Good News, Bad News, Progress Reports

School has now been in long enough that progress reports are going home. Some parents will be delighted by their student's success. Others will be angry and hurt.

What should you do if you have disappointing news? Here are a few steps:

• Check to see if your school offers a way for you to check grades online daily. That way you can encourage your child to complete missing assignments and limit the surprises. 
• Call the teacher. Not the counselor, administrators, or your friend who works at the school. The classroom instructor is the only one who can really tell you what's going on. 
• Don't call multiple people about the same problem. If you haven't heard back in 48 hours, call an administrator. If you call many staff members at the same time, we begin to think someone else will take care of things. It delays our actions. 
• Hold your child responsible. If there are zeros or incomplete assignments, take away privileges until grades improve. A student suddenly without a cell phone is highly motivated to work. 
• Work with the school to get your child to tutorials. If you need to ask a neighbor or family member for transportation help, do so.