Thursday 3/21/24
It had looked like a solution had been found regarding this bad school situation and my friend's daughter. It's a violent school--a girl was beat up and put in the hospital last week with head trauma and then a video of the beating made the social media rounds. This is the school where my friend lives. His kid is terrified to go to school, has no friends, is picked on. I understand having a hard time. I did. But the threat of physical violence--that's different.
Your hands are really bound, though, by law, especially at this point in the school year and the state where he lives. You can't just say, "I'm home schooling the child" and pull them out. And if your kid isn't in school, they can't proceed to the next grade, you have child services coming around, and all kinds of problems.
The other day, it seemed that she wouldn't have to go again and she'd do her work from home and have a (presumably online) tutor. She goes to high school next year, and it's going to have to be a private school or a Jewish day school. This situation has had an impact on the kid in other areas. She can't order food for herself at a restaurant now her anxiety is so high.
I understand, so many people have a tough time of it. And let's be honest: it's almost everyone now, and it's certainly more people than ever. The internet and performative internet culture has made so many people weaker than they would have been and mentally ill. Children, adults. No one is more about the idea of pushing through, no matter what, than I. That's me, though. You can't go to school uncertain if you'll end up in the hospital that day. The kids doing these things aren't being disciplined. Want to guess why? Probably not too difficult if you haven't been asleep for the entirety of the past few years. The people in charge don't want the potential blowback. When everyone wants to be seen as one of the good ones--and you know exactly what I mean by that; it's an appearance thing, not a reality thing--virtually no one is. That's not how being good works. Nor is it how doing your job to the best of your abilities work or how looking after people works or how doing right by children works.
My friend had this meeting at the school last night--sounded almost like a hearing--and they said no, the girl has to go to school or she won't graduate eighth grade. Doesn't matter if she does the work, passes the tests, keeps up with her schooling. I feel bad for her, I feel bad for my friend. I know that every morning this drama of getting her to go to school is enacted at their home. You can't blame her.
I had felt a sense of relief for this girl over the past couple days, so that was upsetting and I just feel really bad for her.

Comments