Hubby just got back from talking to the vice principal at the highschool. My son has horrible hayfever and apparently he brought his allergy meds to school today and got into trouble over having them there. URGH!! He KNOWS better than to take medicine to school. Anyhow, hubby gets up there and the vice principal and a police officer are standing with my son. Who is bawling his eyes out. Well according to the vice principal, state law requires that a student caught with PRESCRIPTION (these weren't) drugs be sent to the DAP program. This is a building across town where they send the pregnant girls and the kids who have been caught with ACTUAL DRUGS.. HELLO NO way are you sending my child into that environment!!!! So hubby argued it out and ended up leaving with my son in ISS. Tomorrow will probably be his first day BACK to homeschool.. (((sigh))) I don't know how he's going to take it. But both my husband and I feel this is the best thing for him right now.. YES he needed to be in trouble for breaking the rules that's why he is in ISS right now. But make the punishment fit the crime people.
Oh, wow. I'll refrain from commenting too much as I will just aggravate my anger. This is much the same kind of thing that landed my ds in out-of-school suspension twice in kindergarten. Where is their brain??? HOWEVER....so glad you ds is coming back home and out of that environment. We are all cheering for you and your family!!!
I realize the schools have to have policy but I always wonder why they can't pepper that with a bit of common sense. It's the knee-jerk reaction. Like the girl who brought ibuprofen to school for cramps and got "searched" or the kindergarten kid years back, who kissed a classmate and was charged with sexual assault. Really? It's as though individual reason as been replaced by blanket policy. I am sorry that you had to go through this but glad to hear that you and your husband are pro-active and handling so well!
Yep, that's what I want to know too.. Yes, punish him but come on.... When I picked him up he informed me that he was supposed to have 3 weeks of ISS. No teachers,no textbooks,just worksheets.. How the heck do they learn?? Good grief.. And all because he brought an allergy pill to school they want to punish him by NOT EDUCATING HIM.... SERIOUSLY?? I'M the parent NOT them.. Even though he shouldn't have had it there I don't agree with the method of punishment. He should get into trouble but.... And the Vice principal had the nerve to ask hubby why we wouldn't let them teach our children. Hubby was confused by that statement and asked what he meant and the v.p. asks why we won't let them punish him because he needs to learn from his mistakes.. No we didn't say don't punish him and we want him to learn from his mistakes too, but make the punishment fit the crime.. Geesh!!! I'm sorta sad... My son was so excited to go to public school. He wasn't amused when he found out that he was going to be homeschooled again. I let hubby break the news to him.. That seems to always soften the blow... Then we went back to the school and he cleaned out his locker and told his football coach bye....
Oh, wow. I'm so sorry for your son. I guess I had forgotten that he was playing football this year. My own kids have had to give up things that ps had to offer. It wasn't easy, but on this side of it, they realize that it was a great trade-off. Praying for him. I'm sure he must be a bit heartbroken.
Your poor son! I'm so sorry he had to go through all that. The VP sounds like a real piece of work. And it's crazy to refuse to educate a child as "punishment"!
Thanks, Brooke. He is but I think he'll be ok. There are 2 new homeschool families with TEENAGE boys this year!! So we have been discussing having some classes together and doing some outings.. And I'm still not giving up on creating a homeschool football team.. God knows what we need and he will provide it..
Yeah, and not only that but it seems to be selective. My friend's daughter (3rd grade) was being harrassed by a male student. This boy would get her down, sit on her and try to get the other boys to kick her. He would tell her he was going to kill her, steal things from her backpack and more than a few times, stole her assignments from the pile and laughed while he told her what he'd done. My friend's daughter was a nervous wreck. My friend DID go to the school on numerous occasions, and the teacher agreed that the boy was trouble and she'd seen him sit on her and try to hit her but she chalked it up to 'puppy love'. The principal bascly said there was nothing they could do about it, that the boy had 'rights, too'. They would not move him to another classroom, talk to him about it or anything. After two years of this baloney, the boy's family ended up moving the harrassment stopped. But, sheese! Bring an allergy pill to school and you're done, expelled. Threaten someone regularly for 2 years, threaten to hurt and kill the person, well, your rights are protected.....
What irritated me the most was the fact that the school thought it was THEIR job to discipline him and that they were willing to let his education go to the wayside in order to do so.. Isn't the job of the school to EDUCATE our children? The school never called us back to let us know their final decision on what exactly they were going to do with him. Since the principal was not in until around 4 the vice principal couldn't make a decision yet. He was supposed to call after they talked. But we were told that it is mandantory that he be sent to the program across town. We could appeal it and the school board and superintendant would have to ok the decision then. And Tyler would be in ISS during this time. No telling how long it would take them. I'm just not willing to let my child's education suffer because a stupid mistake. It's not like he was selling drugs or anything like that.
First, (((hugs))) for your son. what a horrible ps experience!! I don't know- I guess I'm not so sure that ps feels their job is education anymore. And I find it disturbing that you, as parents, have to talk to the schoolboard. I'd also be asking how it is going to go on his record- are they going to record that it was just an otc allergy pill? I have zero faith in the sad discipline policy of our local ps. The chronically offending kids get excuses, and the normally well behaved kids get slapped down for very minor offenses (talking to the kids is totally appropriate, suspending a new student over an allergy pill is NOT).
My heart aches for you. That is too bad that they feel the need to trump common sense with policy. Yes, he broke a rule...but good grief it's not like he was using the pill illegally or in an unsafe way. Back when we were in HS, I would have never thought I'd get in trouble for bringing any of my allergy meds if I needed them. I have horrible seasonal allergies! FWIW, our local community has a homeschool football team...and it's a HUGE success! Have you thought about looking at Upward? I'm not certain what sports they offer and if they are in your community, but you may want to check it out. http://www.upward.org/
Wow that is sad. I agree he needs to do pay for what he did but not that way. I have sub teach in ISS and they let the kids do there work the teacher is doing that day in class. They have books here. I think you doing the best thing for him. Yes looks into other homeschool groups there are tons of sports in homeschool groups.
wow, it too bad they wont let him finish off the football season at least, I mean as for the team stuff, some schools would do that. Wow. I am not sure what I would have done in that situation, dd said that your ds had the norm thing happen to him unfortunately because of the kids who DO bring the bad drugs to school. But we both think they should have given a warning since he JUST STARTED public school geeee
I know, I'm back and forth on it too. They were doing what they were told to do. I still think that punishment should be done on a child to child basis. Not a one size fits all. Basically what they were saying is that he brought drugs to school.. I have NO clue what's going to be on his record, but I can tell you that none of my kids will EVER set foot in this school district again. My son is having a hard time dealing with it today. He's very upset with me over it and is begging to go to another school that's in another district. We were origanally going to send him there but decided against it because it's 20 miles away. I'm praying about it. I feel horrible. My son says that he's never going to see his friends now. I know he won't see them in school like he did but he will get to see them. He says that homeschool is boring. I'm sorry that mom is so boring. I try really hard but he's just not pleased with it. He just about had me in tears today over the whole thing. I talked to my hubby about sending him to the other school and he told me to keep him home. So we are going to sit down and talk with Tyler about this some more and see what we can do to help him feel more comfortable with homeschooling. I gave him today off and Monday we're going to play at the sand dunes in Monahans. Problem is that he's extremely social. So Pray for us PLEASE.. This is very hard. I felt horrible for him going into the school to get his things. He went and told a few teachers bye and talked to his football coach. Leaving football was by far the hardest thing for him. He was just moved to a new position that morning. I just don't know what to do.. Why does this have to be so hard? One part of me wants to send him back and let him face the consequences of his actions. But the other part of me says NO WAY!! That's my baby and it's not fair for him.. Like I said before though, my kids will NEVER set foot in this school district again. I am NOT one of those moms who thinks her kids do no wrong and won't let anyone punish them. I really am not but I'm putting my foot down on this issue. I'm standing FIRM!
oh, I'm so sorry! What a crummy (I use this "light" term vs what I'd like to use. ) situation. I feel for you. This is how I'm in the homeschooling boat with my cousin's son. He was in public school, had done well in grade school, they moved and he got into a new school where he felt like the teachers didn't help him, so he shut down. And here is where I see both sides of it, much like in your story. When the student shuts down and does absolutely nothing in the classroom, a teacher with 27 other students starts letting the shut down student slip. So, he fails the first semester completely. The school pretty much kicks him out and requires him to go to an alternative school that has him riding the bus 3 hours a day. Plus, he's in a school with kids that have done MUCH worse than just "not doing anything". To "earn" the right to go back to his original ps, he has to regain the 9th grade and go to a National Guard boot camp for 4 months. the ps teacher in me wants to applaud that the district "cleans house" well, but on the other hand -- my goodness, my cousin didn't deserve this kind of punishment! Who is it benefiting?! certainly not him! So, here we are homeschooling and you know what - he is EXCELLING with one-on-one instruction. He says he understands fractions for the first time, ever! So, anyway -- I'm so sorry your family is going through this, especially your son. It seems like so much to give up when he was so excited about ps. I understand the school's policy, but they need to look at the big picture, too, before doling out the standard punishment... sigh.
How does a 3 week out of school suspension "educate" your child when you have no material with which to teach him? Someone pinch me and wake me up please... this is absurd. He is manipulating you into trying to go back to public school. Don't give in to him. This is a consequence of his choice to bring meds to school with him. He knew he wasn't supposed to, he chose to break the rule and this is how you're going to deal with it, end of story for him. I believe that you are making the right choice for him.
Thank you, Brenda. I needed the encouragement. My husband is bound and determined not to send him back which is total opposite from what it was at the beginning of the year. This is what I wanted!! I'm SO glad he's on board with me homeschooling at a highschool level now. Now I have to find curriculum for Tyler.. I would LOVE to do Abeka video academy, we are discussing it right now. That's a huge chunk out of our pocket and we don't get to keep it. So this is a hard decision, but I really feel that he needs someone besides mom trying to teach him. Even if we don't use the videos I think we'll do Abeka for him.. Thanks for your support.
This might not be the right way to approach it with your ds, but since he was on ISS and would be forced to go to an alternative school, would he even have been able to participate in football anyway? Just a thought. Losing football might have been a consequence regardless of your decision to bring him home. Still thinking of you all often. (((hugs)))
Nope football is out the window reguardless.. I think the reality of it all has just began to set in with him.. BUT he and ds13 spent the evening with another homeschool family with kids their age. So hopefully having kids his age around will help soften the blow. We'll get through this and move on.. I've got the answer to my prayers.. Just didn't think it would happen this way.. LOL..
