The Best Revenge Is Catholic School

Given the state of the public school district that currently holds the responsibility of educating Bubba and Spaz, there’s no doubt that it pales in comparison to a Catholic / Private education.

NOTE: Bubba and Spaz being idiots aside. I did give the district a curve because I realize the challenge they have with these to.

I am a product of Catholic school. I went from K to 12.. not counting my Baptist nursery school and Jesuit collegiate experiences.

Mind you, I graduated high school 20-something years ago but I do know from my friend’s experiences with THEIR kids that it didn’t change too much. But with the public school here, I can’t believe the leniency that goes on. I understand that for some teachers who want to be more stringent, their hands are tied. But then, what exactly are you providing for the child?

Not sure if this is a public school thing as a whole or just where I live but they will “socially” pass a student into the next grade meaning that if the kid is deemed “too old” to repeat a particular grade then they will pass him so that his psyche doesn’t get damaged.

Are you KIDDING me?

You’re worried about their psyche but not that they can’t do simple mathematics in their head??

I don’t really understand this whole concept of I.E.P (Individualized Education Program ) .. According to the US Department of Education (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services) .. a public school kid who receives special ed and related services under IDEA (Individual Disability Education Act) MUST have an I.E.P.

I know Spaz is in “special” classes.. it’s called “Social.. something or other” .. but Bubba isn’t. I never asked Chief WHY or HOW they got involved in this.. was it at a school administrator’s instance? But regardless that’s what they’re in.

The thing is.. as I’m reading this 40 page document the USDE put out in July 2000.. I just think it’s a bunch of crap.

To me, all it does is serve to highlight a students weakness and cater to it. It’s like with Spaz and his atrocious spelling. The kid can’t spell or read at his grade level :: or AGE level for that matter :: and it’s because the teachers in his SPECIAL classes allowed AND condoned :: mind you :: phonetic spelling.

For example, this kid doesn’t know how to spell OR recognize the word KNIFE because he spells is NYF.

I had discussion after discussion after discussion with his teachers about this… like, they’re always spitting out about how it is their goal to get the kids back into mainstream classes. My argument is “.. how are you going to do that if you keep condoning phoenetic spelling?”

No answer. Blank stare.

Sorry.. I went SO down a different path!! But it’s frustrating.

Anyway.. so Friday when I stopped at the store after work, Bubba was there. He was telling us what his recent test schools are and it looks like he very well MAY be graduating 8th grade.

I told him that he has ONE year in the public high school he will be going to.. if he starts messing up or not doing what he’s suppose to do then he’s going to start his sophomore year at the local CATHOLIC high school.

I told him that I was WAY more then prepared to send him for Freshman year but it was too late to register.. but that it was all set.. ready.. go for Sophomore year.

The look on his face was priceless. “.. I’m not going THERE!!”

Chief jumped in and said, “… you have no say in it. But if you don’t want to go there, then you know what you need to do to stay at [the public schooi]”

I was having a ball at his expense. I was saying stuff like, “.. yep, hair about your collar, shirt always tucked in, tie everyday…”

He thought he was finding an out by saying, “.. well, I’ll just throw myself in front of the trolley and be in a body cast so I can’t go.”

I started laughing and was like, “.. nope. You know what they do for cases like that? They have the nerdiest seniors who are trying to build their resume for their college applications come and sit in your room WITH you to tutor you. There’s no such thing as feeling in Catholic school!”

I swear the kid was starting to turn red and sweat. It just so happens that there was a customer in the school who was agreeing with me on every point.

Now, I just have to say this. There is really nothing “set up” for sophomore year. We did start considering taking him out of public school too late to enroll him in Catholic school and beside that.. the tuition would have REALLY been a stretch.

BUT .. he doesn’t know that. And considering he thinks we spent a HELLA lot more for Sylvan then we did .. AND considering how he knows my feelings on education… he wouldn’t put it past me… and that’s a good thing.

So we’ll see.

There’s only a week left of school and I BELIEVE that sometime this week is the 8th grade graduation ceremony. It’s not some big shindig like some school have.. his teacher’s have said it’s more like a transitioning thing.

Bubba hasn’t brought anything home about it.. but that doesn’t mean he didn’t receive anything.. unless he gave it to the crack whore… have no idea.

So I just emailed his teacher. We’ll see what she says!

The BUBBA Situation

… where do I start with this kids?

Seriously.

He’s the most laziest.. most unmotivated.. usless 14 year old I ever met. That may sound harsh but if you’ve read my past posts about his, I bet you would wonder “how”?

HOW Leese? HOW do you not take a railroad tie and drive it through his head?

Answer: Because it’s so damn thick that I’d wind up impaling it through my own hand.

There has always been issues with him… not doing what’s asked.. not taking showers.. not doing his school work.. not keeping his room clean.. not sleeping in his bedroom..

And I know you’re thinking that all that is normal 14 year old behavior. And maybe you’re right but doesn’t a 14 year old eventually wind up GETTING THE HINT?

Last year he failed 7th grade. He WOULD have passed if he had done his homework but nope.. too much effort. Cut into HIS time with his friends. The option then was to pay 300.00 to send him to summer school OR let him repeat.

I wanted him to repeat.

Chief wanted to send him to summer school.

At the time of registration, we didn’t have 300.00. The shop was in it’s final stages of being opened and any “extra” money we DID have had gone to the rent, paint, etc.

By August, though, things were ALITTLE better so what was the biggest hairbrained idea that Chief came up with? Sending him to Sylvan Learning Center.

Sylvan is suppose to be THE best in tutoring problem kids. And they should be for 100.00 an hour + the 150.00 assessment fee. Because they have a payment plan, the 940.00 A MONTH was.. well.. not “do-able”… not even “realistic” .. but if we didn’t pay our rent and of course, one month fell when I received 3 paychecks.. then it could be a go.

And it was a go.

3 nights a week I had to take him and pick him up. 3 nights a week he bitched and complained about going and how “stupid” the tutors were.

Heads Up, Bubba.. if you used the brain got gave you wouldn’t even be IN this situation.

Chief kept drumming it in his head that we’re putting ourselves in a financial hole because we believed in him.. that “maybe” the only thing he needed to learn was HOW to learn.. and Bubba kept promising NOT to let the same thing happen again in 8th grade.

NOTE: The school had agreed to accept any learning plan from Sylvan as proof that he had put his time in academically over the summer and would pass him into 8th Grade.

Well guess what.. 8th grade rolls around and while the first.. oh.. I don’t know.. 3 weeks were good.. it’s been a fight with him ever since.

And now, yesterday, I got an email from his teacher saying this:

Hi,

Bubba has taken a turn for the worse. I did contact his father last

week. He has not handed in any assignments and sits in class idle.

Missing Assignments:

Camp Harmony Questions.. Literature Book pp. 399-476 question p. 477

Jonas Characterization sheet (The Giver)

Letter to the Elders (The Giver)

Notecards (15 notecards on topic for research paper.)

Outline (organization for research paper)

Research Paper (due today) 3-5 pags on topic on the Holocaust

Giver Take Home Test (due Monday) Will be sent home on Thursday

I spoke briefly to Ms. xxxxx and Ms. xxxxxxxx. Matt is failing both

science and social studies.

This with only something like 2 weeks left of school.

But… that was only part of it yesterday.

Bubba has a habit of sleeping on the couch. Chief hates it.. I despise it… it’s one of the reasons why we had to get another living room set. I really can’t say too much when we had a heat wave because his room gets like an oven. But we snapped out of the heat wave and so either I or Chief will force him to go upstairs.

NOTE: Bubba is the only one with a bedroom upstairs. Initially both Spaz and Bubba were up there with Weed occupying the fourth bedroom downstairs. When Weed got out of rehab last year, we moved him upstairs because the downstairs bedroom had too much opportunity for access by his friends. Since Weed got thrown out, that bedroom was suppose to go back to Spaz but I haven’t had the time :: or energy, frankly :: to re-paint it and switch Spaz’ stuff.

Since Bubba IS the only one upstairs, there really isn’t a need for anyone else to go up there. Sure, I know what your saying:

LEESE, IF THE KID IS NOTORIOUS FOR LIVING IN FILTH AND ITS YOUR HOUSE THEN YOU SHOULD BE UP THERE CONSTANTLY.

And your right. I agree. The thing is :: and I KNOW it sounds like an excuse :: is that by the time we each get off work.. and do laundry.. and eat dinner.. and all that other stuff, his room falls by the wayside. Is it right? No. It isn’t. And should we be more diligent? Absolutely. But that’s the reality of it all.

Also, yknow, for the amount of time he’s been grounded about it.. and had things taken away.. and been beaten with a belt becaues of it.. you think HE’D get it? You think that when we say to him, “… clean up your room right after school?” He’ll DO IT? Or at least not mess it up to beging with?

Nope.

The other thing is that Chief needs to be the disciplinarian here. Unfortunately, I hold NO weight with Bubba… Spaz neither but he’s starting to “get” it.. And if Chief isn’t going to make an issue out of it, why should they pay attention to me? Not that THAT is either right or wrong, but I have the gut feeling that that’s the gist of it.

Chief is a cream puff when it comes to them. Yea, he can yell, scream, hollar and weld a belt but then he gets all concerned that they think he’s an asshole. Personally, I don’t give a rat’s ass if they think I am or not. There were plenty of times I thought that my parents were asses but you know what? I did what I was told and grew to understand why they did the things they did. It made me into the person I am today.

But yesterday, Chief happened to be home when it was time to wake the kids up for school and when he saw Bubba’s room, he went ape shit.

I took pictures of it :: that because I am all prepared to email them to the crack whore when Bubba goes weeping to her that we’re being unfair and always pick on him :: and even though it will be completely and utterly mortifying to do so, I’ll post them.

Right now, the camera is in my car and I really don’t feel like getting it but I will post them.

So between his room.. and his grades.. Chief was beside himself. Although I shouldn’t, there are times when I don’t say too much about it because sometimes I don’t feel like I have a right to. That’s a whole OTHER issue but right now this is about Bubba.

Chief told him that he had to come home right after school and clean his room. That he’s grounded and that he’s going to be up there supervising when he gets home.

Fast foward to that afternoon.

He wasn’t home when I got home to start dinner. I had to call Chief about something and when I did, he asked about Bubba. I told him he wasn’t home and you could have heard the steam coming out of his ears.

Spaz overheard the conversation and said that when Bubba came home after school, he told Spaz that he had cleaned his room and was allowed out.

Chief wasn’t pleased. At all. And I thought that THIS would be the incident that would have Bubba be on the receiving end of a can of Whoop Ass.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t look forward to him getting in trouble.. don’t look forward to him getting yelled at because Chief can seriously make you cry with his words. But like I said to Chief :: this regarding Bubba’s grades but also applies here :: Bubba is so used to getting away with everything that in his mind, if he waits it out long enough, it’ll pass and things will go back to the way they were.

So far.. he isn’t wrong because :: for as much as I love him :: Chief has a habit of not following through or easing up.

And the same thing happened last night.

Although Bubba’s room was slightly better then it had been, he never brought down the trashbags from his room OR all the dirty laundry OR the vacuum cleaner. PLUS, he didn’t pick up the dog poop in the hallway.

NOTE: There is a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep the dogs from going up there when no one is home. Bubba REFUSES to put the gate up. Too much effort, I guess. Subsequently, the dogs go up there and poop. Bubba tends to walk right over it.

ALSO NOTE: The vacuum is a thorn in my side. They aren’t allowed to use it because when they did? They would try to pick EVERYTHING up. Stickers, Pencils, Dog Shit… yes, Dog Shit.. because yknow.. GOD FORBID if they bent at the waist.

Chief came home from the shop and while dinner was still cooking, he started to take care of the hallway. He gathered everything in a pile for Bubba to take care of when he got home.

… and he did. Around 8:30. He came in soaking wet from being in the creek with his friends. Chief called out to him :: we were in the bedroom going over business stuff :: and he told him he had to go upstairs and take care of everything. Or he was grounded. I added “… in his room” and Chief repeated that. Although I get the feeling he did so reluctantly.

About a half hour later, I told Chief that he should go up there and check up on him :: I didn’t add “.. to make sure he isn’t sleeping or watching tv” ::. He did and he said that he was doing what he was suppose to do.

I haven’t been up there. And you know what? I’m not going to. All day today I felt … defeated? Like, why should I keep playing a game where I’m not scoring any points?

Around 4pm, I had gone down to the shop to get money off of Chief. I told him that since I was home, I would make dinner and since the market was having a gross sale on pork chops.. and pork chops are one thing I KNOW I can’t screw up.. :: it’s a bitch living with a chef sometimes :: I planned on making them for dinner.

Bubba happened to walk in saying that he needed money to pay off his library dues so that he could use their computer lab. Apparenlty, his teacher gave him an extension on handing in the paper that had been due today. Chief gave him the 2 or 3 bucks but within a half hour, he was back saying that he had used the time allotted and still didn’t finish the paper. He only had like.. 3 paragraphs. The assignment is 3 to 5 PAGES.

They have internet and email addresses at his school so Chief told him to go home.. use the PS3 and email it to himself.  Since emails don’t use a word processor, Bubba asked me how many paragraphs would fit on a page. I told him that it depended on the size of the paragraph. He said, “.. like 5 sentences.”

I told him a random number.. like 8 or 9.. and he put that Eeyore face on again. So told him to go to the crack whore’s. He said that Weed is always on the computer and won’t get off for nothing. Chief said to tell Weed that it was homework and was failing and he was sure Weed would let him on it.

Chief also suggested that Bubba hand write it out and Chief would have it typed.

The bottom line was that Bubba was making ALL kinds of excuses because what he really wanted to to was use my laptop.

He knew better then to ask me.. figuring I’d offer.. but there was NO WAY IN HELL I was going to do that. When it finally dawned on him that I wasn’t going to offer, he started saying something about getting the report done and Chief flipped on him again.

He said he didn’t care how he got it done as long as he did.. WE were not going to bail him out again :: like the 2am run to Kinko’s to get an essay printed :: and Bubba was NOT going to twist it around like it was our fault.

That was my cue to leave and I did.

As I was walking out of the store, Bubba called the crack whore. I heard him tell his father that she said she was on her way home from her pimp boyfriends :: what exactly happened to that full time job that ended at 5pm? :: in a half hour and that she would help :: cough cough :: with his homework.

So that’s where it stands.

I don’t know what he’s doing.. if he’s doing it.. when he’ll be home.. the only thing I DO know is that I refuse to take an interest in it anymore.