Changing Schools

I was so excited at the beginning of this school year. Maya was starting at a new school. It was to take her through 8th grade. It is an all-girl charter school with a focus on science and technology. How cool is that? I am sad to say that she will not be completing this year at the school, let alone 6-8th grades. Transportation was a challenge, one that I was willing to put up with. I did notify the school to let them know that I couldn't always get her there on time depending if I left work on time. I was spending an hour and a half in the car each morning between leaving work and finally getting home to wait for Elias' bus. I just accepted it. Then in the afternoon, Maya was able to ride the bus to the nearest stop, 3 miles from home. I had to get up, out of bed to go pick her up. I accepted that too, I had made the choice to send her to school there.

All would have been fine if the academics were as great as I thought they would be. However, my 5th grader was being given homework in her health and science classes expecting her to do math problems beyond her abilities. She seemed to be behind in math anyway, but instead of helping her during the day the school decided to have mandatory tutoring after school twice a week for all the students who were behind. (I was given one week notice that this was going to start). The tutoring ended up being about 3/4 of the school. Due to scheduling conflicts with swimming lessons and scouts Maya could not go to the tutoring. In addition I felt that 9 hourr of school was too much and that actual learning would not take place so late in the day.

In the tutoring the girls were being given new math concepts, concepts that they were then expected to use in math class. I was told that a math packet would be sent home with Maya. A packet filled with the work that was being done in the tutoring and I could help her at home. I was perfectly fine with that arrangement, but the packet never came. Maya asked the teacher for it and was told she would get it later in the week. It was never sent home. I e-mailed the teacher twice asking for it at 2 weeks and 3weeks after being told it would be sent home. I never received a response and still no packet. I e-mailed the math teachers after trying to help Maya with a dificult assignment and realizing she needed more help in her basic multiplication and division. I suggested that the school is not teaching in class to the greatest need based on the number of students in tutoring. The response I got was that the school was covering the subject matter in question in the tutoring and maybe Maya could come in early for help (obviously before school help doesn't work when I have difficulty getting her there on time some days). They also stated they would bring my concerns to the board when reviewing the curriculum.

I made a decision to pull her out of the school. I figure she can get more help in the public school, they will pull her out of class once or twice a week for extra support in math. I discussed it with Maya, she is sad to leave her music class but not so sad to leave her other classes. I decided to let her stay at the school through the end of the quarter, which is today. She told all of her teachers right away, 2 weeks ago. It wasn't until I called the school two days ago to let them know I had enrolled her in another school and why that the math teacher called to see if she could arrange something else to help Maya during the day. I struggled through the rest of the day thinking I made the wrong decision but decided that I had made numerous efforts to advocate for my daughter's education and got no response or a response that showed the school didn't really undersatnd my concern nor could it help her right now. I also thought of how, Maya going to this school was affecting my family. I am getting less sleep each day because I have to get up and pick up Maya. I am therefore tired all the time, it is negatively affecting my relationships with my children, affecting my productivity at work and greatly affecting my mood. The decision I made was for my family and me, not just for Maya.