Parent/teacher conferences

My oldest is in kindergarten now, so this is my first experience with elementary school parent/teacher conferences. I was always under the impression that they are at night. But we just got the sign up info and they have two days of conferences, and only day time options, ending at 2:30. My husband and I both work, so this makes it difficult for us. Just wondering if this is the norm.

Re: Parent/teacher conferences

I think it is.
My district does half days for those 2 or 3 days.
The kids get out around noon time, and then the conferences are in the afternoons.
Which is doubly annoying because now you need childcare if you both want to go to the conference or if one parent can't get out of work anyway.

Very annoying.

Parent/teacher conferences

Ours were always at night. I still remember waiting for my parents to come home hoping I wasn't in trouble lol

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During the day and you could sign up when the kids have half days for conference days but I always went on my lunch hour on another day.

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This is not the norm. Both the district I work in and live in offer evening and day options. Parents work, they need other options. The teacher may have just made a schedule based on her preference and hoped slots would be taken during the day. I would check your district calendar to see if there is an evening set aside for conferences. If not, I would contact your child's teacher and see if perhaps you can get an early morning appointment. Worse case, you could ask for a phone conference (I've done those with parents). I have also met with parents on a day that was not conference day to meet with them to accommodate work schedule.

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We have sign ups for the year but they are at back yo school night. They do two evenings in the fall one morning. It is first come first serve for the list. If you get to the list late you get what you get, but there is a chance to get an evening. Most people take the morning off. The meetings are only 15 mins in the fall and 10 mins in the spring. Some will take the 9 am slot then go to work. This is what DH does. But with multiple kids and schools many end up doing one evening and one morning.

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Our school has half days for parent teacher meetings

Appointments start at noon until 4 and then back up from 5 to 7.

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Our's was yesterday during the work day (2:15).

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my daughters conferences are during the day. Each classroom has their own date and conferences are scheduled in 30 minute sessions throughout the day.

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I don't have kids in school yet but my friend just went to one and her appointment was at night.

just a rant but I cant stand the lack of thought and consideration schools/teachers have for families who may actually have 2 parents working. not everyone has parent that is a SAH and not everyone has jobs that are flexible!!!

if I was you I would def. be complaining to the teacher/school that the time given are unacceptable for you to be able to attend any of them.

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Ours start at 3pm go til 6.

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Ours has both - two days they have appts during the day and one of those has evening as well. During open house my SIL told me to look around the room for the sign up sheet so last year we remembered right away and got a 7:00. But I was on my own this year and forgot until I saw other parents standing around to sign up but was still able to get an 8:00PM appt. I felt bad rushing to sign up - I'm sure lots of parents are in our position where it's difficult to do during the day.

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Ours offers both

Re: Parent/teacher conferences

Re: Parent/teacher conferences

At DS' school, the parent teacher conference only took place on Election Day during the day. I have a phone conference scheduled with the teacher on Friday morning.

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We are in the 5 boros. My DS' school does the afternoon (which I don't even know the times because I don't pay attention) and 5-7:30

Every single year I have asked for and gotten the last time slot without a problem because I commute to and from Manhattan and am a single parent.

To the poster who said schools aren't considerate, that must be yours because I have always had a great experience with things, but sometimes you have to ask and they can accommodate you

Message edited 11/4/2015 3:54:04 PM.

Re: Parent/teacher conferences

Posted by Straightarrow

We are in the 5 boros. My DS' school does the afternoon (which I don't even know the times because I don't pay attention) and 5-7:30

Every single year I have asked for and gotten the last time slot without a problem because I commute to and from Manhattan and am a single parent.

To the poster who said schools aren't considerate, that must be yours because I have always had a great experience with things, but sometimes you have to ask and they can accommodate you

Re: Parent/teacher conferences

Our school has 2 teacher work days where kids are off from school and conferences are held during the day 8:30-3pm. 2 afternoons were also offered at 3:30 and 3:45. No evenings.

We picked 3:30 last year and this year. DH took a half day off from work to attend. I'm not working this year so I could go anytime. Last yr, I wasn't able to get out of work so DH conferenced me in.

Re: Parent/teacher conferences

Our SD will try to schedule them on 1/2 days but if you cannot do those meetings they will do before school and a phone conference whenever it is needed.