What the heck??

[wakeupcall]

In a nutshell...difficult child had out of school suspension for three days (he loved it), following that he had IN school suspension for seven days. He's in a social development classroom of two, but is mainstreamed in PE, Band and Tech Ed where he's made surprisingly good grades. When he was suspended the assistant principal assured us he would get his work for the mainstream classes taken to him in the "contained" classroom during the suspension. He didn't. Now in the Tech Ed class he's gone from an A to one point away from an F. What the heck? husband and I have called the teacher, left voicemail and got no response; emailed, no response; called the assistant principal THREE times and have gotten no response. During this time difficult child also had State Tests where his IEP states it's to be given in a "small group", and difficult child said there were seventeen in the class during the test. Is that a small group?

difficult child now is giving up on the mainstream classes. He's never even made a C, much less a D or F. He feels he can't catch up and that no one cares. Good grief.....there's only 6 weeks left. We have prodded and pulled to keep his spirits up for eight years of schooling and in one full swoop they dashed it all. I'm at my wits end. Any suggestions?

 

[BusynMember]

There's no way I'd let that go. I'd call a meeting. If the teachers won't do it, I'd climb the ladder all the way up to the State Board of Education. Seventeen isn't a small class for a child who gets distracted easily. And why should you let them kill your little guy's self-esteem when he is already struggling? I really hate when schools make up excuses and don't do what they are supposed to do. Does he have an IEP?

Have a question or two Who diagnosed him and has he ever seen a neuropsychologist? Is it possible that he could be on the autism spectrum? ADD/ODD sounds "off" to this layperson mom who has a boy with high functioning autism. He is sixteen and doing well, but he got more and better services after his diagnosis. medications didn't help him, but he had a billion too. He's been off now for four years and doing better. His diagnosis. before this were ADHD/ODD and bipolar. His primary problem is neither one.

Take care

 

[smallworld]

I agree with MWM. Either call the principal and ask for a meeting, or call a meeting of the IEP team. Don't let this go.

 

[AnnieO]

If you do not get an answer to your next call talk to the BOE. in my opinion "small group" is no more than FIVE. They messed up, they need to clean up.

As for A to almost F - in ten days? Are they KIDDING? What happens when a kid is out sick for that long? Yeah. It happens. CALL.

 

[busywend]

I agree this can not be allowed to happen. Even the fact of nobody calling you back is awful, let alone what they have done to your son's school motivation. I would just go there and wait outside of offices until someone talks to you.

 

[KTMom91]

I've emailed the superintendent when I got no action at school level. Definitely keep making loud noises...this is not right.

 

[wakeupcall]

Well, went to the intermediate school and waited over 30 min. to talk to the principal (I know they were getting their ducks in a row....). She never appeared before I finallly stood up and told the secretary (who was very nice), that if the principal didn't have time it was okay because I was going to the superintendent's office to get some help....and I walked out. I came home and called the super's office and got his secretary who was nicer than one could imagine. She said the principal would call me before noon. She did. We had a 40 min. discussion and she seemed mortified that the teachers and assistant principal had ignored our many attempts at communication. SHE didn't even know I was in the office waiting for her this am....she was in a meeting!!!!!! THAT ticked her off too, that I waited and was obviously waiting for nothing. She couldn't believe no one updated me. Anyway, I let 'er have it. I'm tired of my son having to basically continue to be punished because of his suspension....it's over and he did his time and we need to move on. I also told her that a class of seventeen for the state tests is NOT a small class. My son would see someone sneeze and spend the next 30 min. watching them wipe their nose because he's so easily distracted. She's going to see to it that he has a smaller class in addition to having the teachers call me to make his grades right. I also told her the thing I have feared most is THEM making my son hate school......it's been the best thing we had going for us in that he didn't hate getting on that school bus every day. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr WARRIER MOM...............THEY BETTER WATCH OUT!!!

 

[AnnieO]

Way To Go!!!!!

 

[busywend]

Great job! Glad you got someone that was actually furious with their staff and did not back them up and cover for them. Her staff was wrong and handled it poorly - glad she seems like she will correct that one.