For the past 2 months, I’ve been at war with a student, his parents, and the entire system. We’ll call this student “Mike”.

Mike has over 80 write ups. Now that it’s said and done, it’s closer to the 90 range. Mike spent the last part of last semester in in-school suspension and wasn’t allowed in some of his classes anymore because of his behavior. His behavior consisted of more or less seeking attention, acting out, never doing his work, and constantly socializing and disrupting class. The kid cannot handle a normal class setting. A lot of these kids that I teach can’t, but this one especially.

So, in January, I’m blessed with his presence. He was moved into my room because it just didn’t work out with his last social studies teacher. Within 2-3 days, he’s already kicked out of my room because of his behavior and attitude.

This goes on for a daily basis. If he’s not kicked out of my room, he’s kicked out of another teacher’s room. The administration is not doing anything about this. Write up after write up is sent regarding this kid. So, I then decide to make it a personal mission to get this kid removed from the school entirely and I simply write him up whenever he comes to my room and kick him out as soon as he enters. If he’s caught skipping and not going to the principle’s office, that’s simply something else you can tack on.

So, he has a manifestation meeting. This more or less means this is a meeting where we determine whether or not this kid can stay inside the school. The kid ends up staying inside the school. Now, mind you…this kid has over 80 write ups and is a chronic behavior problem and cannot function in a normal classroom setting. Fine. Whatever. This is the system I work in. I’m going to keep at it because kids like him need to be in an alternative school and not a mainstream classroom.

Same ol’ story. Chronic misbehavior. Finally, some action is being taken on him and he ends up being suspended for a few days. He comes back and immediately lands 10 write ups in a 3 day period. He has a second manifestation meeting. What happens here? His parents make excuses for him. Saying he needs “time to adjust” from his recent out of school suspension. Never mind the previous 80 write ups and never mind the previous 6 months of misbehavior and overall idiocy that he displays (I don’t care if that’s PC or not. That’s the truth).

He survives the second manifestation meeting. Why? Because the parents “did not know” of his behavior. Which is crap. Because there is extensive documentation of parental contact and attempts to call. There is extensive documentation regarding his behavior and attitude. Ultimately, the parents tell the school that their son is staying. And the school caves in and allows the child to stay.

Even better? The kid was not even supposed to be in our school the first place. He slipped through the cracks and nobody in his elementary school enforced his behavior plan. He was supposed to be sent off to the alternative school back in August. Nobody paid attention, parents didn’t say a word, and he ends up in a regular classroom when he clearly cannot function like a normal human being.

At this point, I’m just irate. I’ve never been this angry before. Because this is a prime example of what is exactly wrong with the community and school that I teach in. The administration will not take care of a kid who is clearly a problem. People are not doing their jobs regarding behavior plans and are keeping them in a mainstream classroom when they clearly don’t belong. The parents continually make excuses for the kid, and the school caves to the parents because they are too afraid to put their foot down.

Mike then gets sent home for 10 days to do his school work from home. I send off his work. I, of course, don’t receive it when he returns.

Last Friday, after being in school for a whopping 3 days, he cuts my class. He asks to use the bathroom and disappears for 45 minutes. I was not in that day, and receive word of this when I return on this past Monday. I am told that morning that there is yet another manifestation meeting for him on Wednesday from his case manager (who has been a saint throughout all this).

During this final manifestation meeting, Mike gets up and walks out of the meeting. At that point, the school decides he no longer belongs in the school. It took him walking out of a meeting for it to happen. Unbelievable.

It leads to the question of what would’ve happened if this kid brought a gun or knife to school (wouldn’t surprise me) and hurt someone after the first, or second manifestation meeting. What would happen then? What if someone got hurt, or even worse, killed? Where would the blame fall?

But that’s ok though – because the parent’s “didn’t know” of his behavior.

It’s a damn joke.

No child left behind, clearly.