Ah, the question of mid-year switches. This was a major problem for me last year (at a different district). I had kids moved to my class all year long after being pulled from other classes. Those teachers were completely incompetent - both at teaching and classroom management. I knew the kids were better off with me, but it was difficult to have to adjust to a new class dynamic every month.

This year, I feel like I have a revolving door on my classroom. I have kids moving all the time and therefore have lower numbers so I receive all the new kids that move to town. This last week, however the principal approached me and said she was going to be switching a kid to my class due to parent issues with that teacher. I do NOT feel comfortable with this! I really like my team this year and I am worried that this is going to create problems among us. I also don't like the message it sends to kids (complain to your parents when you're unhappy and get what you want). Luckily I know she is coming from a good teacher and I won't have to correct behavior or re-teach any units for her.

I recently moved my 4 year old son from one preK program to another, due to a personality issue.

I have never done anything like that before.  I always insisted that my older children finish what they entered with whom ever they started out with.

This time was different.  He had this teacher when he was 3 in a 2 day,2 and 1/2 hour program.  She didn't handle him very well then but she shared her duties with another teacher who did and things seemed to get better as the year went on.  

At conference time I met with the teacher who handled him well.  The other teacher was not present at the time.  Her difficulties with him were mentioned but not dwelled on because the other teacher said that he was not a problem for her.

The summer before he entered PreK I found out that the teacher he would have for PreK was going to be the other teacher.  I was not sure about her but I had hoped that he had matured over the summer and previous school year.  I hoped for the best.  Optimism is not always the best quality for a parent.   Things did not work out.

My formerly happy preschooler came home from school crying everyday.  It was a morning class maybe it was a bad time of day for my sleepin son.  I adjusted his bed time.  He still came home crying.  Then he came home and told, me as he cried bitterly,  "I want to make good choices, but I'm a Loser!!  I want to be a winner, but I'm a loser!"  Where did he get this word?  We don't use this word.

I wanted to confront his teacher right then and there but I thought better of it.  Not in front of him.  Not the right time.  I took him home, and called my mother to watch him, then went back to the school to speak to his teacher.

She immediatly told me a huge story about how out of the blue he just started crying and saying he was a loser.  Then went on to tell me what a horrible child he was.  He was 4 years old and I am sure that he was difficult but he is in no way mean.  He has a hard time sitting still for long periods of time and he likes to talk too much, but a lot of kids his age have that problem.  She should be used to handling preschoolers like that.  I never took him back to that school.

The preschool I moved him to was a breath of fresh air.  He still couldn't always sit still and Liked to talk, but they liked him anyway.  He is doing much much much better.  I'm still not sure if I will start him into a Kindergarten program next year, but he doesn't cry when I pick him up from school and his teacher and I discuss how to address his issues.  She says that lots of kids his age have the same problem with talking and sitting still.

If this is an example of him complaining to his parents and getting what he wants, so be it.  It was the right thing to do.

By taking in a student who has a problem with a fellow teacher all you are doing is taking in a student who needs a change, not taking sides.