Will Summer School Help Failing Math Student?

My son is failing math in seventh grade. The school wants to have him repeat seventh grade or go to summer school. He says that the math teacher always told him that she didn't have time to help in class and that he should have paid attention. The school never offered him any special help. I have requested conferences with the teacher and never received a response.
Will summer school give him the help he needs to pass math? I don't have the expertise to provide any help. What is the best way to handle this situation? -Desperate
Answer: When a teacher doesn't respond to a request for a conference, parents need to become more aggressive and move on to the next level in the chain of command. You simply can't wait any longer to find out exactly what help the school can give your child.
Summer school might or might not be the answer. At this grade level, we believe that your child could need more help than is offered in most summer-school programs. You must have the school tell you exactly what your son's problems with math are and how they will be specifically addressed in summer school. Keep in mind,if summer school does not provide him with the help he needs, he could be forced to repeat eighth grade.
Consider getting a math tutor for your son immediately who is familiar with what your child is doing in math class. Then think about having the tutor continue to work with him this summer and possibly next year, in addition to your child going to summer school.
Your son needs a strong foundation in math so that he will not face a disaster in the more advanced math classes that he will have to take to graduate from high school. Summertime is going to have to be catch-up time for your child. There is absolutely no guarantee that repeating seventh grade will help him acquire his missing math skills.