I don't know where to turn, my child is emotionally traumatized, he thinks he's stupid. (He's not!) I've hit a brick wall. I have nowhere left to go..........My Child Is Left Behind: Jeannie
I have been dealing with this horrible law for the past three years. My son who is now in fifth grade, had started having problems in the third grade. Although he was failing, they passed him on to fourth grade. Failing that grade, they passed him on to fifth. This year is when the nightmare began. I will give you the short version there is so much I could fill a few pages, but here are the basics:
After many meetings with the teacher about my sons grades, I received a phone call from the principal. Now, what I didn't know, was that my son was in his office at the time. I picked up the phone and he said, "I am calling to let you know, that (my son's name) is a waste of space and I don't know why you keep sending him here everyday." What??????? This from a school official who is supposed to have the children's welfare in mind. Who does this pompous ass think he is calling my child a waste of space??????
After hearing this of course my son is devastated, I said I was going to talk to the superintendent. About a month passes by and my children are pulled out of class by a social worker and questioned about their home life. Someone had "anonymously" called ( I know exactly who, I just can't prove it.) and said I was a drug addict (I have never touched any drug my entire life!)An alcoholic ( I don't drink either), and a child abuser ( I have never laid a hand on my children!). Well my children told her as much and after interviewing me she closed the case as "unfounded". I'm not sure if she realized this or not but, I have 3 children enrolled in school for a total of 11 years in this school district. If it took this long for them to suspect me of being a drug addict, alcoholic, and child abuser. Then, God help those children who really need intervention.
Since I couldn't prove who did it, I went on. Same problems, meetings, picking him up from school to make sure he had homework, etc. This went on until now.
This Tuesday I went to pick up my son from school, and the principal is standing and waiting for me because he wants to have a "talk". Following him down the hall desperately trying to control myself from scratching his eyes out of his pompous head, thankfully it was a short walk, I was slipping, we went into his office. Of course my son is behind me and I can see the absolute dread on his face and I'm thinking, oh no, now what? He proceeds to tell me that my son is failing fifth grade (I could have told him 2 years ago that this would happen.). Then he tells me that again, they are going to pass him to the 6th grade. Excuse me???? Then he says something that almost sent me to jail. He said,"I am going to make sure that school is a place that (my son) will never want to be. Not now, not junior high, and not in high school....and I'm going to pay for it for the rest of my life because when he grows up, he's going to be on welfare." ( I did not make up one word of this. I will gladly take a lie detector test on any day!) What????????? This is the part where I almost went to jail.
I heard a noise behind me and I turned around and saw my son trying to hold back his tears after what he just heard. When I turned back around, the principal had a smirk on his face. I grabbed my son and got out fast.
My son was crying until the early morning hours. He didn't want to eat and he wouldn't say a word. He was emotionally traumatized. I decided to call the superintendent and make sure this monster never did this to another child again.
When I got a hold of the superintendent, I told him I would be pulling my son out of school for the rest of the year, and explained why. To my horror, he supported the principal. He said the principal was simply frustrated with my son, and that I didn't do enough to help him! After I told him I was doing everything humanly possible, he yelled that I had not. I asked what more could I have possibly done and he replied, "YOU SHOULD OF SPANKED HIM!" At this point I told him I was going to the media with this, at which he responded " Don't you threaten me, I'll drag your name through the mud." Did I mention this was a small town and the School officials and the teachers live here as well? He was stonewalling me. Dead End. He hung up on me. Nice educational system we have here.
So, they passed my son with failing grades from third grade to the fifth grade and he was a waste of space, and it was my fault because I didn't do enough. No Child Left Behind. But emotionally traumatized to move ahead. By the way, they now passed him to the 6th grade. Perhaps next year they'll have me arrested because I'm not doing enough.
I don't know where to turn, my child is emotionally traumatized, he thinks he's stupid. (He's not!) I've hit a brick wall. I have nowhere left to go..........My Child Is Left Behind.
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on Conscious talk radio www.conscioustalk.net
First, let me say that the school administrators in this case should be jailed for gross negligence, verbal and emotional abuse and failure to be anything approaching decent human beings. (I know the last isn't a punishable offence, but wouldn't it be nice if it were?)
This "No Child Left Behind" thing was a mistake from the start. It encourages the school administration to ignore the difficulties individual students may have in order to recieve federal funding. It does nothing to ensure education, only memorization. And yet we don't hear enough of the horror and feelings of worthlessness it can bring with it.
These sorts of stories need to be brought to public attention, with part of the focus being on the government's role in encouraging this abhorrent behaviour. I would encourage anyone with such experiences as those in this article to go to the media ... not locally, but nationally. Katie Curich (sp?) would likely jump to it, as would several others.
by
sabresong (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 comments)
on Sunday, May 6, 2007 at 5:49:56 AM
Good points, Sabresong ~ With the Cheney/Bush administration, it's always about money and now it has infected our educational system to the detriment of our young children ~
Allen L Roland
by
teilhard (459 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 comments)
on Sunday, May 6, 2007 at 11:49:00 AM
It is extremely important that this matter be given full public exposure at a School Board hearing and in the media. It must be real time and real names. How many other parents and children are going through the same torture that this woman and her child are going through. It must be investigated and resolved to her satisfaction. She is in fact a stand in for the rest of us!
by
Archie1954 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 166 comments)
on Sunday, May 6, 2007 at 11:54:42 PM
I completely agree, Archie ~ which is why I posted it on my weblog as well as OpEd news. Jeannie must be empowered by this response to take it to the next step ~ which I am sure she will do. There is no change without action !
Allen L Roland
by
teilhard (459 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 comments)
on Monday, May 7, 2007 at 12:05:25 AM
My heart really goes out to Jeannie and her family and to others in similiar situations. Having become frusterated by our public school and its limitations, I decided to homeschool my son and daughter. He was entering 6th grade and she was starting 2nd.
My son chose to go back to public school for high school, but my daughter, who is dyslexic and is a visual and hands on learner, chose to remain home schooled. We worked under the public school system, so books were provided, but I had the freedom to chose other books if I wanted (and did!). It was wonderful to have that freedom!
Unfortunately, under Bush, we lost that option. Starting in high school, we had to use the state mandated textbooks and they were awful. English was only grammer and lots of it , all geared to passing the state mandated English high school proficiency test. No writing, very little reading, no creativity. It was awful. We struggled through 9th and 10th grade and finally transfered to a private program that gave us back our freedom. She graduated with a 4.0 and is maintaining it in college!!!
This is a young woman who didn't know her alphabet by the end of 1st grade (and was forwarded to 2nd anyway) She had serious learning issues, and did not read at all until 4th or 5th grade and didn't read at "grade level" until somewhere in her last years of high school! I am sharing this story with you and your readers because I hope that it will bring the families who are also struggling hope for the future of their children.
Children have different learning styles, problems, etc. and unfortunately most schools do not acknowledge this. I hope Jeannie and others like her will continue to believe in their children and will each find a solution that works for them. I tremble to think what would have happened to my daughter's self esteem (not to mention her education) had she remained in a classroom setting. But with a lot of patience, determination, and a positive attitude, she has turned out to be an amazing, talented, self-confident person!!!
by
Ladyhawk (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 comments)
on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 4:38:11 PM
