Of handbaskets and fiddling

In the world of school psychology, you can go from feast to famine, from joy to sorrow, and from sanity to insanity often all on the same day. I always said I liked this job because every day is different, and that's very true, except, I wonder if my, um, age, is showing when I say that it's hard on an "older" brain to ride a roller coaster every day. I made this life change because I was stuck in a job I was never going to advance in-I had interviewed and subsequently been passed over for 2 promotions. Every day was the same and I finally realized that although I THOUGHT I had the ability to make my own decisions and work independently, the federal and state government, plus plenty of supervisors were always around to look over my shoulder. So, now I'm in the public schools. Did I ask for a wild ride? I think so.

This last week I visited with a student who was missing his dad. I was alerted that he was having problems, so I was able to pull him out of class to talk. He said his dad was in jail, and would be until 2024. We visited awhile and then, while I worked on paperwork in my office, he worked on math worksheets. He's now a buddy, as I gave him a roll of Smarties as he left. At home this weekend, I pulled up the public records on the department of corrections website, and learned that yes, his dad would be incarcerated until 2024. That the last time this student saw his dad probably would have been when he was 5 or 6. And that dad was a habitual sexual offender and truly rotten to the core. But this man fathered a son who misses him. Does he know that? This child needs a Big Brother. Or a mentor. Or a role model other than the million dollar athlete he idolizes. His single mom needs to be more aware of his needs, and more proactive in seeking help for him. But he's one of 5 kids, and she doesn't have the emotional stability it takes to put the needs of someone else, like your children, first. She's all about surviving until the next check, and whatever coping skills she has are focused on herself.

Here's part of the roller coaster: I prepared for 4 staffings last week. For 3 of them, parents did not show up. I have information about their kid that they don't know, and I'm ready to disseminate it, and no one's there. In working with another student, I've found mom to be defensive, hostile, and abusive to me and other school staff, particularly the child's teacher. That's because it's all someone else's problem. Her child's behavior is extreme because it's the teacher's fault. Whatever. I had another parent say that she wasn't concerned about her teenager's behavior because ____ (a well-known state facility for juvenile offenders) could straighten him out. WAKE UP PARENTS! Your child's education is going to hell in a handbasket. You are fiddling while Rome burns. You are zoned out, unplugged, and too busy to take care of your children's needs. And everybody is going to pay the price.