Angela, most schools send home progress reports half way thru each grading period and offer a program like power school that you can access your childs grades and assignments everyday online if you want to.

This happened to me, and I had to admit I wasn't paying close enough attention to my kid.

What you are teaching your child the way you are reacting is that teachers are idiots instead of showing your child that he or she has responsibilites and has the ultimate obligation to complete his or her assignments whether mom or dad pays attention or not. Boy if my mom stuck up for me like that when I was obviously so wrong I would have loved it. Just think how much they will love you for that - until he or she gets out into the real world where you can't protect them.

I would focus on making sure that kid knows his or her future is in his or her own hands, not the teachers', and not yours. Just my opinion.