CityGirl, Gypsy, and Clinging...thank you for helping me with this. I simply agreed that their poor grades must be addressed, and that a plan to get them back on track was necessary. I did say that I desired to get to the root issue as to why their grades have dropped so drastically. I said they'd always made good grades before, and that there had to be something other than an increased workload or harder curriculum causing such bad grades. I agreed with her plan, and said it was a good idea. But I was clear that I wanted to find and address the root cause of their poor grades.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." - William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830's.