Sometimes There is a Light

Sometimes there is a light at the Crossroads...but there is always another tunnel. The little light keeps us on the road.

Last week the whole school had a day for parent conferences. There were a lot of Parents. More than I have ever seen. The Crossroads had 100% attendance. 4 conferences were really therapy sessions. 3 of the 4 became us as the facilitator between the young masters and the parents. The other one was getting a parent to help reel in a wayward young master. All of the other conferences were feel good feasts of celebration and praise.

Friday and today my attendance was 100%.

Today I met with K and his father and a translator. K has let his anger get the better of himself lately. The father wonders if perhaps we could arrange through the PO to have his son locked up for just a day or 2. I say that is not possible. We cannot be the ones to have his son locked up. He says maybe he should move his son to a different school to get away from his bad friends. I tell the father is son is doing better than he has ever done anyplace else. I say we like his son very much. His son has missed only one day of school since we started. He used to miss a lot of school. The problem is not his friends at school. The problem is his son's anger. He says he will talk to his son. He thanks me for caring about his son. All of this is through the translator. K sits quiet and respectful. Eyes downcast. Only a word or 2 to his father in Hmong. At first I feel like I am betraying him to his father. But I see his father knows these things. And I see that K knows these things are true. I see that he knows my intentions. He is not mad at me. He hold no grudge.

A has returned with all his missing assignments. At the conference he was slunk low in his chair. Hood up over his face. Sullen and resentful. His foster father scolded him. Asks me if I can arrange to have him locked up. Again I say that is not my job. He has committed no crime other than recalcitrance. The next day A shows up with his missing homework. Today he has more and is working hard to complete his tasks. He has a lot of work to do. But now there is something to work with.

On Friday the father of R-2 comes to his appointment with a family therapist. He brings his other son and his other son's 4 year-old daughter. I am amazed more than I have been in a long time. Today the mother of R-2 comes to his IEP meeting. She came on the bus. Later R-2 comes with her to my office. Her transfer has expired. Can he give her his student bus card? I give her 2 dollars. She says she will pay me back. I say not to worry. She has other things to worry about.