Mike will be 13 in Jan. When he was born, he wasn't positioned right and "got stuck coming out". The doctor had to pull on his arm to get him out, damaging the nerves to his arm. He now has limited use/range of the arm. But he's quite adaptable. If he can't do things the "normal" way, he will find a way to do it.
He's good, SMART kid (IQ is 123) and a "sweetheart". But what he's gone though in the grade school is unbelievable. There was something "fishy" going on there, but I have nothing to prove it. It's a possibly that one family (that was VERY involved in school and
with many of the teachers and staff members) is behind these problems, but can't say for sure. We've had a lot of problems with this family (who may ACT like the "family of the year", but those that really know them, know better. The problems we've had with them (aside from school) is a whole other story/post. If you mention this family to most, they'd most likely have their OWN stories of problems with this family, but for some (like the staff at school), it's "oh, they wouldn't do anything like that").
Problems:
Homework: While he DID do it (at one point), the teacher didn't seem to get it. The school concluded that "like with some students", he had a problem with bringing it back. We put him in the school's homework club, where the HC teacher walked him to his cl***room, afterwards and SAW him put it in the basket. The cl***room teacher still didn't get most of the work. That should have been the biggest, reddest flag, but as they didn't have homework club each day, they "couldn't be sure". (I think that if the teacher didn't get it after another teacher witnessed his putting in the basket THREE times, they needed to investigate it). Mike was SO fed up with having to redo the work that he finally just gave up and didn't do it that much (or if he did do it, he didn't turn it in).
5th grade teacher: This teacher shouldn't BE one. He might TEACH well, but how he interacts with the students (or some) AND their parents needs a LOT of work. With Mike, he was more concerned about how much time he's "wasting" on Mike (even somet things that he should be doing for ALL students) than with
ing Mike. He'd "rather use his time with students that WANT it". There were MANY incidents that just shouldn't have happened with this teacher, a few are
The dragon: Mike came home
ing saying that "Mr. D" had thrown away his dragon. As he said it was in arts cl***, I ***umed he meant a DRAWING. The teacher told me that Mike was playing with a pinecone and after the 10th time of asking to put it away, he threw it out! (don't think this teacher would have asked ANY student 10 times to do anything!) Mike told me that his figurine dragon (very small, didn't know he took it to school) was with the pinecone. Mr. D said the janitor had taken the garbage but he would try to look for it. Ten minutes later he tells me that he and the janitor looked through all the bags and finally found it (don't think he could do it in ten minutes). While we hadn't heard anything about Mike's not turning in his homework (due to lack of communication on his part!), the teacher accused me about "caring more about this dragon than I did my child's schooling" (frankly, I cared more about his emotional well-being. My child comes home
ing, I WILL call the school!! And I don't feel ANY teacher has the right to throw away anything of a student's, even if it WAS "just" a pinecone!!!. It has SOME value to the CHILD. It's DISRESPECTFUL to throw it out! (to keep it in the desk for a day, week or even month, is fine. I would WANT and accept that!)). He flat out told me to "NEVER call him again unless it was about actuall school work" (if I wanted to know if Mike was turning in his homework, I "had to call him!"). He also told me that if he sees Mike with anything HE doesn't feel Mike should have at school, then he will throw it away. This really made Mike feel uneasy and fearful when doing his "all about me" project, where he was SUPPOSED to bring things from home. Some things he wouldn't take because he was AFRAID of the teacher throwing it away!"
Chicken Pox: Mike was out for two weeks with it in Jan. This teacher REFUSED to give Mike his homework so he could work on it during these two weeks (perhaps keeping up with the cl***?). If we "wanted" him to do it, we "had to" go to the school, pick up 3 days' worth, have Mike do it, bring it back, then call again to ask for the NEXT 3 day's worth (with other teachers, we could have (and did) call and got ALL the homework (even if not due yet) and our son turn it in when he returned). And UNTIL Mike had completed the past work, he wouldn't allow him to do the CURRENT work. He also flat out accused me of "keeping Mike home JUST because he didn't want to go to school" (with a teacher like that do you blame him, if that was the case!!!). We HAD given the school the drs. note, but as HE didn't get a copy, he "can't be sure if Mike was really ill" (Mike STILL had some of the marks on his face from the Chicken Pox at the time!). The teacher flat out said that because of this homework problem, Mike would NOT be graduating in MAY (this was FEB!!). Frankly, he just ADDED to the problem with homework for Mike. I tried to keep Mike up to date on one cl*** (as we KNEW what would be the next ***ignment most likely), which Mike did do. The teacher refused to accept it. As he threw out the papers (in front of Mike), Mike had to REDO that work!
Changing Mike to New Teacher: The school REFUSED to do it. At first it was "in the middle of the semester and would be a disruption to the cl***es". Then it was that "they didn't think the change of teachers would improve the homework issue with Mike. Maybe not, but it WOULD improve the emotional well-being for Mike. He (and us) weren't happy with this teacher. And as I found out later, we HAD the right to request (and get) a change of teacher in this case! They claim this teacher is "a great teacher and all the children love him and have a LOT of fun in the cl***. He might be strict, but he will
out any child that needs it. We should be HAPPY that our child has him as he's JUST what he needs". BTW, former students that HAD him as a teacher have made comments about how unfairly he treats students that get on his 'bad side'.
Not Graduating from 5th grade: The principal and counselor flat out told us that IF Mike didn't graduate, he WOULD be in this same teacher's cl*** NEXT year. Frankly WE didn't want that any more than Mike did. We tried to get him transfered to another school, but it fell through. Mike DID graduate.
His "threat" towards another student: In 6th grade he supposedly went to another student (MUCH bigger than he is) and pretended to be "Chuckie" from Child's play. The other child was supposedly "SO TERRIFIED" that he ran to a teacher and told him/her (don't think Mike is THAT good of an actor). Mike got suspended (out of school) for this and the POLICE were called (supposedly they "have to with ANY threat"). When asked if he really wanted the other boy hurt, he said "I would rather be hurt myself than for anyone else to be". This comment got him evaluated for "being suicidal". The counselor told me to "keep an eye on him 24/7". When she called to see how he was doing and I said "fine", it was "oh, that's when you really need to watch him as he's decided how/when to do 'it'". He was happy because he didn't have to go to school!
The hit to the chin: Mike came home and immediately asked if the school had called. I said 'no'. Turned out that while in line, the boy behind him pushed into him and he, in turned pushed into the boy in front of him. This boy turned around and HIT Mike in the chin. While I wouldn't expect the school to call for "every little scrap and
he gets" (as they accused me of wanting later), I DO feel that if the injury requires an ice pack (and has left a mark that lasted HOURS), I need to be called (if nothing else so that I can decide if he needs to be checked out by the dr)). But when my child is hurt by another student, I MUST know about it! Apparently the principal wasn't told about this. Nothing happened to the boy that hit Mike. Mike thinks it's because of WHOM the boy hit. I tend to wonder about it myself! HE gets 3 days suspension for a "threat", this boy gets NOTHING for actually hurting another student!
Evaluation for special services: The grade school had a meeting (with us) to determine IF he needed to be evaluated. It was decided he "didn't". He went to the school for 7 years (8 with head start), but they "didn't see the need". He's in junior high less than a month, THEY not only see the need, but do the evaluation. Same kid, same behaviors totally different results!
Mike's now in special ed. He has one group/cl*** he goes to and a modified PE cl*** (for his arm). The rest is the same as other students. He does take the special ed bus to school, but that has more to do with his not likely the main one as it's so crowded. Now, if we have problems with getting him to the bus stop (two house from us (only because they can't get the bus turned around on our "Dead end" street)), I can call the special ed teacher and a van will come for him! While, like I said, he's a VERY smart boy, he now says he's in the "dummy group". (other students in it have phyical disabilities or, like him, emotional). It's still stressful and frustrating. He COULD be on the Honor Roll, too.
I know it's long, just two more words==
my son Mike
to you!
about things just be matter a fact your his only advocate they have so many other students to deal with you have to 
for him.
ers are with you and your son.
Linear Mode
