ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?

Joseph and I are fairly naive. We anticipated there would be a few challenges in parenting adopted children. One of the challenges we did NOT anticipate was the continual stunting of our kids' academic growth by well-meaning, albeit misinformed, educators. I went to a parent teacher conference today for a child who shall remain unnamed (but anyone who knows me and my family will know exactly who I am talking about). This particular child has the same teacher for 3 classes. They are a math lab, science lab and english lab. These labs are designed to fill in the learning gaps so the M can function closer to grade level in her 7th grade math, science and english classes. I asked the teacher how she was doing in class. I was informed that M is fun, sweet and just wonderful to have in class. "That's nice", I said "how is she doing with her work?". "weeellllll........." Turns out that she is missing several assignments and has turned in work that she has obviously made a a minimal effort on. So those "B's" she got on her mid-term. Yeah, they were actually "F's". The teacher "just didn't have the heart" to put an F on her mid-term so she gave her all of her missing assignments and assignments on which she had gotten poor grades and gave her extra time to make them up! This has been the story for the last FOUR YEARS of schooling! Teachers just love her smile and sweetness and so she gets grades that she has not earned. I want to tell these teachers that I expect K (who is in the same grade) to be able to "smile" his way to an "A" as well. WHY WHY WHY do they not understand that by not having expectations of M other than to smile and be sweet, they are doing her a disservice? Why do they not understand that she will never make academic progress as long as she is handing in 2nd grade level work (she is in 7th grade) and receiving good grades for it-when she turns in her work at all!?!?!?!? Why do they not understand that they M is playing them like a freaking fiddle and they don't even realize it? Ok, breathe, breathe, breathe. I will be meeting more teachers tomorrow and we will see how valid the grades in the rest of the classes are. Ok. Rant over. And out.

Fair fun!

So much for keeping up on my blog. Last Monday we skipped school and went to the fair. The kids had so much fun and I was happy to see them so happy. We saw a sea lion show, played in a cool science exhibit, saw lots of animals, ate lots of junky fair food and, of course, rode LOTS of rides. I can't wait to back next year and do it all again!