We got another letter from the Powers That Be at Sophie's school. Evidently, she has been determined to be an incorrigible truant, and we, as parents have failed to meet the obligation and may be guilty of an infraction and subject to prosecution pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 48290) of Chapter 2 or Part 27. No matter the fact that her IEP determines that she is late to school nearly every day because of her disability and that she is absent, probably, due to seizures. No matter that after five years at this school, we have gotten multiple copies of this letter. Best of all is this fine sentence: With or without an excuse, children are missing valuable instruction when they are absent. Yeah, I get it. You've got to do these things in a huge city with hundreds of thousands of children and an abysmal record of high school graduation, but it leads me to believe that no one there takes an iota of interest in Sophie beyond the numbers (with the exception, of course, of her teacher and aides). That gets wearisome after a while, the constant effort of it all. I get tired and cynical and sarcastic. I will have to call the school tomorrow, after we celebrate Veteran's Day, and let them know that Sophie is not lollygagging around the city, drinking and smoking cigarettes, free as a bird. Would that we were -- free as birds -- and wouldn't also have to exult in the day that people had to fight to make it so.
Absurder and absurder. Why can't this simply be programmed into a computer? I do hope you and Sophie are doing just a little bit if lollygagging.
ReplyDeletemore bureaucracy more red tap dear one I don't know how you can bear it. we should watch Brazil together and drink.
ReplyDeletelove,
Rebecca
Does no one make notes on students any more? Or, even worse, read them? If this weren't so distressing, it would be laughable!!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Bonnie
I don't even know what to say. What comes after absurdity exceeds its maximum?
ReplyDeleteGood gawd.
ReplyDeleteI no longer remember the exact wording of the letter I got threatening dire consequences for Miel's truancy, but there was a line in it that made it clear it couldn't possibly apply to a nonverbal person in a wheelchair. It was so all-out nasty, I really had to reply. I received a shocked phone call from the superintendent of schools at 7 in the evening in response to the email I sent her (copied to lots of others, of course, and implying I might call a reporter) followed by a formal note of abject apology. That was well over a decade ago. Plus ça change....
ReplyDeleteI remember getting one of those letters for Katie. WTF!
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why they can't distinguish between Sophie and someone who may be lollygagging about the city with smokes and alcohol. Perplexing.
ReplyDeleteIt continues to astound me that there is no standard for this. You should call them and tell them Sophie is truant because you're giving her marijuana.
ReplyDeleteTHIS. Hahaha.
DeleteMaybe it was a robot and the people are all out lolligagging (and the ad below says: "troubled teen boys?")
ReplyDeleteWhat VAH said - I'd love to hear how that conversation would play out. "We're running a little late today because Sophie hasn't finished her THC." Ludicrous.
ReplyDelete