Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Summer break is over, and the kids have all started school today. When it was time for bed, Laila started to cry. I asked her what the matter was. She told me that she was trying hard to get an A, but her schoolwork was too hard for her. I held her in my arms until she fell asleep.
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
I didn’t get much sleep last night. I worried about Laila. She did so well last year, but this year she has a new teacher. It seemed to me that Laila was doing her best in trying to keep up with what the teacher expected. But things were moving too fast for her.
I went to Laila’s school this morning to talk to her teacher. I told her that Laila had an IEP. (An Individualized Education Program. IEP is a written statement designed to meet a child’s individual needs.) The teacher didn’t seem to understand that Laila had special needs. The teacher told me that Laila seemed just like all the other children in her class, which is why she didn’t think Laila should get special treatment. I let the teacher know that we have come so far with Laila, and I was hoping she would work with us.
After I left the school, I felt discouraged. It didn’t seem like her teacher understood just what Laila had gone through. I am hoping the teacher will read Laila’s IEP so that she can help her succeed.
Saturday, September 14, 2002
The kids have been back to school for a week. Jared is glad this is his last year. Sarah never complains, so I hope everything is fine with her. I am not sure about Laila’s teacher, but time will tell. Johny is sad about going to school. He keeps asking me if he can stay home so that I can teach him. I told him school is going to take some time to get used to.
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
My uncle Sonny and his family are planning to come visit next month. I emailed Sonny to let him know there was a possibility my dad might not be my dad and asked how he felt about it. My uncle emailed back that he already knew all about it and that it didn’t make any difference to him. He still considered me his niece. I am glad I was open about it, especially since my uncle already knew. I am grateful it didn’t make any difference to him.
Friday, October 4, 2002
When Laila comes home from school, she breaks down. The teacher is giving her too much homework and is expecting too much of her. Laila told me that when she was having a hard time, the teacher wouldn’t let her go see Kelly.
I went and talked to Laila’s teacher again. I let her know that Laila has a really hard time when she comes home from school. I saw the teacher had moved Laila’s desk up in front of the class. I told the teacher that her desk needed to be by the door so that Laila could go see Kelly when she was having a hard time. The teacher told me that Laila seemed fine and therefore would not give her special treatment.
I went and talked to the principal. I had already been over all this with the principal last year, and she seemed to understand. The school has a new principal, and he doesn’t seem to care about Laila. I let him know that Laila had an IEP. And that it was important that she could see Kelly when she needed to. Kelly is familiar with Laila and her needs
It doesn’t seem like the teacher or the principal understands how important it is for them to work with me. Laila has come so far, and I don’t want to stand by and watch them destroy it! Laila does not act up in school. She holds it all in and then lets loose when she gets home.
Johny had made such progress during the months that I worked with him, but now that he has gone back to school, I can tell he is starting to fall behind again. I have been told they have put him in a class for one hour a day to give him extra help. I asked Johny what he does in that class. He tells me he claps and learns rhythm.
While I was at the school, I asked the principal about the extra help that Johny was supposed to be getting an hour a day. The principal admitted that Johny went to a class for mentally disabled children because they didn’t have enough money in the school system to meet his needs. I told the principal that I didn’t want Johny to go to this class anymore and that I would work with him when he got home.
Monday, October 7, 2002
When Laila came home from school today, she was so upset that she couldn’t talk about it. Laila went into her room, sat on her bed, and rocked while she screamed. I tried to talk to her about what had happened. But I couldn’t reach her.
4 hours later, when Laila had calmed down, she was ready to tell me what had happened. Laila said she was having a hard time, but the teacher wouldn’t let her leave the class. Instead, the teacher had put Laila’s desk in the middle of the room and told everyone to throw curled-up paper at her. The teacher said they were playing a game she had called “Survival”. Laila was to sit there and be strong. I was horrified to hear the teacher had done this to her.
Tuesday, October 8, 2002
I went to the school first thing in the morning to talk to the principal. I told him what had happened yesterday with Laila’s teacher. I wanted Laila transferred into a different class. The principal told me this was NOT a marriage where you could just get divorced if you don’t feel like staying married.
I got upset. I let him know that my children would no longer be going to this school.
I then went and pulled Johny out of his classroom. I told his teacher that it was nothing personal, but Johny was no longer going to be in her class since I was going to homeschool him. The teacher looked like she was about to cry. She said, “I love Johny. I hate to see him leave.” I told her I was going to be homeschooling Laila anyway, so I might as well have Johny home too. The teacher hugged Johny and then we left.
As I walked home with Laila and Johny, I was upset that the school wouldn’t work with my children. I felt like everyone was supposed to fit into a mold, and if you couldn’t, you got lost in the system. I thought that was the whole purpose of the IEP? I am not a schoolteacher, but I knew I could do a better job than what the school was offering.
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