Lessons Learned

So I love the Cat's school. I cannot tell you how much I love Owl Park. I have gone on and on and on about how wonderful this school is. How much they get it, how well it fits for her, how wonderful the staff is. Its just an amazing place.

I should just sit back, relax, and trust that they know best. Right?!?

CONFESSION TIME: I do not trust the schools. Not a one of them in this district. I do not trust the district here. I have been burned. I take nothing they say at face value. I research everything, I educate myself, I know my rights, I question, I document, and I keep records.

Before the winter break the Cat's teacher Miss Patient mentioned to me that the Cat is academically above the other students in her class. She gets frustrated when she see them taking more breaks then she gets, or when she finishes and has to wait for them. Miss Patient came up with a wonderful solution. The Cat can do her academics with the resource group. She will go there in the afternoon, and be able to spend the rest of the day with her SPED class.

Wait WHAT?!? You want to change her schedule and make her stand out again?? The Cat finally feels like she fits in. She is finally making progress both academically and behaviorally. She is happy, she is doing GREAT here. Why would you want to change that?? I fought so hard to get her here. To get her to this place where she is succeeding. Why would you want to take that away from her? Am I going to have a whole new fight on my hands to keep her here? I was terrified. All the old fears came rushing back to the surface. The Cat is finally doing so well, why would you change any of that? Why not just let her be?

This school has done nothing to make me doubt them. I honestly believe they want to help the Cat. I am comfortable with her being there. I trust that they want what is best for her. So why am I so anxious? Because I was burned. I was burned bad by the staff at Bird Lake.

I learned some important lessons from that. I learned to keep both hard records and electronic copies of everything. I do mean everything from the school. I kept every e-mail, every note sent home, every phone call was noted. Every evaluation was filed away, all report cards were put in my war chest. I learned to send follow up e-mails to phone calls and face-to-face meetings. I never went into a meeting alone. I set up read responses for e-mails sent. I always had a plan for each meeting. I new what I would give on, and what my bottom line was. I learned when to fight harder, and when to back down. I learned how to go around, over, or between staff to get what we needed.

Now it is time to learn a new lesson. How to let go. If I truly love this new place I have to let go of the old one. I have to trust Owl Park and let them educate my Cat. I have to believe that they are not Bird Lake. Like leaving behind the scars of an abusive relationship to find new love, I have to let it go. I cannot keep waiting for the past to repeat itself. I have to remember that at this wonderful new school I am an equal member of the team. It is not me against them. It is us working together. Owl Park is not Bird Lake. They GET IT, remember?!?

So with a deep breath, and great trepidation I said ok. The Cat started her resource group two weeks ago. And you know what?!? She is LOVING it. All those fears were unnecessary. The Cat is making friends. She loves going to resource, she loves going to "specials" with a mainstream class. The Cat is still in her SPED room and getting her speech. She is still getting her OT eval. And best of all, her report card was INCREDIBLE!! There was not a single N, for the first time in three years. SO...

CONFESSION TIME: I was wrong...  (mark that on your calendars)