Possibly off-topic

[Milo_10011]

So, I read that the daughter of "Tiger Mom," the Yale professor who wrote that WSJ editorial about how to raise successful children, has just been accepted into Harvard.

My question for those grads who are teaching in some capacity: Do such parents "involve" themselves in their children's college educations? That is, do you get e-mails or phone calls challenging you on every grade? Or is this woman such an outlier that she is unique? How do you/would you deal with such a parent if he or she inserted themselves into your interactions with the student?

[waddle]

So, I read that the daughter of "Tiger Mom," the Yale professor who wrote that WSJ editorial about how to raise successful children, has just been accepted into Harvard.

My question for those grads who are teaching in some capacity: Do such parents "involve" themselves in their children's college educations? That is, do you get e-mails or phone calls challenging you on every grade? Or is this woman such an outlier that she is unique? How do you/would you deal with such a parent if he or she inserted themselves into your interactions with the student?

I'm not a grad student (yet), but I'd just like to comment to clear up a few things. I don't doubt that "Tiger moms" would involve themselves in their children's college educations. However, they probably wouldn't do it in the way you suspect. From what I've seen, such parents are much much more likely to blame their children than to blame the teacher for a bad grade. These parents want their kids not just to get an A in the class, but to also get the highest A in the class. They push their kids to do their best, and if their child comes home with an A-, they will most likely try to get outside tutoring, not negotiate with the instructor for a better grade.

[rising_star]

My question for those grads who are teaching in some capacity: Do such parents "involve" themselves in their children's college educations? That is, do you get e-mails or phone calls challenging you on every grade? Or is this woman such an outlier that she is unique? How do you/would you deal with such a parent if he or she inserted themselves into your interactions with the student?

Unless the student signs a FERPA waiver, you cannot communicate with his/her parents about their child's work in your course in any way shape or form.

[Milo_10011]

Unless the student signs a FERPA waiver, you cannot communicate with his/her parents about their child's work in your course in any way shape or form.

I know that a teacher cannot discuss a student's grades, even with a parent. However, that's kind of the whole mentality I'm thinking about. I question whether a "Tiger Mom"-raised child would be ALLOWED to refuse to sign away his or her rights to grade privacy, hence my wondering about whether parents inserting themselves into the teacher-student dynamic is something that goes on at the college level.

[rising_star]

I know that a teacher cannot discuss a student's grades, even with a parent. However, that's kind of the whole mentality I'm thinking about. I question whether a "Tiger Mom"-raised child would be ALLOWED to refuse to sign away his or her rights to grade privacy, hence my wondering about whether parents inserting themselves into the teacher-student dynamic is something that goes on at the college level.

I've only had one student (in 3 years as a TA) sign a FERPA waiver. In that case, it was because the student has several disabilities and wanted to make sure we could communicate with ze's parents in case of illness or other medical issues.

[Sparky]

hence my wondering about whether parents inserting themselves into the teacher-student dynamic is something that goes on at the college level.

They do.

But it's not the 'Tiger Mothers' you have to worry about--it's the Snowflake Parents. These are the kids who are happy to sign away their rights, because they know Mom and/or Dad will happily get on the teacher's case about Snowflake's F in French 2 even though he's a second-semester senior, was admitted to a law program that starts in the summer, and needs to pass the course in order to graduate.