What's Happening

Yesterday we experienced many sprinkles from the sky with some short spurts of rain. The red dirt became red mud . . . some got in the van, but I just don't care. Whatever. So, today it is overcast and sunny, going between both rapidly, with humidity enveloping us in it's wake.

Teenie is now in regular math, rather than Algebra 1. She still has the math teacher who made her sit on the floor. Before y'all wonder why I did not push to have a different teacher . . .

He called me on Tuesday. Essentially, his case was this: he had told the kids repeatedly that was what would happen if they forgot their badge, because when they go to the high school next year they need to have their high school badge on all the time and if they forget they'll get detention. He feels it is his responsibility to keep them grounded in the real world. Sitting on the floor punishment is his idea, his own policy; the school is aware he does this and I'm the first parent that has ever complained about it. He felt bad that she forgot her badge on a test taking day, but equally felt that if he bent and relented he would lose credibility with the class.

My side: I still do not agree with the policy. If it's his classroom policy, he should make the parents aware of it in writing on the sheet of classroom policies he originally sent home for us to sign. My son attends the said high school and the badge policy there is not to make the kids sit on the floor, but to extend them a first-time grace of a written pass; the second time he forgets he would get detention and from there it gets progressively more severe. I also told him, that being military, we TOTALLY "get" the ID thing. If my husband does not have his badge, he does not get on base - or in his office. Period. It is an inconvenience to him to forget it. He may be spoken to about it, but I am not privy to that. If I forget my ID, I cannot get in the commissary or NEX here - or on base. Period. I have to have it on my ALL THE TIME. So, spare me the "lecture on it's importance". My main point is that if this is his little agenda, then make the parents aware of it.

What he doesn't know is that my husband will be coming home from Japan tomorrow morning and we'll be setting up a meeting to express our concerns regarding this sort of treatment. All we want is just punishment. If not having your badge on you in his class is that important, then send the child who forgot to the office - to have a pass made up or to have the parents bring it. That makes more sense and seems to me would still impress upon the child the importance of not forgetting. We are not excusing Teenie from forgetting - she did that, and, she had heard (dormant memory as she tries to adjust to being in public school after being home schooled for two years) from him in class that that was what he would do. We are not asking the teacher to not be consistent, because we know consistency is important in ruling properly. But, be JUST.

And, as an aside, he's not there to teach my girl about the real world. Teach her the maths, dammit! Anyway, why she just learned a totally different lesson with him. You can get kicked in the arse in middle school now, why wait until you're in high school and maybe a bit more mature to handle it?

I'm sure that in ten years the children that sat on the floor will never forget to bring their ID again. I'm absolutely certain of it. It is effective, I agree. However, it still doesn't make it right. Or just. I bet those kids who were similarly punished were too embarrassed to mention it to their folks, would get in worse trouble with their folks so did not mention it, or, were just complacent - you know, the "whatever" crowd.

My daughter told me, knowing that she, too, would get a talking to. I'm proud of the way we have raised our children and my daughter is a fantastic human being. It takes courage to be honest.

I'll blog about the meeting after it takes place.

I need to clean up around here. I need to start thinking about what goes where and so on for the move next week. It's not much, but it is, you know?