Just an Update on Court
I am very relieved that court went better than I expected. I was seriously afraid the judge would end up ordering something that I could not comply with while remaining true to my values (such as forcing my son to cut his hair, house arrest, ankle monitoring etc).
However, the vice-principal ended up giving his testimony against us and at the end he stated, "the school has done everything possible to be understanding and empathetic about the family situation". And then the prosecutor asked him what our family situation was and he had absolutely no clue what our family situation was - at all!
So, when I went up to testify that over the last few years, my son has dealt with his father abusing his sister, his father going to prison for that abuse, my remarriage and subsequent divorce last December and another loss of a "father", it was emotional and I did cry on the stand, but afterward, I was at least validated that I am not some crazy, unfit parent, but had valid reason for my frustration with this administrator not listening to anything I was trying to communicate to him, as well as the teachers. Also, the teacher that my son had so much of the original trouble with (the one that didn't come to the parent meeting and I'd never talked to in person) was in the courtroom. By the end, she looked almost in tears herself.
In the end, the judge ordered that my son's grades and attendance be monitored through January and that he be reassessed for any therapeutic needs (which helps me greatly because I haven't been able to afford his full testing yet, just the initial intake visit - and they will have to help cover this or help me find someone who will work with our insurance). So far, at the new school, my son's first progress report was all A's & B's. I am so proud of him and so glad that he is now in a more positive environment!!
It is such a huge relief to not have this hanging over my head.
However, the vice-principal ended up giving his testimony against us and at the end he stated, "the school has done everything possible to be understanding and empathetic about the family situation". And then the prosecutor asked him what our family situation was and he had absolutely no clue what our family situation was - at all!
So, when I went up to testify that over the last few years, my son has dealt with his father abusing his sister, his father going to prison for that abuse, my remarriage and subsequent divorce last December and another loss of a "father", it was emotional and I did cry on the stand, but afterward, I was at least validated that I am not some crazy, unfit parent, but had valid reason for my frustration with this administrator not listening to anything I was trying to communicate to him, as well as the teachers. Also, the teacher that my son had so much of the original trouble with (the one that didn't come to the parent meeting and I'd never talked to in person) was in the courtroom. By the end, she looked almost in tears herself.
In the end, the judge ordered that my son's grades and attendance be monitored through January and that he be reassessed for any therapeutic needs (which helps me greatly because I haven't been able to afford his full testing yet, just the initial intake visit - and they will have to help cover this or help me find someone who will work with our insurance). So far, at the new school, my son's first progress report was all A's & B's. I am so proud of him and so glad that he is now in a more positive environment!!
It is such a huge relief to not have this hanging over my head.
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