"In spite of the challenges in school, don't give up!" by Donna Smith

It is with great admiration and in all humbleness; I thank the God of Israel for this blessing before my eyes. Today I sit in the auditorium of Parkway Middle School in Miami Florida for the observance of their 8^th grade graduation ceremony.  Like every parent I am elated that my child has made it and I wait to hear his name called. It was two days ago that I received the invitation to this event. I sat amongst the other parents and listened as the names of other graduating 8th graders were called. Many students received special awards for a job well done over the past year.

Finally, the time for the principal to present his award. It is the highest award given by the school and after the first two students received their certificate, Isaiah’s name was called. I was thrilled! The Presidential Award is an award that is given by the President of the United States for those students who have had outstanding academic achievements over the school year. That is all A’s or B’s.  Isaiah was within this category. I can see the smile on his face. He made it; it had been a long hard journey from grades 1 through eight.

This chapter has now ended. But it was not without a fight.

In 2006 we moved to the district of Vaughan in Ontario Canada and Isaiah started West Minister Public School, in an exclusive Jewish neighborhood and school system. We were not prepared for the challenges that would follow. He earned his first medical diagnosis from the school psychiatrist, ADD.  The diagnosis was then followed by a myriad of daily incidences that were constantly reported and chronicled by the school. These nuisances were unnerving.   I explored the reported complaints; they were often very trivial and accidental; nothing that affected the life, health or happiness of anyone. The school authorities, however, did not see it the same.

They made much to do about these incidences. Over the subsequent years, I punished, threatened and even withheld incentives from Isaiah so that he will conform to the school system. Every grade he entered the problems continued and unfortunately escalated. I attended meetings, met with all manner of school board officials, in groups, as well as individually. Being a single parent, I took the time and armed myself with literature that would support my cause.

After meeting with the school officials, I would often-ended up feeling battered and bruised rather than accomplished.   It can be intimidating for a single parent to sit before a large panel of school officials, who are discussing the fate of your child while you try to convince them otherwise.  Sometimes the school appointed an individual from the school districts to provide support to a lone parent. They formulated their conception of single parent families from their study of psychology.

Later I found out that schools were given bonuses for having children who were labeled “troubled”. For me this explained some of the frivolous misnomers that were reported on a daily basis. On several occasions he was removed from the class and was sent to a school outside the district usually with other students of varying ages who were labeled with similar problems. 

One year he was out of his classroom for more than two weeks. Whenever he returned he was many steps behind his peers and the complaints and problems continued. Because of the problems, I felt compelled to take him to our family practitioner since there was also strong coercion from the school psychiatrist.  

No diagnose of ADD or otherwise was confirmed.

The school, however, insisted that there was learning and behavioral problems. Finally I was asked by the school to have him followed by a pediatrician.  I was compliant.  After seeing Isaiah for less than fifteen minutes he made a diagnosis and was ready to follow through with medications as soon as he had three approved signatures, two from teachers and one from me.

The pediatrician tried to convince me that a child on medications could be anything that he or she wanted to become with the help of those medications. That was my last visit to that physician.

The problems and complaints continued in the 7^th grade. Isaiah was micro managed by the principal for his behavior on the school bus and on the playground. At that time I informed them of my intentions to remove him from that school district.

In December 2011, I mustered up sufficient courage and wrote a detailed, 2 page letter to the superintendent of schools, explaining the problems that I had experienced over the years while he attended the school.  In the email I also informed him that I was sending a copy of the same letter to the town’s Mayor. This action led to a meeting being called, enquiries made within the school system and the principal was transferred out of that very school board. She had been there for 5 years. It was later reported that Isaiah was not the first student who had suffered under this principal. But our experience was the catalyst that brought about the change.

The frequent interruption of learning left him uncertain. At the end of the 7^th grade though he was not on grade level however, he finished with B’s.  This was from doing remedial work and he was still not prepared to enter 8^th grade. The principal also assured me that he had not acquired the learning skills for the 8^th grade.

Relocating to Florida was a new beginning for Isaiah. He was older and more mature.  Since attending the Dade School system he has received a couple of awards. In February 2013 he made the honor roll; and in September he will attend a magnet high school, Baker Aviation, School of Aeronomics. Here he will be learning about Aerospace technology. Upon graduation he would have earned a high school Diploma and an Aerospace technician license. For those students who want to start working, the school has placement with American Airlines and places their graduates in jobs if they choose. In high school he can earn a scholarship and continue to university where he can further his studies in this field or any other.

Because middle school was extremely challenging for Isaiah I hope and pray that the next four years of high school will be extremely rewarding. I wrote this article to encourage parent(s) who might be experiencing difficulty with their children in the school system. My advice to you is, in spite of the challenges in school do not give up.

To Isaiah congratulations on your success and May the God of Israel continue to bless you richly.

Written by: Donna Smith