Beatboxtaun

I have just had it with everything I hear about my son, Benji's, Orchestra teacher. I just had to write her this letter today to show my dislike of how she handles her profession. She brags that she teaches Orchestra to so many different schools, yet it has been nothing but an interference with my son's class. Not only that, she is probably doing it because she needs the money, rather than for the pleasure of her hobby because she has her favorites in her class and I can see it, as a parent. It is no problem if she needs the money, but she brags about it as though all these schools are begging for her.

Plus she also brags about the sixth graders playing middle school songs, yet she is threatening their progress report grades with how well their entire section plays, rather than the individual student. I don't care about the other student's grades, I care about my son's first. The other students don't report to me.

Anyhow, this is the letter I just got done writing up and will deliver to her tomorrow.


Ms. Serrano,

I wanted to address a few occurrences that have been less than pleasing to hear. I hear, more often than one would expect, that Benjamin and his classmates take their instruments to school and walk on over to class, only to find out that there is no class, due to your absence. This is not what is bothersome, what is bothersome is that if you have so many other schools to tend to, it may be best to have the front desk alert the teachers that you are not going to make it. A notice a day prior, if possible, would alleviate some of the problems of the children lugging their instruments to school, when they do not need to. Understandably, that is not always a possibility, however if it is, it would assist them. Benjamin said that the sixth graders did not have orchestra again yesterday. He believed it was due to the TAKS retesting, since they did not have orchestra the entire time of TAKS testing. He told me that he was not going to take his violin today and I agreed. He found out that they did, in fact, have class with you. Since he did not bring his instrument, he asked Mrs. Logsdon if he could stay in class with her so that he can get some work done, instead of just sitting in your class, unproductively. Mrs. Logsdon allowed him to do so. The rest of the class came back to advise Benjamin that you were upset with him for not showing up to class. I do not understand why, if he had a legitimate reason on why he believed you to be a no call-no show the day prior. It sounded reasonable to me.

Benjamin had also advised me that you had given him second violin on the Batman song. He told me that he asked you why he could not get first, since he truly felt that he was doing better. He advised me that you responded by telling him it was because Marco and Pierson are not doing well and you need Benjamin to play second violin to encourage and help them. This is quite perplexing. This is either an excuse just given to him, or a punishment.


Also, I had noticed myself, as well as my husband, that you play favorites with the class and this is concerns me. I had asked Benjamin if you have your favorites in the class and he definitely confirmed that. At first, I couldn’t understand why Benjamin had been pushed down seats, because he was doing so well. My concern is that the progress report and report card grades are rather low for an orchestra class. Benjamin advised me that you would grade the section, as a whole, and if someone messes up you know that they “are not doing their homework and know what grade to put on their progress report.” How can the entire section, make Benjamin’s grade? This is just plain silly.



I was also quite upset to find out that I purchased a book that was never used in class. I was tardy in purchasing it, due to a move, and you had told them in the beginning of the school year, that if they didn’t show up with it, on a particular day, you would give them a 50% as a grade that would affect the progress report. So I ran around everywhere until I finally found it, spent the money to buy it, and find out that it was never used, even with three and a half weeks left of school. I try to buy just what they need for school, since I have to worry about my supplies as well.



It is very discouraging to know that there are favorites and to see it first-hand, as well. I do not wish my child to be the favorite, at all. I just wanted them to be treated with equality, just as a teacher should treat their students. All I wanted was for him to enjoy going to class and getting the feeling I got when I went to a class, where I knew that the teacher genuinely cared for me. Instead, I’m just looking forward to him moving on to a class, in which he can have a teacher that can nourish his gift, rather than neglect it.

Thank you for your time,
Tanya Valdez