The truth is that I have always hated talking on the phone. I do it as little as possible. My cell phone minutes usually run in the single digits each month. But part of my job as teacher is to call parents. Unfortunatley this has not helped cure me of my dislike for using the phone. Of the twenty or so parents I’ve called so far this year for help with unruly students, only one has been helpful. This is just the latest in a trend. It seems to get worse every year. Instead of trying to help me make the student accountable for their actions, 95% or parents (as judged from this sample) want to argue on their child’s behalf that inappropriate behavior is excusable. This is not only not helpful, it is doing a disservice to the child.