8/26/08

Puff...

Tomorrow... er, today, I should say... is going to be very interesting. I mentioned before that it's the first day of school. What I didn't know is that it would be yet another issue. Between Jake's caseworker (also his school and other community program advocate) and I, we learned today that some things are.. well, frankly they're bullshit. Between last week (setting up meetings with a principal who knows exactly who he is, about his case, etc.,) and now, we've come across a myriad of issues, stemming from two different stories. As of today, as opposed to Thursday of last week, my son is now known as a "Phantom Child." As in, somewhere along the line, his paperwork (IEP, evaluations, testing and registrations for school) have been "lost". Supposedly, he is unknown at the school he has been registered for since May of this year. Supposedly, all of those things? Were never sent. We know better. His preschool knows better.

In this district, from what I understand and was told to me, as late as this afternoon, when a child is to be placed in a special classroom, he is registered and tested by the Special Education section. That, in this case, would be the superintendent present for meetings, testings, etc. that was done, according to the Special Education secretary/coordinator at his preschool. We have that paperwork. We have his IEP, his psychological evaluation, and his kindergarten screening-testing results. Those were done in his preschool classroom, because registering and testing in the "normal" setting for a child of his needs is too stressful and anxiety provoking for the child, therefore making the results skewed.

And yet.. yet.. somehow this has happened. And fingers are being pointed in every direction. So what should be a happy, easy transition for my son has become an obstacle. A mess of papers, running around to find others' copies, and finding who is responsible for all of this. Be it the superintendent or the special ed program at his school, it does not matter to me. It's one more thing, one last thing, that proves, again, my point.What happened in less than one week to suddenly make my son a ghost? To change easy transition into a possible nightmare of change, with the threat of him not even being able to go to school.

Hello again, small town. Hello, one more reason I do not want my children in this district, this county. And finally, there is agreement. My kids are my life. They will not fail. Their lives? Will never be compromised. Ever. There's no debate there, no option for anyone, or anything, to shift their reality. Living in this town has done enough of that. (Yes, there is a LARGE portion of backstory here that I am not giving. By my own omission, not anyone else's.)

To sum it up, I will say this: my son IS starting school tomorrow. With no hassle, as far as he will ever know. And someone will be held accountable, as high as I have to go. This won't be let go, or pushed aside, or ignored- not where my son is concerned. Not when everyone I know has known, for ages, my fears and concerns for him regarding school.

Tell me I'm overreacting, too angry, overly upset... and I will tell you more than enough about the town I live in (and the "influence" in it) to make your hair stand on end. Every school year, it's something. Every time my family makes a move, it's something.

This is the last time. Period.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You go girl! I am so sorry you're having these problems. We had them, as well, in our school for different reasons but still... I saw that one of the categories of this post is "being the bitch" and I can't tell you how proud I am to see that! There's no cause in the world MORE worth being the bitch than our kids! And I'm glad yours is going to start school with no knowledge of the bureaucratic nightmare you're going through and I'm equally glad that you're going to make sure someone is held accountable. you rock!

Anonymous said...

I don't think you're overreacting.

That is unacceptable. Good for you for standing up for your son.