so much.
As a teacher - we all have said it is MUCH easier to go to work sick then to plan for a sub! It is actually MORE work to not be there.
I am sure that your son's teacher is doing whatever she can to be at school as much as possible.
Just to give perspective - I lost my father this year to pancreatic cancer. He fought for 6 months. When school started, I knew that I would be very busy but needed to see him as much as possible. He lost his battle at the end VERY quickly. I ended up taking 2 weeks off in Sept. to spend his last few days with him and then to help my mom with funeral arrangements. I had a dependable sub who followed my plans to a "T". Our school has used her A LOT and certified or not - she is a quality person and sub! For whatever reason, my students did not take her seriously and there was some misbehavior and not so good grades. I actually had 2 parents on the attack! One blamed the sub for her daughter not bringing her things home (this had happened even when I WAS there) and the other went to the principal and said that "Things weren't the same since I was on my two week VACATION!" Yes, those were her words and yes, she was aware of why I was out. Since then I have also had to miss 3 days to take care of my daughter who needed adenoid and ear tube surgery.
DId I want to miss that time ? Certainly not! But sometimes life gets tough and we have to look at priorities. Thank goodness I have a supportive administration.
Anyway - I just feel that you are concerned about your son and his education but are on more of an attack of the teacher. This will not help any situation at all. You either have to accept her absences and move on or have your son moved. However, know that not all principals will agree to moving for the reason you have stated. As for when she is out on maternity leave - her answers were vague because SHE has no control over that. She is required to leave plans for a few weeks but the hiring of her replacement is up to the administration. USUALLY, depending on the amount of time for the leave - administrators will look for the most qualified person taking into account the grade level, the time there, etc. There are actually retired teachers who like to take short term jobs in order to keep their health insurance. Principals are not going to just put anyone in there! They are going to look for the best person who can provide the most continuity. At this point though those plans can't be made. There are restrictions for when a sub can be hired for a leave. Again, it's not up to the teacher so quit blaming her for being vague. She told you what she can.
Since it is Kindergarten - ask if there are any projects or things you can work on at home. I don't know how your work schedule is, but usually Kindergarten classes will welcome a story mom 1x week or so. As for his academics - does he know his letter names and sounds, count to 20 and recognize the numbers out of order and the number word, know some word families - rhymes - hat, bat, sat, etc., color words, beginning to write sentences - words will be spelled phonetically but have spaces between them, start to know simple adding - a number plus 1 or 2, then I would say he is getting what he needs whether the sub is providing it or the teacher. Reading to him each night and even choosing books that he can begin to pick out the sight words himself will also help. Also, my son is in K and has had his teacher every day and STILL can't tell me what he learns each day UNLESS I prod with questions. That is normal.
I really wasn't completely meaning to attack you and I apologize if I have - but - for your son's sake - PLEASE - figure out what you really want and accept it. Most teachers want to form a team with parents, not be attacked for being people who have lives themselves. She probably would rather life be a little easier right now and she could be at work each day. Honestly.

A lack of consistency? Have you BEEN pregnant? Consider that she might feel unwell, overwhelmed, exhausted, etc, and she's apparently got a room full of kindergarten students. Give the woman a little slack. Not everyone feels great during pregnancy...I know at least one woman who was sick sick throughout all three of hers.

You seem pretty uppity about this, I'm sorry. Do you know what they teach in kindergarten? I do. You're SERIOUSLY concerned about this affecting your child's education? I'm pretty sure they could bring a high schooler in for a sub, and it wouldn't damage your son's chances of furthering his education.

And you're sort of right...it would be unprofessional for you to ASK her, but are you in the same profession? Then it has nothing to do with being unprofessional...it has to do with tact and rudeness. Do not even consider confronting this woman. I think it's bad enough you asked what her "contingency" plan was for her absences.

Um...it's kindergarten.

Not sure if this will help you or give you some perspective, but I am home today with my oldest who is sick. I spent one hour making sub plans, addressing every little thing in them, including sending off two emails to colleagues to help the sub with tough things I intended to deal with today. All the while, my sick kid was by herself watching TV. When I finally finished, I managed to feed her (and myself, since I had a headache at this point), when I got a phone call from a colleague telling me there would be lockdown practice today, and my class is with a sub. We went over the procedure so she could tell the sub. I then realized I have to get to school later on to get a bunch of tests so I don't have them all waiting for me on Monday, and I can start correcting this weekend (mind you, I am "off the clock" on weekends). So my day "off" with MY OWN child who is sick is dwindling down to nothing. I have not showered yet. I have not done anything but school - plans, emails, phone calls. I answered a parent email in there too, about giving a kid extra time to take tests. After all that, I came to this site to take a mental break. Trust me, your son is FINE in kindergarten with a sub as long as the teacher is quality. She has likely left plans detailing every last second of the day the way most of us do, and what the kids should be accomplishing academically.

Phew, no wonder my eye is twitching and I never takes days off unless absolutely necessary... I wonder what it's like to have a job where you just call in sick and it ends there?

After reading past posts and having responded to your past posts..

GEES....... If you do not trust that your school hires qualified substitutes ( as ours does and I have subbed at the SAME school 10+ years) for one of the highest rated districts. . ....

Maybe you are some great scholar who should just homeschool your child so you can mold your child to your expectations.

I bet if you do... There will be a day where you are sick and God only knows what will happen when mom teacher is sick and you get a feel for the real life of a teacher.

Good grief. .. As a substitute teacher and well info the " know" of the school.... You are prepping yourself to be labeled as " the mom". And with that includes " the child"

Your child is in freaking kndergarten ! Come on... What are yo going to do at pre-teen/teen !!!

Honestly, after this many questions about the subject, I would just ask to move your child. You're concerned about his education and the lack of consistency with his teachers.

She, obviously, can't control her absences. As you said, it wouldn't be appropriate to ask her what's going on with her pregnancy, and that's not even really the issue. She's within her contract, her administrators are aware of the situation, and she's only going to be gone more frequently most likely.

Now, if your question REALLY is what you can do for her and how you can show your concern FOR HER, then that's a different subject all together. However, based on your last sentence in your question, I don't really think that's what you're asking.

Just get your child moved out of her class and move on. Explain your reasoning to her if you feel the need, but I think it's time you stopped worrying about it and actually did something about it.

To your SWH:

You say you don't know what you want, but I think you do. I think you want the administration to tell her she can't continue taking absences or she's gone. That's what every question you've written on this subject sounds like. You don't want your child to change classes because of social disruption, but you don't like that his teacher isn't there and his education is being disrupted. What you want is his teacher to be there or for a long-term, certified teacher to take her place. Those aren't your options to control. Sorry.

In Kindergarten, those "social" ties you're concerned about are transitory. They're friends at school and then likely completely forgotten about when they get home. They associate relationships with places - your child probably cannot imagine that these children exist outside of the classroom. He'll make new friends in his new class.

I apologize if this is harsh. I really do. I get that your concerned about your child and how his teacher's personal decisions are affecting him. However, after three questions on this subject you are still in the same place mentally. It's time to do something. I don't know what else you want us to suggest. You know the situation. You can't change the situation in the ways you would prefer. You need to change something so you can move on to a healthier place away from this constant worry.

ETA: I just had to add after re-reading your SWH that you sound very judgemental about why she is out. You say "I know how difficult it can be ... I worked full time through both of my pregnancies." It sounds like a typical mom-battle "*I* was able to do it, and my way is obviously the best way, so why can't *she* do it?" It really sounds like you're assuming that she's just taking off cause she feels a little bad, or she's taking a whole day off because she scheduled a doctor's appointment. You really have NO IDEA why she's out so much. Try giving her the benefit of the doubt and instead of focusing on **blaming** her (which you really are), focus on figuring out how to get your child what you think he needs.

Have you thought of the possibility that she's having a high risk pregnancy? And that it's none of your business? I'm honestly horrified at how much of a busybody you're being over this. You're not entitled to behave this way, grilling this woman when you have no clue what her situation is... and you're NOT entitled to know nor is she obligated to tell you.

You're coming excruciatingly close to violating her privacy (HIPAA anyone?) and overstepping some serious boundaries. She may not HAVE concrete answers for you if she's having a high risk pregnancy or a troubled pregnancy.

Your son and his classmates are and will be fine. The instant her situation becomes a problem, there will be a long-term substitute put into place and she'll have coverage for her classroom. Your child being in her class does NOT entitle you to her personal, private information. Period, full stop, exclamation mark.

I do not know what it is like where your school is, but at the school I work at we try and keep the same sub coming back in the room so the kids are familiar with her...

The biggest part of kindergarten is socialization and understanding the structure of a school setting. Yes, the teacher has been frequently absent, but is your child truly suffering, or do you just think he could be?

The school year I had my twins, I had to be out at least twice a week for NSTs. I had no idea when I would deliver my babies, and I understood parents would be a little uneasy. But, you know what helped me make it through? All of my parents were very understanding. No one questioned why I took off. No one grilled me about my plans for my absence. I was as prepared as I could be, and with twins I could've delivered anywhere from 32 weeks on or go on bedrest. But, the support I received was amazing. All I could do was leave the curriculum in place with what I had covered. I couldn't give my plan because I had no idea if I would need bed rest or deliver my precious babies early. So, if you truly want to "help" this teacher, simply give her a pat on the back. She doesn't need help in the classroom. She needs to know that you understand pregnancy and understand why she's out so much, although it sounds like you don't.

Also, just so you know, these absences fall under FMLA, so she is guaranteed at least 60 days of absences before any type of disciplinary action could be brought against her. Although, I'm not sure that would be the way to go.

I have not read the responses to any of the other questions, so forgive me if this is either repeated or should be completely dismissed. It sounds as though you are not quite sure why she is taking these days off. Yes it could be her pregnancy, but it could also be something like going to professional development that the school is sending her to (Or a combination of both). I would schedule a meeting with her and bring up your concern about her missing so many days of teaching. She will most likely offer up a reason, and you can take the conversation from there.

What do you want this teacher to do? What is it that you are after? My advise is to talk to the principal. That is her boss. Tell her your concerns and see if they are valid.

Also, your child is in kindergarten not high school. Sorry, but this isn't going to stunt his growth. You seem almost obsessed with this issue. If it is bugging you that bad like I said talk to the principal.

i have to ask... is there more going on that you are not happy with her performance? If so then address that with her bosses. But as someone else pointed out... her absenses are protected.
If this is truely just about her being out and the subs not performing well that is the pricipals issue.. not hers.. Her job is to make sure there are plans in place for the sub to carry out, and if she is like my husband.. she has some of these stockpiled.
as long as she has her plans in place for the sub... then your isses are with the school... not her and it is not fair to grill her about the plan for long term subs. That is not her job... or her call. That is the districts. dependent on availability and budgets.
If the subs she has for her absesnse are not doing work and just letting them watch TV or play games... again district/principal issue.. not hers
she is probably as stressed as you are about the absesnses and getting everything in order.... she does not need unrealistic pressure from parents on top of it. How would you feel if you were taking time off for a sick kid or youself, following all the rules and someone associated with your job was constantly questioning you??
Teachers get sick. They have babies, vacations, family emgergcies. Kids need to learn from a young age that just because teacher is not there does not mean the learning stops.
My sons kindergarten teacher was pregnant. She was also the JV coach for girl field hockey and needed to leave early at least 1 per week for games during the season. She had her plans in place, the sub executed them and my son did fine.

wow, you really need to realize that you and your child are not the center of anyone's universe but your own. yeah, it's a bummer that there's some inconsistancies this school year, but in the grand scheme, it's not a big deal! it's really not... your child is in kinder, he is interacting with his peers, he is learning to make social attachments with many adults, and is also learning the very "real world" lesson that different teachers have different expectations. please step back for a minute and TRULY think about the fact that you have NO IDEA what is going on with your child's teacher. have you really thought about ALL the possibilities? it's awesome that you're so awesome and were able to work full time, but did you ever realize that maybe you were blessed to have that ability? i spent MANY days in the hospital/ICU when i was pregnant, there's no way i would have been able to work - does that make me a lousy mother or a lazy person? maybe she's pregnant with twins and one has passed, could you imagine the grief and concern that would cause, as well as the physical risks to hear and the other baby? maybe she's having intermittent bleeding and there's a concern of her losing the baby? maybe she's experiencing preterm labor? maybe her baby is seriously malformed or has a serious health problem requiring frequent monitoring? maybe she's been diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant and is going through chemo? maybe she has hyperemesis gravidarum and it is a physical struggle to survivie one day to the next? maybe she suffers from severe pregnancy induced migraines? the point is, you don't know what she's going through, and HER concern is HER BABY, as it should be. she is probabliy doing the absolute best that she can do right now, and having someone like you breathing down her neck and asking her how/what she's doing in her classroom is not only rude, but somewhat arrogant on your part. realize that she is a human being first, with her own life/family, then your son's teacher. you are being very inflexible, you won't accept ANY solution other than her being in that classroom every day. you won't move your son b/c of this reason, you don't want a sub b/c of that reason. realize that you don't always get what you want, figure out what would be the best possible solution, and move on from there. you are going to have a major rep as "that mom" at your son's school and any real issues that arise are going to be taken with a grain of salt. seriously, have some compassion!

It is nice you are concerned, but when it comes to the education level I still think you are over thinking it. It is kindergarten, not college, I am sure the subs are doing fine. Although with this being the kids first year is school, it would be nice if they are at least using the same sub as often as possible.

Well, I honestly have to say that, after reading your posts, I don't think you are obsessing about the education but it sounds more like you have an issue with the teacher's choice to become pregnant again, and the reasons she is not in the classroom are not any of your business except to know that there will be a substitute that can handle the classroom and your child's needs. This teacher doesn't need your help, she needs you to take your concerns to the principal. If you have legitimate documentation that something negative has occurred as a result of her being absent, then you should pursue it. If not, you should consider that education is not just the responsibility of the school, but mostly the responsibility of the parents. Whatever "holes" there are in public education should be filled by the parents looking at what is being taught and supplementing with things that they feel are important for the child to learn as they grow. This is kindergarden, which is essentially a time for kids to get to know how to interact with other children in an educational setting. The ABC's and 123's should have already been started by you so anything your child is missing by a teacher being absent would be review anyway. Yes, they do some basic math problems and learn some easy words, but you can do this at home. I think that unless you have a tangible, documented incident of how this is affecting your son's development (must be specific or you won't be taken seriously and definitely labeled as "that" parent. NOT a good thing when your child is only in kindergarden!), I would turn all the energy you are using in focusing on the teacher's absences and turn it loose on finding creative ways to provide supplemental learning experiences outside the classroom for your child. If, however, you believe your child has special needs that aren't being met in the typical classroom, then you should request for a school placement evaluation to ensure that necessary things aren't being ignored. Then an IEP would be put into place, and whatever special accommodations your child needs would be listed for any teacher to implement in the classroom they are in. The school experience is only a tiny portion of the life skills your child will need throughout their lifetime, and a teacher missing days during kindergarden is a tiny blip on your child's school career. Good luck!

It's not up to you, nor are her pregnancy issues any of your business. It is up to the school and school district to provide a qualified, substitute teacher when your child's teacher is out. If she is violating her contract, which you indicate she is not, again, it is up to the school district to take action. If you have a complaint, you should contact the principal and/or school district.

This is your child's teacher and not a personal friend, so your question about "the proper way to show concern", could be viewed as invasive into someone's privacy.

If the class needs volunteer parents from time to time, that's what would be needed. However, it sounds like your personal schedule would not allow time for that.

Blessings.....

What is is it you want to know from her?

Make a list and take it to her.

Let her know you just cannot get through another week with her absences because you are worried your son is missing out on the consistency of the instruction..

Is the sub teacher always a different person or the same one each time?
Maybe you could ask the teacher if there is any way to get a regular sub..

If this will not work, I really suggest you talk with the teacher and just be honest. I am afraid your frustration with this is something your son can sense, especially since I am assuming you go with him to the class to see if teacher is there or ask him was teacher there today?

He is going to start thinking something is up and will probably end up telling her soon how concerned his mom is because she is always sick because she is pregnant or her children are always sick.

Just put it out there. Sounds like this is what you have wanted to do for these last 8 weeks.

Do you have a conference scheduled?
Ask her then. Ask her who subs, is it usually the same sub, is this sub going to be long term during her maternity leave, etc.
If your school doesn't have regular conferences--email or call the school and schedule O.!

Wow, I'm surprised at the harsh responses. I wanted to lend some perspective. My daughter, now 11, had her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teachers ALL either get pregnant and go on bedrest or deliver their babies about half way through the year, requiring a sub for the rest. Lots of us moms were worried like you- we didn't want the kids to be negatively affected. I will say that looking back- 1- our worry was normal and to be expected, but 2- in hindsight not necessary. The kids adjusted well, and truly, it is early school years, as long as the curriculum is followed, they'll be fine.

One funny note is that at back to school night for 4th grade the teacher told us that no fewer than 15 kids asked her on the first day "so when is YOUR baby due?" (totally not pregnant!!).

Anyway, if you are concerned here is what I would do. Talk to or send an e-mail to the principal saying "I understand Mrs. X's situation, and I also want to make sure that the kids school year remains consistent and undisrupted as much as possible. I'm sure you're on this, but I wanted to check in. And if there's anything I can do as a working mom volunteer, please let me know how I can help". This shows that you do have expectations for the year, but you are willing to be part of the solution.

For the record, I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Of course you care about and are concerned for the teacher, but your priority is your kid. There's a way to worry about both and you seem to be doing just that. Don't sweat it.

What is your intended outcome? I ask only because you sound frustrated with her inconsistency, but your question implies that you want to "help her".

I had a teacher working for me several years ago who had a very difficult time getting pregnant, so when she finally got pregnant she was so hyper paranoid that she called in sick each time a child in the building (she was a music teacher) had something viral or contagious. Our nurse maintained a list in her office of what was "going around". Essentially she took a sick day b/c she was afraid of getting sick. While I understood her concern, the lack of consistency was a real problem instructionally.

I had several parents approach me concerned and classroom teachers were upset due to frequent cancellations and subs. I met with our HR person who met with her. He insisted that she either take an unpaid leave or go out on medical leave with a doctor's note. Technically she had the "sick days", but she wasn't sick!

If there's a problem instructionally, then the district can and will address it. Contracts have limits. Express your concerns (specifically) to the principal. Changing classes two months into the school year is likely more disruptive to a Kindgergarten student than an absent teacher. Different routines, different methodology, different everything. It would be like starting over for him, but for nobody else.

Not sure if this helps at all, since looking back at previous posts you seem very unsure of what happens in a typical school setting.

I am a teacher here in MN and have been lucky/unlucky (depending on how you look at it) to have been pregnant three times in the past four years, all while only working as a substitute teacher. The area we live in is extremely hard to get a full-time or even part-time position in and unless you know someone who knows someone etc...you won't find a job. I finally came to realize that this is God's design for me-- I shouldn't teach full-time while I have little ones at home.

Now onto your delimma....My second was nine months old when I got pregnant with my current one (c-section Dec. 9). With my first two, who happened to be boys the pregnancy was very easy....no morning sickness etc....didn't really feel pregnant etc. I even did a long-term maternity leave subbing job when I was newly pregnant with my first one. Now, this time around, we still don't know what we are having but my husband swears it's a girl as his daughter's mother went through similar things that I was going through....I even ended up having to take anti-nausea medicine so that I could SUB for other teachers in April and May of this year.

This could be why your son's teacher is gone.......you also need to realize, at least in MN as far as my teacher understanding is, is that you cannot be hired to substitute unless you have a teaching license. I'm not sure if that's the same policy as in Florida, but if you are worried you can always check with the Florida Department of Education for clarification.

In the few schools that I do sub for I find it extremely hard to find subbing jobs, because the teachers have their favorite subs and they will request them if they can. We have also had a number of teachers retire recently and they are the first ones requested to sub in that school district. Your son may end up with someone like that.

Another reason that your son's teacher may be gone is that she has been asked to attend certain professional development meetings etc. With the No Child Left Behind still going on, there are more and more schools not reaching their AYP (actual yearly progress or something like that). What happens in the NCLB is that schools are expected to improve every single year....what happens if you have a greater number of special needs kids in your school etc....it doesn't matter according to NCLB--every child should be a the same level at any given time.

It could be that your teacher is the "head Kindergarten teacher" and needs go to training to bring back etc.

But if you are truely concerned, and you sound like you are, and feel comfortable, I'd ask........kind of like how you've done here. Just state, "I'm unfamiliar with how things go in school since soso is our first in school, but I'm curious why you have been gone so much? Are you doing training etc.?"

Most school districts would rather have their pg teachers plan for their doctor appointments to be done either before school, if possilbe or after school or on days off. That's what one of my co-workers was asked to do when I taught full-time.

I'm curious to see what you find out and look forward to reading your "What happened."

Not picking on you, just trying to see through this dilemma, If she is unable to be in the classroom for what ever reason, pregnancy, professional confrences, or plain she just has a day off, saying you can't change that, then what would you want to happen??? Do you want to pursue changing classrooms, Do you want to see her replaced by a full time sub? What would make you happy in this situation, if the factor of having her there consistenly is not possble.?

Again not picking on you just bringing it up to help you clarify your thoughts.

I still don't understand the issue, I know it is personal to you and you have some serious worries, I am not trying to discount that at all. I simply don't understand what worries you. The teacher has a curriculum, the assignments are planned out for the whole year. She can see the work they did while she was out, if it's not done right she just has them do it again so they are up to the next stage of class.

If she sees something didn't get done right by the substitute she has to do it again to teach the next level. So, it is done. No matter who taught it, I would think if a particular sub did not do her class right she would ask for them to not take her class the next time.

That's why I am having a hard time understanding, I wish you could say it in a different way so I could get it. I just don't see how it would matter who was standing in front of the class teaching them the things they have on the schedule for that day.

When my daughter was in the second grade, she had two teachers. They job shared. I thought it was going to be great - when one was sick or needed time off for whatever reason, the other could fill in. That was not the case. They had a substitute in that class more than any other class of any of my kids in any year. I was really irritated at the time. Aside from all the absences, they were polar opposites in terms of teaching styles and organization. I was really not happy with the situation at all, along with other mothers in the class. But it all turned out fine. My daughter's education didn't seem to suffer and she was no worse for the wear.

Meet with the principal and discuss your concerns about the parade of different subs and the plan for her maternity leave.

My daughter had a pregnant teacher in 1st grade. As soon as they found out they contracted with a permanent sub for the maternity leave and she was also the first sub called if the teacher was out for any reason prior to her leave. She wasn't always available, but she was most of the time. It gave the kids a chance to know her and her a chance to get familiar with the classroom before the teacher went on leave - so it worked out quite well. The sub herself was a dud, but that's another issue :)

.

Is this her first? Maybe she has just been really sick. My sister had to take medicine for her nausea, it was so bad with her first child she was hospitalized.
I would send her a note congratulating her and ask if she needs anything. I can understand how her being out a lot could affect the kids. My daughter loves her kindergarten teacher and she would be very upset if the teacher were missing days.

I don't have a solution for you other than try to switch his class I guess. But I sympathize with you. My K's teacher was out last Thursday I think for something training related and then this M-W to go to Disney World. My daughter was really bummed and I was miffed. My friend's son is in the same class and was crying on Monday when she wasn't there etc (he was out sick on Thurs). On one hand, shows how valuable she is that the kids miss her and once they make it through the day with a sub, it's a lesson that they can handle change. But I did think - geez, teachers get so much time off already with school vacations compared to other jobs, can't she go on vacation then?... It's only October. I'm not allowed to take vacation from my job whenever I want if it's bad timing for the work I need to get done. Flip side of course is perhaps she is getting paid less than many other professions and all this time off is the offset to the pay. So differents aspects to this situation but I thought of your post and just wanted to say I understand. The substitute was nice my daughter said but both my husband and I thought she seemed spacey and confused. I will say I wouldn't worry too much about the academic aspect of the substitute though. It's still just K. I have a 2nd grader too and it's 1st grade that the academics kick in around here. So if your son isn't emotionally too upset about the changes, try not to worry too much. But - I understand where you're coming from.

EDIT: reading the responses, a few other things came to mind. Our other friend's daughter's K teacher went out on maternity leave and it all went fine. I think the difference here may be the lack of consistency. I think their sub had been workign w/ the class for awhile and it was the same sub all the time etc so not such a constant switching. Other thing is LOTS of jobs don't let you really take a sick day. When I'm out sick from work, you bet I'm still working. Same for my husband and friends. So this idea that teachers have it so much harder than other people gets to be a bit much. And we're judged on how much time we take off for being sick etc. At other jobs, it's usually coworkers who are affected by someone being out all the time and I know coworkers who get mad at someone who's sick a lot - pregnant or not! WIth teachers, it's the kids who suffer. What's hard though is if this is a one year bad year for her and she's great normally and it's just your son's bad luck this year... I would find out about the consistency of the subs and if it's going to be really random, I'd change classes. This is going to eat at you. Finally, the teacher is within her legal rights so getting upset will only trouble you. I always figure it's public school. Either I deal with it or I send my kids to private...

I'm sure his academic progress in Kindergarten will be just fine if his teacher has absences. She tells the substitute what to do that day and the substitute follows her notes. They try to get the same sub each time for a case like this so there is consistency. Think of him or her as teacher #2. Your child will do just fine! Kids are very resilient and having a bit less consistency will not hurt them. Anyway - that is the way I think about this kind of situation. You can talk to the school admin office to see if the sub is the same one most of the time and if the teacher tells them what to do to keep the kids on the exact same course in the classroom. You can also volunteer once a week or on sub days if you can swing it...and that way you can see for yourself how things are going if you are really worried. Chances are the sub teacher is great. In my son's Kindergarten class I remember they always got the same male sub teacher and my son just adored him.

Talk to the principle. Ask if she has a preferred subsitute. It may help on her planned absences, but not so much on the short notice. These are valid concerns, and not at all uncommon. We had a similar issue and were able to get lined up with a sub that kept her schedule opened for this classroom. Not always but for most of the days covered we able to get some consitancy.

Just to set your mind at ease, why don't you call the school office and ask if she is ok, and see what they say.. I would ask to meet with the replacement teacher(s), if she is going to continue to be absent, just to know who they are and that your child is getting all of his needs met. She probably is, as you mentioned, going through something with the pregnancy...I wouldn't obsess over it..

My last pregnancy I had hyperemesis. This is a condition where morning sickness goes beyond morning sickness. You are ill the entire pregnancy, can't keep food down, can barely keep water down and, when it hits a certain point, the mother and baby's lives are in danger. At one point I was put on an IV to ensure that I got some nutrients in me to sustain our lives. The night before I delivered I slept on the bathroom floor (a place I slept 99% of the pregnancy) because I was so sick.

Is it possible that she's having major issues during this pregnancy? Or perhaps her husband has a disease which causes her to have to take him to the hospital regularly. Whatever the issue is, it seems to me like you're not even trying to be understanding. Your son is in Kindergarten. In kinder, they learn the basics. If you're working with him at home, then there shouldn't be a problem with him developmentally.

My daughter's teacher seems to be out a lot. I found out from other teachers though that they have been scheduling some in-service and training during the school day...so it's quite possible that she's actually in training so she can be a better teacher.

Lastly, your son is going to need to get used to seeing different teachers. It's a part of life. Unless your child has some sort of issue that makes it very difficult for him to adapt to new situations, then I say let it go and don't make a big deal out of it. The school knows how many days she's been gone and they'll deal with it.

T.:
There is nothing you can do to make her well or more able to do her job.
She doesn't owe you an explanation of her health and or home life.
It is up to her and or her employer to decide how to handle the situation.
You can either accept the situation or ask to move your child to another classroom. Those are your choices here.
Ordinarily it would be rude to go over her head regarding her performance but in this particular scenario it IS appropriate. First of all, i'd be shocked if the principal is not aware of her situation and second of all when a person is as ill as this teacher sounds it is appropriate spare them and let someone else field this type of complaint.

I don't know if there is anything you can do to help her be at school more. Does she always have the same sub or most of the time? Does that make it better? I think you only choice would be to go to the school and ask (repeatedly) if necessary to have him moved to another class. You've mentioned worrying about his progress but haven't offered up anything backing that. It's also very hard to tell as some of the kids start out slow and rally at the end. I know this really bothers you but other than getting him changed to another class, I don't know what to tell you. Also, if you take that route, make sure you know what you are getting into. "from the frying pan into the fire" comes to mind.

I have read every single one of your posts about this and honestly I am not sure exactly why this is such an issue for you. Does your son have any kind of issues that make having his teacher absent disrupt his learning? Are you seeing the quality of his work declining or his behavior in class becoming an issue? Does your son have an issue with change or inconsistency? Have any of the other parents expressed concerns about her absences? If the answer to these questions is no then I believe that, for what ever reason, you are the one with the problem. It seems to me you want her to stop being absent but unfortunately you cannot control that. The logical (and really only) solution for you would be to move him to another class. However you said you don't want to do that. So my advice is get over it. We've all had substitutes in our educational careers and some of us probably even had long term subs. I've never met a single person that said that their education suffered b/c they were taught by a sub. Substitutes are qualified professionals and wouldn't be allowed in the classroom otherwise. While I understand being concerned, you seem to have become obsessed and at this point I would worry that your obsessing about his teacher being absent is starting to affect your son more than his teacher actually being absent. As long as your son is happy and doing well just let it be. I hope you find peace with this issue.

I'm sorry, but you're on the fast track to becoming known as a "PITA" parent...and your son hasn't even been in school a semester!! It's not like it's his junior year and he's getting ready for the college application process. Kindergarten is more of a time for kids to get adjusted to the structure and format of a school day. It's not intensive academic "progress".

I know you're concerned, but if your son is not showing signs of distress with the inconsistency (outside of your making a big deal of it) you need to let this go.

I'm not sure what you want the school to do for you outside of switching his classes, which you said you didn't want. You cannot demand anything of this teacher beyond what she has given and the extent to which you're tracking her is borderline creepy.

Please don't be THAT parent. There will always be something to be "concerned" about, but you need to gain some perspective (which the moms on here have freely given) and not over assert yourself as this will be a detriment to your kids.

Case in point: We had a student go to the high school whose mom was always known for being pushy with teachers and NO ONE wanted her in their classes for the sole reason that they did not want to deal with her mom. It's a shame...she's a sweet kid....but mom has really hurt her by getting such a reputation.

Please take this in stride and relax before you stress out your son, the teacher and the administrators. In this instance, it is not worth it.

Gosh, I'm just worried she might sign up for Mamapedia and see all this. That would put alot of stress on her mind and body!