I HATE schools!!!!
Sorry it's been so long. It's been an interesting but when my boys start school I'll post most days, if not daily. Today was a rough one. Higher fevers, fatigue, headaches and my gums aren't fully healed from the extractions but they are on their way. So, with the help of pain meds today I got the balls to submit a request to do an open mic in October for the Tacoma Comedy Club because Vicodin told me I'm freaking hilarious. Dammit Vicodin!!!! I invited awesome friends who I know will both support and talk shit at me instead of about me. I love them. So, there was that. If I do well, I'll post it. If I suck, I'll just let you know I bombed and comically write about how awful that went. Bonus each way I suppose. Either way, you may get a laugh. I'm pretty sure I never mentioned my eldest son has high functioning autism. We've had many difficulties with this but he is doing well at the school he is at. One of his brothers is going into high school and they were going to go to the same high school though it's out of district. Everything was great in terms of the bus ride until today when they decided my younger son is a liability because he's not in their district anymore. So, they're essentially throwing him to the wayside even though he and my eldest are going to the same school and my eldest is one of the only kids on the bus. We've been put through so much from schools it's absolutely disgusting. One horrible excuse for a principle from Sherman Elementary in Watertown, NY told me my eldest would later do bomb threats because he pulled the fire alarm to stop a bully from harassing him. He was five-years-old. So, I'm done with dealing with being nice or political with schools who treat kids like crap. My son isn't a bottom line, he's a kid. So, I wrote this email which will spark some bitch fits tomorrow. I took my boy's names and the schools out.
See, having a disease like this changes things in a way that I would never have considered before. It's awful when I cannot drive and my husband has to leave a month at a time sometimes so I have to make sure my kids get to school. I can generally drive my youngest to school because it's about two miles away so I don't get lost, and if I end up in fog I can walk home. But, I can't do that with my older two. I don't understand how schools can lack this kind of humanity. They don't care that I need the help. They want the $12,000 + for my son. I hope things can be fixed. Otherwise, my two eldest boys will have to go to separate high schools because of my disease. It doesn't just affect me. It affects my kids and that is the worst feeling ever, to know what I'm doing to my kids and there is nothing I can do but fight for them and pray I can keep fighting until they get what they need. FYI, this is the bitchiest letter I've ever sent a school or district.
Dear Ms. B,
My name is Michelle Scheeland. My eldest son, W., is contracted to the C. P. School District via S. School District because S.H.S. was incapable of providing the services my son requires. Now, two years later, my 14-year-old, J., is entering high school and wanted to attend Lakes, his older brother’s school, both because his older brother attends that school and, after seeing his brother enjoy JROTC, he wanted to participate in it as well. In preparation for J’s transition to high school, I asked transportation last academic year if it was okay that J took the bus with W to L.H.S. since it was going there anyway. I was told it was fine.
So, imagine my absolute surprise when I called this afternoon, 8/28/2017, to remind transportation J was going to get on the bus this year, and they said no. Apparently my son, being from another district now, is a liability. I find this interesting because he was not a liability last year when he attended P. Middle School. I am willing to sign a liability waiver for J to ride the bus. If I trust you enough to drive one child, I trust you enough to drive another one. I feel this behavior is simple, petty, and just sad to be completely honest. J is a child. He deserves better than being reduced to a mere transportation “liability” simply because he left your district.
Further, J would never be attending L.H.S. if W had been able to attend S.H.S in the first place. I, as a mother, refuse to give one child more opportunities than another and I resent the fact that you’re putting me in the position to choose between JROTC, the one program J has ever wanted to engage in, and your school district just to get bus transportation. See, without this transportation assistance, I cannot guarantee I will always be able to get my son to school. I have an autoimmune disorder called Lupus and it attacks my central nervous system preventing me from being able to drive at times. To add, if I am driving one child to school and the other takes the bus, it will cause problems because W will not want to take the bus if I am already taking J to the same place. Moreover, we won’t have to pick anyone else up on the way to school like the bus does, so we can leave a few minutes later, and he won’t ever have to watch another student eat their feces. Unfortunately, my husband cannot get out of PT, or drive home from an out of state training to take our boys to school, and leave work to bring them home, during situations where I temporarily lose the ability to drive. In that case, W will be able to take a bus while J misses out on school because, again, he is a liability without the right to the same education, unless he is in your district.
In addition, do you have any idea the stigma associated with riding on the Special Education bus? It’s hard enough for W to walk off of the bus with students who wear diapers in front of his often judgmental, “neurotypical” peers. You are denying him the opportunity for more social acceptance by having his brother at his side. J has always been a well liked, popular kid who people know as being “normal”. W was harassed and called “retarded” by kids who know he is Autistic in Middle School, some of which, currently attend L.H.S. so it would be wonderful for him both socially and emotionally, (which is what W needs help with given his Autism) to have someone he knows cares about him, especially because has no friends there outside of the staff. Why would you deny your district’s student that kind of social assistance? Especially when all it costs is a free bus ride that you’re already making anyway. It would make him feel so much more confident having J with him. But, I suppose W’s social development and wellbeing isn’t your concern anymore. It’s C. P’s unless there’s an IEP meeting to attend. J is not a liability, he is an asset for your student, his brother.
Thank you for putting me in this position so close to the beginning of school. I love being misled and stress is stellar for my disease. J will stay at L.H.S.. I love that school and the faculty there who, actually, genuinely care about my eldest and will care about J as well. Your inability to provide sufficient services for my special needs son has led our family to the L.H.S. JROTC program and we believe it should be a requirement for every student because survival techniques and land navigation are invaluable skills. On the other hand, had I been told “no” in the first place, because of this disease, I would have sent J to S.H.S., despite my chagrin, to make sure he was able to get an education somewhere when I‘m unable to drive. As a matter of fact, I made sure to secure the bus ride to L.H.S. for J through Trasportation last year before registering him with C. P. So, thank you!
I cannot say this is the worst district I have ever dealt with. Sadly, it’s par for the course. It took a year for J to finally get the 504 he needed because P Middle School didn’t do their job until I really pushed and I can provide you with emails. I’ve seen how well prepped and educated your paras are regarding their special needs students, because one lady would ask me questions about her down syndrome student since my son has autism, instead of asking the student’s mother for help and admitted she had no idea what she was doing. You do not teach proper restraint techniques; I’ve seen video of your paras dragging a child off of the bus by her arms. I also understand no one is taught the life saving emergency skills such as dealing with seizures, administering glycogen, and so on that employees are taught in California, who’s education system is nationally ranked at 28 compared to Washington’s 24. If you refuse to bus J, that’s fine. You can pay for my time and mileage since I will have to drive both children; again, I don’t play favorites and give to one and not the other. Have a great day and I look forward to meeting with you very soon.
Regards,
Michelle Scheeland
Fingers crossed they pull their heads out of their asses and let J ride the bus because it's just not that difficult.
See, having a disease like this changes things in a way that I would never have considered before. It's awful when I cannot drive and my husband has to leave a month at a time sometimes so I have to make sure my kids get to school. I can generally drive my youngest to school because it's about two miles away so I don't get lost, and if I end up in fog I can walk home. But, I can't do that with my older two. I don't understand how schools can lack this kind of humanity. They don't care that I need the help. They want the $12,000 + for my son. I hope things can be fixed. Otherwise, my two eldest boys will have to go to separate high schools because of my disease. It doesn't just affect me. It affects my kids and that is the worst feeling ever, to know what I'm doing to my kids and there is nothing I can do but fight for them and pray I can keep fighting until they get what they need. FYI, this is the bitchiest letter I've ever sent a school or district.
Dear Ms. B,
My name is Michelle Scheeland. My eldest son, W., is contracted to the C. P. School District via S. School District because S.H.S. was incapable of providing the services my son requires. Now, two years later, my 14-year-old, J., is entering high school and wanted to attend Lakes, his older brother’s school, both because his older brother attends that school and, after seeing his brother enjoy JROTC, he wanted to participate in it as well. In preparation for J’s transition to high school, I asked transportation last academic year if it was okay that J took the bus with W to L.H.S. since it was going there anyway. I was told it was fine.
So, imagine my absolute surprise when I called this afternoon, 8/28/2017, to remind transportation J was going to get on the bus this year, and they said no. Apparently my son, being from another district now, is a liability. I find this interesting because he was not a liability last year when he attended P. Middle School. I am willing to sign a liability waiver for J to ride the bus. If I trust you enough to drive one child, I trust you enough to drive another one. I feel this behavior is simple, petty, and just sad to be completely honest. J is a child. He deserves better than being reduced to a mere transportation “liability” simply because he left your district.
Further, J would never be attending L.H.S. if W had been able to attend S.H.S in the first place. I, as a mother, refuse to give one child more opportunities than another and I resent the fact that you’re putting me in the position to choose between JROTC, the one program J has ever wanted to engage in, and your school district just to get bus transportation. See, without this transportation assistance, I cannot guarantee I will always be able to get my son to school. I have an autoimmune disorder called Lupus and it attacks my central nervous system preventing me from being able to drive at times. To add, if I am driving one child to school and the other takes the bus, it will cause problems because W will not want to take the bus if I am already taking J to the same place. Moreover, we won’t have to pick anyone else up on the way to school like the bus does, so we can leave a few minutes later, and he won’t ever have to watch another student eat their feces. Unfortunately, my husband cannot get out of PT, or drive home from an out of state training to take our boys to school, and leave work to bring them home, during situations where I temporarily lose the ability to drive. In that case, W will be able to take a bus while J misses out on school because, again, he is a liability without the right to the same education, unless he is in your district.
In addition, do you have any idea the stigma associated with riding on the Special Education bus? It’s hard enough for W to walk off of the bus with students who wear diapers in front of his often judgmental, “neurotypical” peers. You are denying him the opportunity for more social acceptance by having his brother at his side. J has always been a well liked, popular kid who people know as being “normal”. W was harassed and called “retarded” by kids who know he is Autistic in Middle School, some of which, currently attend L.H.S. so it would be wonderful for him both socially and emotionally, (which is what W needs help with given his Autism) to have someone he knows cares about him, especially because has no friends there outside of the staff. Why would you deny your district’s student that kind of social assistance? Especially when all it costs is a free bus ride that you’re already making anyway. It would make him feel so much more confident having J with him. But, I suppose W’s social development and wellbeing isn’t your concern anymore. It’s C. P’s unless there’s an IEP meeting to attend. J is not a liability, he is an asset for your student, his brother.
Thank you for putting me in this position so close to the beginning of school. I love being misled and stress is stellar for my disease. J will stay at L.H.S.. I love that school and the faculty there who, actually, genuinely care about my eldest and will care about J as well. Your inability to provide sufficient services for my special needs son has led our family to the L.H.S. JROTC program and we believe it should be a requirement for every student because survival techniques and land navigation are invaluable skills. On the other hand, had I been told “no” in the first place, because of this disease, I would have sent J to S.H.S., despite my chagrin, to make sure he was able to get an education somewhere when I‘m unable to drive. As a matter of fact, I made sure to secure the bus ride to L.H.S. for J through Trasportation last year before registering him with C. P. So, thank you!
I cannot say this is the worst district I have ever dealt with. Sadly, it’s par for the course. It took a year for J to finally get the 504 he needed because P Middle School didn’t do their job until I really pushed and I can provide you with emails. I’ve seen how well prepped and educated your paras are regarding their special needs students, because one lady would ask me questions about her down syndrome student since my son has autism, instead of asking the student’s mother for help and admitted she had no idea what she was doing. You do not teach proper restraint techniques; I’ve seen video of your paras dragging a child off of the bus by her arms. I also understand no one is taught the life saving emergency skills such as dealing with seizures, administering glycogen, and so on that employees are taught in California, who’s education system is nationally ranked at 28 compared to Washington’s 24. If you refuse to bus J, that’s fine. You can pay for my time and mileage since I will have to drive both children; again, I don’t play favorites and give to one and not the other. Have a great day and I look forward to meeting with you very soon.
Regards,
Michelle Scheeland
Fingers crossed they pull their heads out of their asses and let J ride the bus because it's just not that difficult.
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