I need to vent. And I've learned that this is the right place.
DS7 had not such a great year last year. At the beginning of this year, I met my son's teacher and aide before school started. At first I thought the aide was fabulous! (The teacher has basically written DS off. She is sweet, but can't handle him academically.) Anyway, very quickly after the start of school, DS was refusing to go to school - very unlike him - well, unlike him before the previous year. He was miserable and I knew there was a problem. I talked to the teachers and principal multiple times. They assured me that everything was fine. I knew it wasn't. So I began partially homeschooling him and pulling him out of school after just a few hours a day.
Today, as I was leaving school with my son, the aide pulls me aside. My son was standing not too far away, so I was already aware that I could not speak freely. Here is our conversation:
Aide: "I just want you to know that DS7 has calmed down quite a bit lately. He seems so much happier the last few weeks."
Me: "What do you mean? I was told that he was happy all along."
Aide: "The first several weeks of school, he spent the whole day being so anxious. But he has calmed down so much!"
Me: [in my head - WTF he was anxious?!! I knew that he was unhappy. Everyone denied that and now you tell me that you NOTICED anxiety - for WEEKS!] "This is the first that I am hearing from you that he was having problems."
Aide: "Well, I think he is just getting used to the routine now. It takes the children a while to get used to the routine. You know, he is just such a wonderful 7 year old boy. His brain is tremendous and it will take him far in life. But it's so important for him to just be a boy and be happy and play. The rest will come later."
Me: "I couldn't agree with you more. It's important for him to be a 7 year old boy getting the education that he deserves." [in my head - yes, he's "calmed down" and stopped being so anxious ever since I listened to his misery at being at school all day and started pulling him out. Have you not noticed that he is much happier because he is spending far less time in the classroom!!!???] Of course, what is she trying to say here? That he should not do "accelerated" work because he is being denied his childhood? I think that we can successfully argue that allowing a child to be anxious all day is in effect stealing his childhood.
I was so angry! Why would teachers/administrators intentionally allow a 7 year old to sit around all day being anxious?! And how many times did I ask them about how DS was doing in school? And I had to plant myself in the classroom just to observe him. What is wrong with these people!?
