Case
Parent secretly contacting former parapro!

A parapro appraoches his former teacher letting her know that a student's parent has contacted him and asked for them to speak secretly. It started when the parent called up to the school to speak to the para. The para was given the message per the secretary. This para did not know who it was that called him, so he called the number back from his cell phone which gave this parent his phone number. The parent states that she wants to see how her child is doing in school and would like to contact him, instead of the teacher. The teacher has been this child's teacher for multiple years as the child is in SPED. The parapro reminds the parent that he is no longer working in the classroom. She insist they talk but to keep it a secret. The parapro agrees just to get this parent off the phone and immediately informs his former teacher. Over the weekend, the parapro gets random texts of "hey, what are you up to?" from the parent. This makes the parapro very uncomfortable so he does not respond.

What should he do? Should admins get involved?

Posted on: 10/18/14 | Views: 1014
Solution #1
We have been cautioned to never give our personal information to parents, even in the SPED program. Does the para know the parent outside of work? Yes, the administration should definitely be involved. The situation is bordering harassment. The parent's number can be blocked as a temporary fix to the text messages, but a meeting should be called to let the parent know their behavior is inappropriate, because apparently the parent wants more than updates on the child.

Excellent suggestion!

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Solution #2
I would absolutely notify administration. First, I suggest that the paraprofessional tell the parent to contact the teacher or administration with questions as they are no longer working with the student.

Excellent suggestion!

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Solution #3
In any situation where a parent or even a school member starts to overstep their grounds administration should be informed so that context of the situation is kept. This situation must be dealt with swiftly because it could escalate into an ugly situation.
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Solution #4
Yes the administration should get involved to make sure that someone is aware of the situation. He could block all access from the parent, text messages and phone calls. He could also tell the parent that he does not work with her child and it is not appropriate to contact him.

Excellent suggestion!

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