Hi pamj095. Your grandson is lucky to have someone in his life who's so committed to his education.

I wouldn't start with the the board of education in addressing this issue. It's unlikely that there are formal district policies around parent / teacher communication so there wouldn't be much they could do.

Instead, I'd first start by asking for an appointment with your grandson's teacher. Go in with a very specific request about the kinds of communication you're hoping to have and (most importantly) WHY you're interested in receiving the information. It's unreasonable to think that the teacher could produce a "mini report card" for your grandson each week with an analysis of his progress in all areas. If she did that for all 20+ kids in the class she wouldn't have any time leftover to teach!

However, if there is something specific you're concerned about and working on with your grandson (reading, math, behavior, social relationships, etc), it is reasonable to ask the teacher to help you monitor his progress in those areas on a regular basis. You can explain that you not only want to track his progress, but also stay in communication about what you can do at home to support her efforts in the classroom and what she can do to support your efforts at home. It's in your grandson's best interest that you and the teacher are working TOGETHER to address whatever issues he's facing.

You should find out what her preferred method of communication is and then work that way. Maybe she'd like you to stop by after school for a quick conversation once a week. Maybe she prefers evening phone calls. It might even work for you to keep a small notebook in your grandson's backpack where you and the teacher exchange notes.

If the teacher refuses to have the meeting, or refuses to provide the kind of feedback you're hoping for, I think your next step is a meeting with the principal.

Good luck!

Kat