Imagine...

Imagine that after school on February 12, you find out that you are getting a new student on February 14.  You immediately think, "Oh, that's Valentine's Day.  How do I make sure that my new student is included in our class activities?"  You decide to bring it up with your class at morning meeting.

Imagine that you have an amazing and generous class who on February 13 decide how to include the new student. She will have candy and Valentines and a box we decorated to keep them in.  Everyone is excited to meet her.

Imagine that late February 13 an IEP is faxed to your school saying your new student may need more services than what is provided by a general education classroom.  An administrator in an office far, far away makes a decision.

Imagine February 14, a little girl sits in the office with Valentine candy ready to share with her new class, and upstairs is a group of caring, empathetic fourth graders who can't wait to meet her.  She is told she can't even meet us.  We are all disappointed.  This is all on the same day that the above administrator emails the whole district that he is closing several of the small classrooms like the one my new student will attend.

It's seldom the students that make me want to quit.