Idiotsville, Continued

So Summer School is now underway. Yesterday was the first day, and I was amazed at what transpired yesterday. I'm going into my tenth year of teaching, and I still get thrown curveballs in my job. By the end of the day I thought, "These parents are idiots!"

A strong statement? Yep.

But, after you hear my stories, you can make your own decision.

At the beginning of the day, I was making the rounds, seeing who was there and who was absent. Typically, I have many students on my caseload, but not very many actually show up. So, I was doing my rounds.

I walked up to one of my teachers and said, "So, Lea isn't here today, right?"

She said, "Yes she is, she just went out for P.E. with the class."

I just stared at her. I thought I had my students confused, I thought Lea had a wheelchair in her IEP, but I never saw a student in a wheelchair.

She said, "What?"

I explained the wheelchair scenario, and she said that Lea was brought in late by someone, but she never saw a wheelchair.

So we went outside, and sure enough, Lea was walking and participating in P.E.

I thought I was mistaken, and I went inside to talk to C.D. about it because she has Lea during the year. C.D. said, "Yes, she has a wheelchair."

I said, "Nope, go check outside."

C.D. went outside and came back in laughing, saying "It's a miracle!"

We both laughed.

We played detective, and as it turns out Lea is supposed to be in the wheelchair all day due to a hip issue. The parents just didn't feel like bringing the chair up to school.

Idiots.

Then I was doing lunchroom duty, and one of the teachers came up to me and handed me a letter from a parent about their kid.

I just stood there.

I was in the middle of teaching 4 and 5 year olds how to carry their lunch tray (which I must say is always a highlight for me, it's quite funny!) and didn't have time to read a letter.

So, I just asked the teacher, "Who is this kid?" She told me, and I said, "Yes, it's C.D's kid, not mine!"

Then I went back to lunchroom duty.

After duty, I went in the office and gave C.D. the letter. I was walking away and C.D. said, "Didja read this?"

I told her that I hadn't because once I found out it was her kid, I didn't bother to look at it.

The letter literally said: "If you don't want to follow the IEP, you don't have to, afterall, Summer School is just a babysitting service for the parents."

I just stood there, dumbfounded.

Their kid is in Special Education, and yet they view it as babysitting.

Idiots!

Finally, the last story of the day.

When I was in the office, I was informed that Becca was brought in just before lunch. Becca is a student that has required multiple clothes changes due to toileting issues. She's not mine, so she isn't one I had to change much, but I have done so before just to help out.

So, they were playing detective on Becca because she wasn't enrolled in Summer School, and an IEP wasn't prepared for her for the Summer Session.

I walked away.

Not my business, and I definately didn't want it to be my business.

Then around 2:30, our speech gal came to me and said, "She pooped her pants, and we don't have ANY clothes from the family to change her into."

I just looked at C.D. and said, "She will be yours by the end of the day, prepare yourself."

C.D. said, "I don't want to teach Summer School anymore!"

I laughed. I told her it was too late!

Then at 3:00 C.D. came back to me and said, "She isn't coming any more. Bosslady told the family that if they couldn't come up and change her, then she couldn't come back because we don't have staff to change her."

On one hand, that is best for everyone. Summer School is not required.

On the other hand, the parents should have planned ahead.

Becca is a student that needs massive academic help.

But, in their case, they just wanted that "free babysitter."

Idiots.

I need to crash.

Tomorrow is another day in Idiotsville.

Pray for me!