I Don't Have A Degree in that BUT...

The family that I was upset about a few weeks back...that was getting evicted...

Prayers are a wonderful thing.  This mother found help, got a job, and they are all safe, with a roof over their head.  She contacted us this morning.  I checked on the students' progress and updated their Back on Track plans before I contacted her.  In the meantime our school social worker called me.  She was of the opinion that the mother was not going to be able to handle all of this and that the kids would be better off in a brick and mortar school...they would be safer and fed.

I think she was surprised that I would not back her in this decision.  I told her that:

1) she had not talked to the mom, yet, to find out what all was going on...how stable with the 'roof over their head', did she have other support systems, etc.
2) the middle school boys would not necessarily be better off in an inner city middle school.  I told her that she had not actually been in one of those schools and it could be a frightening, harmful environment.  My sense of the mother was that she was trying to make schooling and life less frightening for her kids.

Priti seemed a bit agitated with me.  I dug my heels in and I told her the whole conversation was moot until we both spoke with the mom.

Priti beat me to it. She called me back and told me that perhaps I had a point.  She went through the whole list of all the mother had done to ensure proper schooling and that her kids were being taken care of by her sister while she was at work and that she was on top of what her kids were doing with their classes when she got home from work.

I called the mother and congratulated her on her big turn around.  I had already sent emails to her kids giving them all a pat on the back for getting back to their schooling and being responsible.

Life is tough and why can't we have more faith in others?

On the flip side, I had a family that I DID recommend for withdrawal from our school.  The mother really wasn't doing her part, the kids were getting farther and farther behind and everytime we reached out and tried to help, she fought us.   I tried working with them for the last 2 months and nothing got better.  Bye.  The biggest piece I did not mention is...she had her kids in the school last year and bucked the system and was abusive to the teachers all year.  This year, we have a different system that helps us weed out the difficult ones that refuse to do as they should.  One of the students' teachers called me to thank me.

Kinda like The Darkness.  He can make things seem better for a while but...he is who he is.  He IS trying to step up and help TJ and Brit with gathering what they need for their first place.  He keeps suggesting ways he wants to help me...or things he can do for me.  I really am not interested in that. But if he wants to help his son then good.

I think when he is here over the holidays, I will do a 'forgiveness burial' with him.  I want to move on.  I want him to move on.  This may help us both.

Totally unrelated:  I joined the school Walker Tracker Challenge.  I have to walk 3 miles a day every day until Christmas.  I shall try to rise to the challenge.  Wish me luck.