I have recently heard parents openly talking about teachers and why or why not they don't want their children in a particular teacher's room next year. They freely discuss teachers while going about their own daily lives like it's the same thing as exchanging recipes. Casual conversations overheard at children's birthday parties, baseball games, grocery store encounters, and in the school parking lot are usually loud enough for others to hear. Flies are on the wall everywhere, so bits and pieces of conversations are being shared over and over, true or not.
I remember a few faculty meetings when the staff was warned about name dropping during lunch, after school, and at any other public place. Can you imagine dining out with your family only to hear your child being discussed at the next booth? It's just unprofessional and could cause a lot of repercussions.
I know that it is human nature to inquire about teachers, especially when your child is moving on to the next grade and anxious to find out who his new teacher will be. People just need to be careful about the places they choose to have their conversations. It's also important to realize that information received should be taken with a very large grain of salt. Sometimes all it takes is one difference of opinion to cause someone to give a teacher a bad recommendation. It might just be that the teacher followed a school policy that the parent didn't like and wanted special favors for her child. Be cautious about believing everything you hear.
Think before you speak!