Today’s Question: “What can I do if my mother says I have to leave my Chromebook at school locked in my locker, but my teachers assign work that has to be done on the Chromebook?”

He shared that his mother was firm on her position. She does not want her son on a device after being on them all day at school. Two of his teachers stated, “This is policy is set in stone.” Now he is frustrated because he wants to do well. What advice would you give him.

I offered him options in order to help him navigate this terrible situation and advocate for himself, but the teachers were not going to bend. The suggestions were reasonable in light of his situation. He tried to drop the class for another teacher that would work with him. He is a victim in this situation. The only solution he felt possible was to flunk the class and take it again in the summer.

Ethically, this is wrong. If we are to be differentiating instruction, we need to help the student succeed rather than be more concerned with policies that are set in stone. We have to be flexible. Not working with the student is punitive. It is not his fault his mother has strong convictions about technology use at home.

Please share your views and ideas for resolving this situation.