N-Zilla

N-Zilla

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

N-Zilla and the Judson Independent School District Part 1


Last month had a few surprises for us.    First lets me go all the way back to September.  The night of       N-Zill's open house, his teacher Mrs. Awesome...had a announcement.  Effective immediately she was no longer going to be a PPCD teacher and more importantly to us she was no longer going to be N-Zilla's PPCD teacher.  This was not her decision.  She was told by the "powers that be" that another school in our school district had a over flow of kindergarten students and not enough teachers.  

Mrs.  Awesome was moved from a school, students, and a job that she loved without any consideration or input on what she wanted to do.

Of course I cried at open house.  I mean I C.R.I.E.D.  I was a hot mess of mascara over flow and snot.   I was so confused.  I was scared on what was going. to happen to N-Zilla.  I just had no idea on what was going on (not until about a month later).  I was assured that N-Zilla was going to be left in good hands.  He would be in a new teachers class who was PPCD certified.

We found out Thursday night.  Friday was her last day.  I was assured that N-Zilla was going to be in good hands.  The following Monday N-Zilla was moved from a PPCD class of about 12 kids to a Pre-K class room with a qualified PPCD teacher with 20 kids.  I figured that he knew this "new" teacher.  We will call her Mrs. J.  N-Zilla has been in Mrs. J's Class room before during Free time.  Mrs. Awesome and Mrs. J's class's have breakfast together in the cafeteria.  There would still be the same aides in the class room.  Because as far as I knew at that point N-Zilla was in a mixed PPCD/General Ed class room.  We knew a day would come that N-Zilla would have to transition into a Gen Ed class anyway...kinder was just around the corner.   So what the heck...right?

We saw the regression in N-Zilla.  His attention span lessened.  He was getting to be more whinny and aggressive.  He was starting to go back to one to two words sentences.  

We figured such things are life.  Their will be times that things happen that are out of our control.  We will have to roll with the punches.  When life gives us lemonades...we work harder and help N-Zilla cope until he gets the hang of things.

And that we did.

On October 17th I got a note in N-Zilla's folder about his pull-up situation.  I thought it odd since N-Zilla's lack of potty training was in his IEP.   Without going into to much detail...I didn't care for the tone coming across from the yellow folder.  Before I took too much offense...I remembered a post that Jim from Just a Lil blog wrote...I thought it best just to call the teacher and work things out. Her response would probably surprise me.  After all she probably wanted what was best for him just like me.

October 18th I called.  We talked.  It went well.  She did want what was best for N-Zilla and she listened to my concerns. We came to the realization that one of the aides (and Mrs. J) didn't realize that N-Zilla got on the school bus at 6am.  From 6am to 8:45am no one was checking N-Zilla or taking him for a bathroom break (first red flag).   I felt the convo went well.

Later that day I got the phone call.  It started with "We need to talk".  I felt as if my high school boyfriend was gonna break up with me.  All she had to say next was..."it's not him it's us".

I called back and got the second shock of the year.  First the school was telling us that Mrs. Awesome was no longer going to be his teacher.  Now they where telling us that N-Zilla could no longer attend his school.  They where closing the PPCD program and starting immediately he would have to go another Judson ISD campus.  A ARD meeting was scheduled that coming Thursday at the other school he would attend to go over IEP and change campus.

When I was talking to the teacher over the phone.  I was in shock.  Again...I was told that this was out of her control   The school district was calling the shots.  This was the way it had to be.  I didn't cry this time.  I was sorta numb.  Two things where going through my head.  Is this going to be good for N-Zilla, and is he going to regress?

I had the whole weekend to think.  Over and over and over.  Then I thought...if they move him now...will we have to go through this the whole time he attends school?

Monday morning I called the principal...

Part 2 coming soon.