I NEED TO VENT--LONG

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone:

Right now I am so angry I need to vent. You all know from past emails that my

principal (also the principal of my own 2 kids) is beyond insanity. I had a

conversation with him tonight that just blows me away and you guys will just

fall off your chairs.

OH I am burning mad......I need to get it out, hope you don't mind.

Adam's grade 5 teacher told me (in confidence, but then again she's been known

to say in the staffroom " that dam dwarf " when referring to my son......she's

rather 2 faced!!) anyway, she tells me that last week the principal was in her

room covering for her and he disciplined Adam for eating in class.

Now he has a letter in his file, his IEP states he needs small frequent meals,

his medical forms I submit every Sept. say the same thing..........and

yet...............this is a problem now.

I had Adam at the endo on Feb 4th and since Sept. he has gained NO weight. I

know it's because his teacher won't allow him to eat. But I digress......my

point is that the principal had no right to discipline him.

So I explained to the principal that Adam needed small frequent meals for a

variety of reasons. One: he is hypoglycemic. Two: he has a much smaller stomach,

doesn't fill up as other kids and needs the extra food to keep up his energy

levels (I even went so far as to say that some RSS kids have a problem with the

message system in the body that says " hey eat!! " ; so that when he does he has

to)

You expecting an apology? Perhaps an excuse " I didn't know, I'll speak to the

teacher because that should be recorded on her desk in a location accessible to

supply teachers etc? "

NO~~~~ he says " so he has a medical condition, he needs to be on an alert

system "

I said " no I'm not saying that it needs to be that extreme. I have never had

this problem in 7 years of him being here, every teacher has always been very

accommodating " .

NO he says " you are telling me that Adam must be fed, so I think he needs to

leave the room whenever he eats " .

I said " then he is going to miss most of his lessons while he's out eating " (I

didn't even mention who is going to supervise this!!)

He then says " well no it's not fair to the other kids to see him eating in

class. Eating in class is totally unacceptable " >

I said " but our diabetic kids do "

He says " well again.......then you are saying Adam is diabetic " .

No I'm not, I said.

So then he says (GET THIS) " Well perhaps this is not the appropriate setting for

Adam. Perhaps he needs to be in a mulithandicapped, closed classroom so he can

be sure to eat "

On Monday (as an aside) we have our IEP reviews. Adam will be discussed with the

head of special services chairing the meeting. So I said " well if YOU think that

way, maybe we should ask Margaret Anne on Monday if she feels Adam's needs are

such that he requires an MH class "

He would look so stupid. What an **(()**

So he goes on to ask " well let's put him on a schedule " .

I explained Adam doesn't eat that way. He's never been predictable. I said he

can eat 3 plates of a dinner on one night, and another night he'll just eat bits

of stuff all evening. I can not predict when his body will need the food. He has

a physical disability.

So the principal says " yeh so he doesn't grow......that has nothing to do with

him eating "

UGH!!!!!!!!

I said I prepare small snacks that are not disruptive to the class. He has

always just gone quietly to the back and got his snack.

He jumps in " well on the day I was there he was eating out OF HIS DESK " .

I said " because he has been told by his teacher to HIDE the snack and eat at his

desk while he works " that's the least disruptive.

Then he says he wants a medical note. I said " read his file, it's already

there " . He says " I want an updated letter and I want you to sign a form 14 to I

can talk to the doctor " .

(I let that one go away.......no way am I giving him freedom to discuss me or my

kids!!!!)

I asked why he was not made aware of this in the fall when I filled out the

medical form.

Well I had him there. I am a teacher for pete's sake. The routine is that any

teacher that sees an issue on that form is to flag it to the principal.

So then he changes tactics with me and says about 5 or 6 different times that " I

am hearing that his teacher has not done her job and I am going to have to speak

to her. She's in trouble " .

He was waiting for me to defend her, to say that " Oh no don't get her in

trouble " Yeh after what she does do my son?? She tells me that she yells at him

so that other kids won't think he gets special favours because he is small. I

try to tell her that she shouldn't have to yell at any kid. Oh no she says she

doesn't yell at any other kids, just him, so the others don't think she's

playing favourites.

Yeh she's doing ME a favour?????? I don't care if she gets in trouble or not.

She needs to be knocked down a peg.

But, she is the principal's favourite, she will NOT be disciplined, but I know

he will go to her and ask for details, looking for a way to hang me up.

Finally he asks " well so what will happen if he doesn't eat his snack? Do you

EVEN KNOW the answer to that?? Is he going to fall down and die?? "

I said " no he won't die.....but I do know what the long term consequences are. I

already told you he has not grown!!! "

He says " that's not the school's problem " .

UGH UGH UGH.

Guys I am just so angry.

And before you offer me the advice to get him out, and get me out, etc etc.

don't worry I'm already ahead of you. I have the transfer forms, but that is for

Sept. And now I think I am going to contact my union, see if they will bring

harassment against him (for MANY other issues) and then I want a paid medical

leave until the end of the year. NOT using my sick days. I need to see if I can

get that done. This man is causing so much stress, no wonder I have this back

problem.

But if I can get out ASAP, then I'll home school my son and make sure that it is

known that the principal is not accommodating to children with special needs. He

told me so. He has said repeatedly, he doesn't care what identification a kid

has, they are not to be treated any differently (that is SO against the rules).

OK I'll shut up now.

UGH> I could just cry.

Debby