Student-teacher dynamics vs. parent-teacher dynamics

So, what exactly do you suggest we do then?
How do we fix this mess today? Schools are failing, the system and the laws are broken, parents are clueless... You know where this is heading? It’s leading straight to the rise of private schools. People will choose whatever they can afford, while the public system slowly turns into a series of bunkers. Once those private academies actually take off, you'll probably need a bulletproof vest and a security guard just to show up for class.

What's the move?

''Lord'', our principal, tried to implement a "dress code" at school for both students and teachers. Guess who the biggest critics were? The very people you put in quotation marks. Did that dress code ever actually work? Nope! It seems like the old days—twenty or thirty years ago—had a much more organized system. And I'm not talking about the curriculum. Back then, authority was respected, and school was definitely one of those institutions. The curriculum hasn't changed much, but respect for authority has hit rock bottom.
Now, tell me: what's your actual solution, aside from just arguing and spreading demagoguery?
I use these posts to state my opinion, and every once in a while, a handful of people give me a concrete, sensible response explaining their reasoning. I haven't read a single one from you. Not one solid answer, just empty political maneuvering without any real solutions. Sorry, maybe I missed something?

I honestly feel like some people in this thread have built up these massive, cinematic delusions about how things actually work... I mean, let’s be realistic here—our public schools aren't exactly popping off like they do in those high-budget Hollywood movies. Most of the time, everything just functions perfectly fine, in a standard, unremarkable sort of way. You have most teachers finding that weary middle ground between a soul-crushing lecture and trying too hard to put on some theatrical performance to pass the hour. Most of them manage to maintain a decent level of discipline in the classroom without much fuss. And frankly, most students successfully navigate their curriculum and move on with their lives just fine. When things go sideways, it’s almost always an isolated incident involving specific individuals, and those issues get handled as they come. At the end of the day, school remains a fundamentally positive institution, possessing its own unique set of highs and lows, much like just about everything else we encounter in this life.

Elizabeth Patel67 said:I honestly feel like some people in this thread have built up these massive, cinematic delusions about how things actually work... I mean, let’s be realistic here—our public schools aren't exactly popping off like they do in those high-budget Hollywood movies. Most of the time, everything just functions perfectly fine, in a standard, unremarkable sort of way. You have most teachers finding that weary middle ground between a soul-crushing lecture and trying too hard to put on some theatrical performance to pass the hour. Most of them manage to maintain a decent level of discipline in the classroom without much fuss. And frankly, most students successfully navigate their curriculum and move on with their lives just fine. When things go sideways, it’s almost always an isolated incident involving specific individuals, and those issues get handled as they come. At the end of the day, school remains a fundamentally positive institution, possessing its own unique set of highs and lows, much like just about everything else we encounter in this life.

I completely agree with this.
The problems in education aren't going away; they're just piling up, and the kids are the ones paying the price. I'm telling you, something has to change.

Jessica Howard5 said:So, what exactly do you suggest we do then?
How do we fix this mess today? Schools are failing, the system and the laws are broken, parents are clueless... You know where this is heading? It’s leading straight to the rise of private schools. People will choose whatever they can afford, while the public system slowly turns into a series of bunkers. Once those private academies actually take off, you'll probably need a bulletproof vest and a security guard just to show up for class.

What's the move?

''Lord'', our principal, tried to implement a "dress code" at school for both students and teachers. Guess who the biggest critics were? The very people you put in quotation marks. Did that dress code ever actually work? Nope! It seems like the old days—twenty or thirty years ago—had a much more organized system. And I'm not talking about the curriculum. Back then, authority was respected, and school was definitely one of those institutions. The curriculum hasn't changed much, but respect for authority has hit rock bottom.
Now, tell me: what's your actual solution, aside from just arguing and spreading demagoguery?
I use these posts to state my opinion, and every once in a while, a handful of people give me a concrete, sensible response explaining their reasoning. I haven't read a single one from you. Not one solid answer, just empty political maneuvering without any real solutions. Sorry, maybe I missed something?

You're asking me?
Like I said, just hire actual experts to do their jobs. Obviously, that works better if we actually fix the economy first... but how? Honestly, if I knew, life would be a whole lot easier for everyone.😁
Every single school needs its own psychologist and social worker. Early detection is key—catch things the second a kid shows even a tiny sign of trouble.
It’s all about prevention. We need workshops, guest speakers, educational programs, structured extracurriculars, free sports, more public parks, and real support for parents who are struggling. Just constant outreach and education for families.
Basically: prevention, early intervention, and letting the professionals handle it. Teachers are just one small part of the chain; they aren't trained for this, and they're already swamped with their own workload (which, let's face it, needs an overhaul too).

I’m with Elizabeth Patel67 on this one—I honestly haven't gotten the impression that things have become a total nightmare. There were school fights long before this... entire classes would group up just to clash with another group. And the bullying? It was always there, whether it was minor or more intense, with kids throwing insults like "loser" or "ugly"... kids will say anything, really. Back in the day, they’d pass little notes around the classroom calling someone a slut because they used to date Mark but now they're seeing his friend John—except now, all that stuff just gets posted on Facebook instead of being scribbled on scraps of paper or scrawled on the bathroom stalls. Kids will be kids. At the end of the day, it comes down to how they're raised at home: you have to teach them that spreading rumors isn't okay, but you also need to build up their self-esteem enough so they don't completely spiral when someone calls them "runt" or "fat"—preventing those tragic cases we see in the news where kids actually take their own lives.

Rachel Jones8 said:You're asking me?
Like I said, just hire actual experts to do their jobs. Obviously, that works better if we actually fix the economy first... but how? Honestly, if I knew, life would be a whole lot easier for everyone.😁
Every single school needs its own psychologist and social worker. Early detection is key—catch things the second a kid shows even a tiny sign of trouble.
It’s all about prevention. We need workshops, guest speakers, educational programs, structured extracurriculars, free sports, more public parks, and real support for parents who are struggling. Just constant outreach and education for families.
Basically: prevention, early intervention, and letting the professionals handle it. Teachers are just one small part of the chain; they aren't trained for this, and they're already swamped with their own workload (which, let's face it, needs an overhaul too).

I was mostly thinking about Lord with that question. But yeah, I agree with everything you wrote.

I appreciate all the well-meaning advice everyone has shared. Tomorrow, I’ll take whatever steps I need to take. I know for certain that I won't be filing a report with either the police or the local childcare center... just saying.

It feels like we’re seeing more and more articles like this lately... and I have to ask again, how much longer can this go on?

Oh, yes, the headlines are certainly piling up, aren't they? It seems like every time I refresh my feed, there’s yet another sensationalist piece screaming about some new crisis. But one has to wonder if there truly is such a massive surge in violence as these media outlets would have us believe... As someone who spends their entire day navigating the halls of an American school, I find myself looking at the reality on the ground and feeling quite skeptical of the alarmism.

I would appreciate your perspective or perhaps some advice regarding this situation:
My child is currently in third grade at a small rural school. There are four students in his specific class, making a total of twelve in the grade. The teacher commutes every day from a town roughly 16 miles miles away.
The issue stems from his relationship with the students. His aggressive and condescending attitude—referring to them as "stupid hillbillies"—manifests almost daily; he screams at the children so loudly that the noise reaches our house, which is about 150 yards away.
Last year, my son came home in tears because the teacher had slapped him. I called him immediately, of course, but he denied everything. It was simply his word against my child's, which I pointed out to him. After a few minutes, he actually called me and demanded that I come to the school right then with my son so we could "settle things." When we arrived, he loomed over my child and asked, "Do you even know what a slap is? Let me show you: a slap is when I hit your cheek with my palm. But I didn't hit you with my palm; I used a textbook. That isn't a slap."
At that point, I lost my patience and asked him if he preferred to "slap him with a textbook or a chair?"
He then began making excuses, claiming it isn't easy working with so many kids, or asking if I realized he was alone with nine students (last year there were nine).
I requested that this never happen again. I didn't want to report him initially, as I felt bad thinking he might lose his job—he has a family to support.
It seemed as though that gave him a sense of impunity, as the daily screaming continued unabated.
Because of this, I complained to the principal of the main school (though I kept the slapping incident to myself at that time), and she said she would have a conversation with the teacher.

This school year hasn't brought any changes whatsoever. The constant yelling has reached a point where my son has started crying every single day. He would even break down at school, leading the teacher to send him home or call my wife to come calm him down. We repeatedly pleaded with him to stop screaming at the children, explaining that we don't raise our son to yell like that. Eventually, it escalated to the point where the boy would leave for school crying every morning.
At the teacher's suggestion, the school sent him to a child psychologist. Psychology told us that everything was fine with the boy, but that he just needed to "toughen up."
I should mention that my son is incredibly outgoing with everyone—he'll chat with a cashier, a waitress, or anyone he meets for the first time—but he completely freezes up around this teacher (he even asked me, "Do you realize he won't talk to me?").
At the start of the second semester, the teacher lost his temper again and slapped a second grader, throwing him to the floor and kicking him. That little boy kept it to himself at home, but he told our son. We informed the parents, but their reaction was quite lukewarm.
I reported everything to the principal and the school counselor. The teacher denied everything. He pressured the students to say nothing happened. He even asked the entire class who had told their parents about it. My son, since we teach him to always tell the truth, spoke up, only to be called a liar and a "lowlife" by the teacher in front of the whole class!!!
The principal, the counselor, and a school specialist all arrived. They interviewed the students individually, and every single student confirmed the incident (it turned out there were other things, like being punched in the stomach and similar things).
However, the response was utterly useless... the principal essentially said, "Well, I've slapped a student once too—we're all human..."

I wasn't going to let this slide, so I threatened to report everything to the Department of Education and Child Protective Services. I demanded that they either remove the teacher or I would transfer my child to the main school (even though he’d have to commute, whereas this local school is only 150 yards from our house). The principal argued that changing environments wouldn't be good for the child, asked me to be patient until spring break, and promised she would handle it.
Just before the break, we were called into the school, presumably to see if we would stand our ground. I stated clearly that I do not want this teacher as my child's educator, though I agreed to wait until the end of the school year (as the principal pleaded with me).

Now, as the school year winds down, the teacher announced at a parent meeting that my son would receive mostly Bs across the board. He claimed, "Everything is between a B and an A, but this will motivate the student to work harder next year."
It isn't that I care about my son having straight As, but I feel this is fundamentally unfair to a child who worked hard all year. For instance, his art project is being selected for an exhibition, and he has straight As except for one C (because he didn't have a soft brush during a timed task).

I reached out to the principal again today—mostly because I'm trying to get some clarity regarding next school year—just so I can finally figure out where my child will be attending. She mentioned that she "has a few ideas in mind," though she noted she won't have any concrete information regarding the scheduling until July 10th.

I suppose I am looking for some perspective here—how should I approach this? Should I be taking any specific steps now, or would it perhaps be better to just wait?

Paul Kern12 said:I would appreciate your perspective or perhaps some advice regarding this situation:
My child is currently in third grade at a small rural school. There are four students in his specific class, making a total of twelve in the grade. The teacher commutes every day from a town roughly 16 miles miles away.
The issue stems from his relationship with the students. His aggressive and condescending attitude—referring to them as "stupid hillbillies"—manifests almost daily; he screams at the children so loudly that the noise reaches our house, which is about 150 yards away.
Last year, my son came home in tears because the teacher had slapped him. I called him immediately, of course, but he denied everything. It was simply his word against my child's, which I pointed out to him. After a few minutes, he actually called me and demanded that I come to the school right then with my son so we could "settle things." When we arrived, he loomed over my child and asked, "Do you even know what a slap is? Let me show you: a slap is when I hit your cheek with my palm. But I didn't hit you with my palm; I used a textbook. That isn't a slap."
At that point, I lost my patience and asked him if he preferred to "slap him with a textbook or a chair?"
He then began making excuses, claiming it isn't easy working with so many kids, or asking if I realized he was alone with nine students (last year there were nine).
I requested that this never happen again. I didn't want to report him initially, as I felt bad thinking he might lose his job—he has a family to support.
It seemed as though that gave him a sense of impunity, as the daily screaming continued unabated.
Because of this, I complained to the principal of the main school (though I kept the slapping incident to myself at that time), and she said she would have a conversation with the teacher.

This school year hasn't brought any changes whatsoever. The constant yelling has reached a point where my son has started crying every single day. He would even break down at school, leading the teacher to send him home or call my wife to come calm him down. We repeatedly pleaded with him to stop screaming at the children, explaining that we don't raise our son to yell like that. Eventually, it escalated to the point where the boy would leave for school crying every morning.
At the teacher's suggestion, the school sent him to a child psychologist. Psychology told us that everything was fine with the boy, but that he just needed to "toughen up."
I should mention that my son is incredibly outgoing with everyone—he'll chat with a cashier, a waitress, or anyone he meets for the first time—but he completely freezes up around this teacher (he even asked me, "Do you realize he won't talk to me?").
At the start of the second semester, the teacher lost his temper again and slapped a second grader, throwing him to the floor and kicking him. That little boy kept it to himself at home, but he told our son. We informed the parents, but their reaction was quite lukewarm.
I reported everything to the principal and the school counselor. The teacher denied everything. He pressured the students to say nothing happened. He even asked the entire class who had told their parents about it. My son, since we teach him to always tell the truth, spoke up, only to be called a liar and a "lowlife" by the teacher in front of the whole class!!!
The principal, the counselor, and a school specialist all arrived. They interviewed the students individually, and every single student confirmed the incident (it turned out there were other things, like being punched in the stomach and similar things).
However, the response was utterly useless... the principal essentially said, "Well, I've slapped a student once too—we're all human..."

I wasn't going to let this slide, so I threatened to report everything to the Department of Education and Child Protective Services. I demanded that they either remove the teacher or I would transfer my child to the main school (even though he’d have to commute, whereas this local school is only 150 yards from our house). The principal argued that changing environments wouldn't be good for the child, asked me to be patient until spring break, and promised she would handle it.
Just before the break, we were called into the school, presumably to see if we would stand our ground. I stated clearly that I do not want this teacher as my child's educator, though I agreed to wait until the end of the school year (as the principal pleaded with me).

Now, as the school year winds down, the teacher announced at a parent meeting that my son would receive mostly Bs across the board. He claimed, "Everything is between a B and an A, but this will motivate the student to work harder next year."
It isn't that I care about my son having straight As, but I feel this is fundamentally unfair to a child who worked hard all year. For instance, his art project is being selected for an exhibition, and he has straight As except for one C (because he didn't have a soft brush during a timed task).

I reached out to the principal again today—mostly because I'm trying to get some clarity regarding next school year—just so I can finally figure out where my child will be attending. She mentioned that she "has a few ideas in mind," though she noted she won't have any concrete information regarding the scheduling until July 10th.

I suppose I am looking for some perspective here—how should I approach this? Should I be taking any specific steps now, or would it perhaps be better to just wait?

How are you reading the other parents' attitudes?

I suppose I'd say that your chances of actually resolving this depend heavily on whether the other parents are still clinging to those outdated, old-school views about corporal punishment—you know, that "back in my day" mentality. If they are—and if they truly believe that kind of discipline is acceptable—then I suspect your prospects are quite slim... because, in all likelihood, the teacher and the rest of the school administration will end up siding with them and turning the whole situation against you.

Nicholas King said:How are you reading the other parents' attitudes?

I suppose I'd say that your chances of actually resolving this depend heavily on whether the other parents are still clinging to those outdated, old-school views about corporal punishment—you know, that "back in my day" mentality. If they are—and if they truly believe that kind of discipline is acceptable—then I suspect your prospects are quite slim... because, in all likelihood, the teacher and the rest of the school administration will end up siding with them and turning the whole situation against you.

For some, that harsh approach is perfectly acceptable—even preferred—while others seem relatively indifferent toward the school system and their children's education, essentially thinking, "as long as they just make it through middle school."
The teacher is certainly aware of this dynamic; he actually told me, "We'll have to see what the other parents think—you can't force my hand here."

Paul Kern12 said:For some, that harsh approach is perfectly acceptable—even preferred—while others seem relatively indifferent toward the school system and their children's education, essentially thinking, "as long as they just make it through middle school."
The teacher is certainly aware of this dynamic; he actually told me, "We'll have to see what the other parents think—you can't force my hand here."

I suppose the teacher is probably right, much as it pains me to admit it.

Don't you see how the divergence between your parenting style and everyone else's starts to manifest in the gap between your child and the rest of the group? It wouldn't be an unreasonable leap to assume that, over time, your child might—slowly but surely—become a bit of an outsider to their peers.

Looking at the long game here, how do you envision your child's future within a social circle that—if I am interpreting your situation correctly—is fundamentally different from your own values?

Nicholas King said:I suppose the teacher is probably right, much as it pains me to admit it.

Don't you see how the divergence between your parenting style and everyone else's starts to manifest in the gap between your child and the rest of the group? It wouldn't be an unreasonable leap to assume that, over time, your child might—slowly but surely—become a bit of an outsider to their peers.

Looking at the long game here, how do you envision your child's future within a social circle that—if I am interpreting your situation correctly—is fundamentally different from your own values?

We moved out to a rural area from Washington, D.C., and since we aren't Catholic, our child doesn't attend religious studies classes. Because of all those factors, we have always felt somewhat like outsiders, even though the child was born right here.
Long-term, we see the only real solution as moving back to a major city, but for the moment, we just can't make that happen due to our current finances.
That said, I don't believe our son is being bullied by the local children; he is actually quite accepted by them (and these people like us too—we socialize despite our differing mindsets).
It is my impression that we clashed with this particular teacher specifically because we didn't
quite agree with his methods, and we actually dared to speak up.

Paul Kern12 said:For some, that harsh approach is perfectly acceptable—even preferred—while others seem relatively indifferent toward the school system and their children's education, essentially thinking, "as long as they just make it through middle school."
The teacher is certainly aware of this dynamic; he actually told me, "We'll have to see what the other parents think—you can't force my hand here."

If I were in your shoes, I would head straight to the State Department of Education inspectors. Reading through this thread feels like watching some twisted horror movie unfold right before my eyes.
You can file a formal written complaint—even an anonymous one—providing a complete, unvarnished account of exactly what is happening in that classroom.
By law, the inspectors are required to conduct a field investigation. Even if they don't find anything groundbreaking, they’ll give him a warning, and I guarantee the principal won't be happy about having inspectors sniffing around the school, which will force them to put this teacher under a microscope.
To be perfectly honest, I would have reacted the very second he struck that child with his notebook.
I am the type of parent who would go through literal brick walls for my kid. There is absolutely nothing anyone could do to stop me... no chance at all.

Paul Kern12 said:I would appreciate your perspective or perhaps some advice regarding this situation:
My child is currently in third grade at a small rural school. There are four students in his specific class, making a total of twelve in the grade. The teacher commutes every day from a town roughly 16 miles miles away.
The issue stems from his relationship with the students. His aggressive and condescending attitude—referring to them as "stupid hillbillies"—manifests almost daily; he screams at the children so loudly that the noise reaches our house, which is about 150 yards away.
Last year, my son came home in tears because the teacher had slapped him. I called him immediately, of course, but he denied everything. It was simply his word against my child's, which I pointed out to him. After a few minutes, he actually called me and demanded that I come to the school right then with my son so we could "settle things." When we arrived, he loomed over my child and asked, "Do you even know what a slap is? Let me show you: a slap is when I hit your cheek with my palm. But I didn't hit you with my palm; I used a textbook. That isn't a slap."
At that point, I lost my patience and asked him if he preferred to "slap him with a textbook or a chair?"
He then began making excuses, claiming it isn't easy working with so many kids, or asking if I realized he was alone with nine students (last year there were nine).
I requested that this never happen again. I didn't want to report him initially, as I felt bad thinking he might lose his job—he has a family to support.
It seemed as though that gave him a sense of impunity, as the daily screaming continued unabated.
Because of this, I complained to the principal of the main school (though I kept the slapping incident to myself at that time), and she said she would have a conversation with the teacher.

This school year hasn't brought any changes whatsoever. The constant yelling has reached a point where my son has started crying every single day. He would even break down at school, leading the teacher to send him home or call my wife to come calm him down. We repeatedly pleaded with him to stop screaming at the children, explaining that we don't raise our son to yell like that. Eventually, it escalated to the point where the boy would leave for school crying every morning.
At the teacher's suggestion, the school sent him to a child psychologist. Psychology told us that everything was fine with the boy, but that he just needed to "toughen up."
I should mention that my son is incredibly outgoing with everyone—he'll chat with a cashier, a waitress, or anyone he meets for the first time—but he completely freezes up around this teacher (he even asked me, "Do you realize he won't talk to me?").
At the start of the second semester, the teacher lost his temper again and slapped a second grader, throwing him to the floor and kicking him. That little boy kept it to himself at home, but he told our son. We informed the parents, but their reaction was quite lukewarm.
I reported everything to the principal and the school counselor. The teacher denied everything. He pressured the students to say nothing happened. He even asked the entire class who had told their parents about it. My son, since we teach him to always tell the truth, spoke up, only to be called a liar and a "lowlife" by the teacher in front of the whole class!!!
The principal, the counselor, and a school specialist all arrived. They interviewed the students individually, and every single student confirmed the incident (it turned out there were other things, like being punched in the stomach and similar things).
However, the response was utterly useless... the principal essentially said, "Well, I've slapped a student once too—we're all human..."

I wasn't going to let this slide, so I threatened to report everything to the Department of Education and Child Protective Services. I demanded that they either remove the teacher or I would transfer my child to the main school (even though he’d have to commute, whereas this local school is only 150 yards from our house). The principal argued that changing environments wouldn't be good for the child, asked me to be patient until spring break, and promised she would handle it.
Just before the break, we were called into the school, presumably to see if we would stand our ground. I stated clearly that I do not want this teacher as my child's educator, though I agreed to wait until the end of the school year (as the principal pleaded with me).

Now, as the school year winds down, the teacher announced at a parent meeting that my son would receive mostly Bs across the board. He claimed, "Everything is between a B and an A, but this will motivate the student to work harder next year."
It isn't that I care about my son having straight As, but I feel this is fundamentally unfair to a child who worked hard all year. For instance, his art project is being selected for an exhibition, and he has straight As except for one C (because he didn't have a soft brush during a timed task).

I reached out to the principal again today—mostly because I'm trying to get some clarity regarding next school year—just so I can finally figure out where my child will be attending. She mentioned that she "has a few ideas in mind," though she noted she won't have any concrete information regarding the scheduling until July 10th.

I suppose I am looking for some perspective here—how should I approach this? Should I be taking any specific steps now, or would it perhaps be better to just wait?

Yeah, it’s a shame for his family, but☕
nothing justifies him bullying twelve kids. Besides, I'm pretty sure they could find someone else to fill his spot in no time.

Personally, I would have reported it right from the start.

I'm not sure if you filed a formal report yet, but if you did, I really hope you kept a paper trail. There's no point in trying to negotiate with the school administration anymore. You should take this straight to the Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights. This time, you need to include both the principal and the entire administrative staff in the complaint, since they were clearly aware of what was happening and failed to act.

Even that psychologist who told you the child just needs to "tough it out"—you could file a grievance against her with the state licensing board too.

Susan James said:Yeah, it’s a shame for his family, but☕
nothing justifies him bullying twelve kids. Besides, I'm pretty sure they could find someone else to fill his spot in no time.

Personally, I would have reported it right from the start.

I'm not sure if you filed a formal report yet, but if you did, I really hope you kept a paper trail. There's no point in trying to negotiate with the school administration anymore. You should take this straight to the Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights. This time, you need to include both the principal and the entire administrative staff in the complaint, since they were clearly aware of what was happening and failed to act.

Even that psychologist who told you the child just needs to "tough it out"—you could file a grievance against her with the state licensing board too.

I second everything said here, word for word.
It’s simple math—you aren't cut out to be an educator, so move on.
The fact that other parents aren't making a scene has absolutely nothing to do with the validity of your situation.
There is always a way to handle this—it might be messy and unpleasant, but it is necessary for the well-being of the children attending that school.
There should be no hesitation or "what if" scenarios...
Act right now.

Charles Murphy6 said:I second everything said here, word for word.
It’s simple math—you aren't cut out to be an educator, so move on.
The fact that other parents aren't making a scene has absolutely nothing to do with the validity of your situation.
There is always a way to handle this—it might be messy and unpleasant, but it is necessary for the well-being of the children attending that school.
There should be no hesitation or "what if" scenarios...
Act right now.

In my experience, once one person finds the courage to step up and speak out, you usually see more parents jump in to back them up or share their own stories.

Susan James said:In my experience, once one person finds the courage to step up and speak out, you usually see more parents jump in to back them up or share their own stories.

It’s hardly irrelevant: do you actually have firsthand experience from the kind of environment sivko5 is describing?

Charles Murphy6 said:If I were in your shoes, I would head straight to the State Department of Education inspectors. Reading through this thread feels like watching some twisted horror movie unfold right before my eyes.
You can file a formal written complaint—even an anonymous one—providing a complete, unvarnished account of exactly what is happening in that classroom.
By law, the inspectors are required to conduct a field investigation. Even if they don't find anything groundbreaking, they’ll give him a warning, and I guarantee the principal won't be happy about having inspectors sniffing around the school, which will force them to put this teacher under a microscope.
To be perfectly honest, I would have reacted the very second he struck that child with his notebook.
I am the type of parent who would go through literal brick walls for my kid. There is absolutely nothing anyone could do to stop me... no chance at all.

Sounds terrible and disgusting... but nothing new.🤷

Scenes of glasses being knocked off, slapping, hair pulling, and verbal abuse were happening back when I attended school in the States.

And everyone knew exactly which teachers were aggressive or physical.☕ If you ask the kids, they'll tell you exactly who people are "afraid" of.

But the parent has to act. Their actions will either help or hurt their child more than anything else.

In my community, nobody ever did anything about it, not even my parents.

It's that old-school authority the teaching staff used to have 20 or 30 years ago that people still long for.☕

Next time, call the police.