I need prayer for my grandson. For some reason known only to him he put some eating utensils including 3 butter knives into his back pack and took them to school. He showed them to an older kid who told the teacher who confiscated them and took them to the principal. The principal had just been handed the school board's new 'no tolerance' policy so my grandson got expelled from second grade.

My daughter who is pregnant is terribly upset and there is apparently nothing we can do until the school board meets again. Not sure when that is yet.

The whole family is jumping in to help we will probably home school him for a while or the rest of the year unless he gets back in school soon.

Has anyone on here had experience with home schooling? Poor baby. He's so sad. And he has no answer for why he did it. He says he just wanted to show his friends some stuff.

I understand that schools have to outlaw weapons, but the kid's a second grader for heaven's sake.

smile

I work for a principal's association and we have a few articles on zero tolerance policies and how they aren't good in elementary schools. This might be good for your case with the school board. Send me a private message and I'll figure out a way to send them to you.

I wanted to post an update to this topic.
My grandson was expelled from school for 45 days which was essentially the remainder of the school year.
His other grandmother and I have been home schooling him. His grades had been fine, but when we started home schooling him, we discovered that he could hardly read.
Apparently that happened at second grade when they switched from phonics to "Johnnie can read" which is a program where kids basically memorize or guess all the words.
I guess it got him confused. His mother says he began to hate reading. Already he's turned back into a reading fool. Loves to read again and is reading everything he can get his hands on.

My daughter has put him in all kinds of additional tutoring and testing programs. He's done extremely well in all the tests and the tutor says he's doing work well beyond his years.

But that's only half the story. As it turns out, all this started when one of his teachers decided he was hyperactive and needed Ritalin which my daughter resoundingly refused to administer to him (Yeah Becky!)!
Anyway, that teacher is behind all of what appears to be an over reaction to some relatively harmless table knives with which he never threatened anyone or could have used to injure anyone with anyway. ???

However, the saga continues. My daughter got a call last week from the District Attorney's office who had been notified by the teacher. Seems they've filed charges against HIM!! Only because I have a friend who's a judge, he got a """deferred sentence""" and it won't be on his record. A second grader. Can you imagine??

My daughter says he will either continue home schooling (depending on how well we are able to handle it) or go to a new school in Sept.

We've all just been frantic with worry and in prayer constantly. It's enough to drive you nuts.
smile

My sister in Colorado has two children both are grown now. One day when her son was going into the third grade her friend who home scooled her 5 children and he were playing and shocked to find out he could barely read. The school was a very modern one and when she approached the teacher she was fluffed off with he's just dumb. At this same point in time she and her husband turned to the Jehovah Witness faith where home schooling is a must. She sent for all the information from the state and she began teaching him herself. On the test that you must submit to the state yearly he passed with exemplarily marks and so when her baby girl was born she was home schooled from day one. Her son now married has a new baby boy, and her daughter is in college studying to be a doctor. Not bad for home schooling. I want to say that in the beginning we (her family) were all worried that the children would be deprived of social skills and friends, NOT SO , and two smarter, more well adjusted young adults couldn't be found anywhere. If I were young enough to have children again, its what I would do and be proud of my decision. Maybe this was a gift from God..

smile, thanks for the update!

Who knows, maybe this was a blessing in disguise. For whatever reason, it sounds like the teachers don't have patience with your grandson. That's too bad because sometimes these "hyperactive" kids are brilliant and need to move at a faster pace because they're bored. When they're bored, they move. Heaven forbid!

My daughter has learning disabilities and ADHD. She goes to a small private school for kids with learning differences. No more that 7 kids to a class. It's an awesome learning environment because the teachers teach the way the kids need to learn. Not everyone learns by sitting and listening to a teacher talk nonstop. Each child has an individual learning program. She's been at the school for 5 years and it's a Godsend!

We were told by a respected teacher that we shouldn't put her in the public middle school because she would flounder. We were devastated, but we listened. Sometimes things like this happen for a reason.

I'd consider home schooling this little guy forever. I'm not sure about where you live but in Maryland there are so many home schooling groups that do learning together.

Another thought would be to keep him as far away from the school he was suspended from as possible. Unfortunately, kids get labeled. Another school where the KIDS don't know about the incident might also work.

Just my two cents. I bet speakermom might get her two cents in on this one. She's great with kids!

Whatever you do, please know I'm sending prayers towards heaven for your grandson, daughter, and you...also all the school personnel involved! God bless...

[ May 19, 2004, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

Maybe I'm missing something, but when I went to school you couldn't graduate from first grade unless you knew how to read. Just about everyone learned. Now less children can read and the teachers blame the kids. Huh???

Speakermom asked for an update on my grandson. Thanks to you all for the prayers. He's doing great. In fact, I think being expelled may have been the best thing that has happened to his education. He's reading extremely well and can do multiplication.
When my daughter met with the District Attorney's office regarding his "sentence," the lady representing the DA started on the Ritalin stuff again. Seems her son is on it and she highly recommends it. Becky bit her tongue, but has no intention of putting him on it. AMEN!! But the DA lady required them to take him to another doctor to have him evaluated for ADDHD which he apparently does NOT have.
Becky is due to deliver her third child at any moment and it's an added stress, but they are doing every thing they can to deal with the situation
Unfortunately Ritalin is possibly the only thing that will get the system off his back. They got him into a new school for next year, but his school record will follow him and I'm concerned that the teachers will be watching his every movement and you know how it is if you're looking for a kid to do something, he' bound to do it and the DA will press chargues if he has even a small infraction.
The whole thing is crazy, but what can you do?
Thanks for asking speakermom. Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.
smile

Smile, you're right, it could have been the best thing that happened to his educationally. I just hope the teachers at the new school allow him a fresh start.

Do you or your daughter know any of the teachers at the new school? Perhaps someone who could meet with him during the summer to see how well he's doing with the home schooling? Perhaps fill their heads with positive information about him and they may feel differently about the situation. Maybe realize it was just a little mistake by a little kid.

The thought of this makes me so angry. I can't stand seeing little kids have their self-esteem messed with by the very institution that should be building it!

You all remain on my prayer list, especially your grandson!

Dotsie and all,
Thank you so much for your concern and prayers for my grandson. He seems to be doing well and today he has his last meeting with the teacher assigned through the school system. Academically he had undoubtedly done well and we have kept careful written records of each of his lessons and his progress.
We've done that out of fear that we might need to prove that we are doing what is right. The adminsistrators and teachers seem to be intent on getting him on drugs. It is boiling down to a group of officials who seem to want to justify administering those drugs to their own children.
The teacher whose child is on Ritalin seems to want my grandson (Alex) to just sit zombie like in the classroom and be obedient.
Alex is such a creative and wonderfully wild little thing. He is bound to defy authority. He wants to go back to school where he can have friends, but I fear he will get in trouble again. The only way to avoid it seems to be to crush his spirit. Surely there is a way children can be educated without stealing the freedom of their spirit.
Thanks again for the prayers and concern. I'm trying not to worry. I think we'll spend a lot of the summer at the water park or in my pool. Water is good for a lot of things.
smile

Poor little guy. I have to tell you that before I put my child on drugs or let anyone demand my child take drugs, I would leave no stone unturned to educate him myself with the help of other concerned relatives if needed. From what I've seen and heard from others most of our school systems are grossy inadaquate and politically motivated and unthinking or caring of the children. They cannot fight for themselves and we as parents, grandparents etc. must fight for them. Home schooling or private schooling (usually expensive)are the answer and yes, make sure everything is documented just in case. I am so glad my sons are grown and my grandson has a wonderful school and teachers. Also we all go to the events at school and visit the classroom as visitors several times a year. Lets them know you're interested and keeps them on thier toes. God Bless you, Alex and his parents, I hope all works out....