Our Public School Failed

by Fatherofeight | More from this Blogger

12 Jan 2007 01:18 PM

Two years ago, we enrolled our oldest in kindergarten at the public school down the street. The public school totally failed to meet our needs and we were forced to give up on it.

Our oldest has been diagnosed with ADHD. We do not agree with the diagnosis, but the medication that we are currently using, the Datrana patch, gives him ten hours or so of freedom to be an excellent student and a normal, strong-willed, slightly-hyper eight year old boy. We think that his diagnosis should have something to do with anxiety issues going back to his early life before he was adopted.

His kindergarten teacher was wonderful. She was very experienced. She could make sure that he knew that she was the boss, while letting him feel her genuine love. He ran into trouble with almost all of the specials teachers: music, art and gym.

The gym was the noisiest room that I have ever encountered. If it was in a work place, the health and safety agencies would have fined the employer and closed the room until it was fixed. Matthew Walter struggled in that room; it was a strain for me to be there for very long.

Another struggle had to do with the fact that he was in a racial minority there. The school had a Christmas event where the kids in his grade sang a song. We were told several times to think about keeping him home. We did not do that and he was an angel. Next to him on the stage was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy who pushed and shoved our child during the entire song. He was not reprimanded.

He was unruly and everyone thought he was cute. If our boy had done the same thing, we would still be hearing about it. The assistant principal of the school admitted to me that racial bias was something that some of the teachers needed to work on.

We had a meeting that the school called with the assistant principal, the school district psychologist, and all the teachers involved. I was told that they did not have money for any kind of special needs and that they had no diagnostic capability. The district doctor told me that he could not refer us to anyone. That school has four special education / diagnostic people on staff.

We found someone who has a special needs child in the school and she said that you have to demand, threaten, talk to a lawyer and more, and then they will help. My wife met a teacher at that school at a social function. She said, off the record of course, to make an appointment with head of the school system and raise a ruckus, and then take a mean lawyer with you to the school.

We have a close friend who is a brilliant lawyer. She volunteered to go and be mean and tell them what they are required to do by law. I just don't have the stomach for it. We tested our school system and gave it a grade of "F".

I will write soon about what we are doing now.

Related Blogs:

Loving an Adopted Child

Adopted and Proud

Ethnic Culture Class, Part 2

Adoption Day

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Linda Hansen (1796) 12 Jan 2007 01:04 PM

Ed, when I emailed Randy's chemistry teacher requesting an appt. and asking what we could do at home to help Randy, I got back a short email stating she would keep me informed of his progress. I have parentconnect and can do that every a.m. when I wake up. I made it clear we wanted to be involved in helping him bring this grade up. I have run across this before with other teachers. When I go to ARD meetings, I can tell the teachers that care and the ones that don't. Public school for us has been a mixed blessing. When Dillon was with us, I called 2 wks after school started to set up a 504, the counselor informed me they had already had one, without me!!!! and didn't even notify me. I am a strongwilled advocate of my children and don't let things slide. I love teachers and know they have the job few of us could do (except me maybe lol) but nobody is leaving my kids behind, I want everything for them they need. I can understand your frustration. Art

Fatherofeight (2475) 12 Jan 2007 03:45 PM

We have really, really been blessed with an alternative that I will write on very soon, sounds like you are doing what has to be done and it is working, Ed.

PATTI (580) 15 Jan 2007 11:53 AM

Dear Ed, God continues to bless you and Nancy as the two of you bless Him. PATTI

Fatherofeight (2475) 15 Jan 2007 08:26 PM

Thanks, I hate it when I am forced to fight for waht the children deserve.