I don't know how many of you know the saga of my stepson, Dakota, but the kid has had a tough row to hoe most of his life. His mom lost custody of him when he was 9 for manufacturing meth, he has ADHD we can't afford to treat and up until yesterday we were led to believe he was borderline "Special ed" material besides being told to look for a military school for him.
We braved the weather to go to parent-teacher conferences at Wasson High School. After having received another dismal CSAP report (state assessment test) last week I was prepared for the worst. But starting with teacher #1 through teacher #6 we were told time after time how well he was doing, what a pleasure he was to have in class and how much potential he has. Teacher #1 named him his most favorite student. Teacher #2 made him Student of the Month. Teacher #3 thinks he could be skipped ahead one or two semesters in algebra. Teacher #4 praised his conduct, effort and leadership skills. Teacher #5 talked about his creativity and his help in keeping others in his group under control. Teacher #6, Drama class, told us he improves every day and she hopes he'll join her class again.
Quite frankly I was shedding small tears of joy through the whole experiance, as I am now. I am just so proud that he rose above what everybody thought or said last year. I am ashamed that I took their word for things without investigating further. Of course the math teacher did bring out a good point. When we told her about the Special ed thing she looked at Dakota and asked "Did you reach inside yourself and determine to do better?" he blushed and nodded yes. He told her he was tired of having his dad's foot up his ass too.
My 365 pic is me and Dakota at the Garden of the Gods back in 2005 right after Hurricane Katrina hit. I had come out to visit Jack who was working trying to get a decent place to live and to retrieve Dakota from his summer visit with Mommy Kim.
Side note: Mommy is "in jail" again. She's on work release though so she stopped by yesterday to see Dakota. That's real punishment huh? Tool around town and visit while you are being "reprimanded" for various repeated infractions...Don't get me started. Dakota went over to her house for the weekend to take his little brother Trick or Treating.
1 comment:
Wowser, great news on Dakota! Sad that you still have to deal so closely with his mum. Good on ya, for being there for him!
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