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Case Study: Impatient Parents

Case Study: Impatient Parents

Michelle A. Kuby

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-519: Clinical Internship I: Learner-Centered Leadership

Dr. Sylvia Borja

January 20, 2021

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Case Study: Impatient Parents

Case Analysis

In the case of Impatient Parents, the assistant principal is tasked with handling a situation

involving an upset parent who is not following the proper procedures set by the school. The

parent, Ms. Lemming, walks in visibly upset and asks the secretary to meet with the principal

and states she does not have much time. Her daughter has been dealing with harassment from

another student in her geometry class, and has not received a response from the teacher, even

though she only contacted them the previous night. Ms. Lemming has not scheduled an

appointment and unfortunately the principal is out of the building for meetings. The secretary

asks if Ms. Lemming would like to meet with the assistant principal instead. During the meeting

of the assistant principal and Ms. Lemming, the assistant principal asked to meet with Ms.

Lemming, her daughter, and the geometry teacher, who had been contacted by Ms. Lemming and

whose class the harassment has been occurring in. Ms. Lemming stated that this was not

possible, and she expected the situation to be dealt with.

There are a few issues that need to be resolved by the assistant principal. The first is to

make sure that the parent feels heard and knows that the situation will be addressed. Another

issue is the harassment report that the student is dealing with. These issues include several

stakeholders. The geometry teacher is a stakeholder because the harassment is taking place in

their class and has been contacted by the parent. Ms. Lemming and her daughter are also

stakeholders, because their complaints are the reason for this interaction. The assistant principal

is a stakeholder due to the fact that they were the administrator in charge while the principal was

out of the building. Although the principal was not present for this interaction, they are still

considered a stakeholder because they are the leader of the school.

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Case Study: Impatient Parents
According to the Peoria Public Schools Policy Handbook, each school is a zero-tolerance

zone. The Assistant Principal is required to create a bullying report form, discuss the rights the

victim of bullying has, and notify parents. [ CITATION Pol21 \l 1033 ] After the situation has

been assessed, it is up to the administration to determine the appropriate disciplinary actions.

This could be something as minor as changing classes to separate the parties involved, or

something as drastic as expulsion if the report proves necessary. The state of Illinois has created

code 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7 to discuss the description of harassment/bullying and the repercussions

associated with such actions. It is important that all schools handle harassment issues

responsibly. A great example is the case L.W. v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of

Education. According to Education Law Center, “… a school district can be sued for damages

under the Law Against Discrimination for failing to respond to bias-based student bullying and

harassment.” [ CITATION Bul \l 1033 ]

Although there are several issues in this case study, the solution suggested could resolve

both issues. The assistant principal stated the appropriate next steps on how to handle the

situation, and that was to meet with Ms. Lemming, her daughter, and the geometry teacher. This

requires a bit of flexibility from the mother, as she stated that she won’t have time to meet due to

her job. If the mother cannot schedule a time to meet, the assistant principal should still meet

with the geometry teacher and the student to assess the situation. After this meeting, the assistant

principal should meet with the student who is the harasser to get all information necessary. Once

all information has been gathered, and all stakeholders have been addressed, the assistant

principal needs to follow the district policy guidelines on harassment, if her assessment does in

fact prove the situation is occurring.

Rationale
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Case Study: Impatient Parents
If I were the assistant principal in the case of the Impatient Parent, I would have

approached the situation in the same manner the assistant principal did initially. Providing a safe

space for the parent to express their frustration and concern without feeling attacked is very

important for and educational leader to do. It would be imperative to have a meeting with the

mother, daughter and the geometry teacher together, so scheduling a time to do so would be my

next priority. Due to the fact that Ms. Lemming stated she does not have any time, I would try to

be respectful but firm about the importance of having this meeting before any further steps of

action can occur. I would suggest that even if she could not physically be there, she could call in

to the meeting so that her voice is heard, and she has the opportunity to discuss the problem with

the geometry teacher in a safe space. Although I do not believe Ms. Lemming approached the

situation in an appropriate way, it is important as an educational leader to remain unbiased.

I would then conduct a meeting with the other student who is involved to hear both

parties’ sides and gather as much information as necessary. It is important to stay impartial in all

situations as the assistant principal. If I have preconceived notions about a student, or I do not

hear all sides of the story, including the teachers, then I have not been fair in my assessment and

actions.

Before making a decision, I would meet with the geometry teacher independently.

Although they were in the meeting with Ms. Lemming and her daughter, this does not provide an

appropriate space for the teacher to discuss the actions occurring without feeling pressure from

the parent. Once I have met with all stakeholders involved in the situation, I would sit down with

the principal to review the situation and analyze the decision. Due to the fact that I do not know

the severity of the harassment, only the words described by the mother, I cannot make a

disciplinary decision. My options would be to give something as minor as a warning to the

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Case Study: Impatient Parents
student, change classes so there are no more interactions, or even consider a suspension, but this

would depend on my findings.

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Case Study: Impatient Parents

References

Bullying. (n.d.). Retrieved from Education Law Center:

https://edlawcenter.org/issues/bullying.html

Policies. (2021, January). Retrieved from Peoria Public Schools:

https://www.peoriapublicschools.org/Page/24430