Update

So my student that I have written 2 referrals for this year I busted. He has 16 absences in the first 6 weeks of school. With about 7 minutes left in the 5th period (the class he is supposed to be in), I heard someone dragging a pen/pencil/marker along the outside of my classroom wall. I stopped what I was doing and ran out the door. My 5th period students were chanting, "Get 'em, Get 'em." I threw open the door and low and behold......there is my referral student. He has been taking double lunches!

At our school, we have a 5th period lunch with half the student body going to lunch - then we have a 6th period lunch with the other half going to lunch. My 5th period referral student has been doing the double lunch! I asked him to come back in to the classroom with me and sat him down next to my desk. I asked him where he has been and he said he has been taking his 5th period class with the counselor because he is switching out of my classroom. I said that was fine, but until he is out of my room, he has to show up to my class. I called the counselors office (for the 3rd time on this student and again got no answer). I had him wait until the end of the class period, then we both marched down to the counselors office.

Surprise, surprise. The counseling secretary has never seen him before in the counseling office. So I again asked my student, "Where are you going during my class?" He said, "No, I have been going over here." (he pointed to the attendance liasions. We walked over to the attendance liasions who told me they have never seen him. I told them all he has admitted to coming here inestead of class so I was confused why no one has seen him. Of course I know he is lying to me. The attendance liasion put him on an attendance contract and I asked him why he wasn't coming to class. Is it me? Is it your lab partner? Is it the content material? The student admitted it isn't any of those things.

After the attendance contract, I walked with him back up to my classroom and gave him all his missing work. I told him he had the weekend to finish the work and would be taking the test he missed on Monday. I asked him to let me know if he needs help with the material and if so, to ask me and I would be more than happy to help him. He walked out without so much as an, "ok."

After school, I finally found the counselor and told her he obviously doesn't want to be in my class and with the way he is treating me, I just assume he get removed from my class. The counselor actually told me, "Well, that isn't the first step. The first step is to talk to the student, contact the parents, and have a conference."

WHAT? I HAVE called the parents. I HAVE talked to him, I HAVE done everything short of standing on my head and turning blue for this kid to get him to show up and work and he still refuses to oblige. I told the student, "Well, we are on step 3 - you have missed steps 1 and 2." I told her I have tried to contact her and even sent her 2 emails regarding the students behavior with no response. I told her I have written 2 referrals, and I have called the mother twice. WHAT MORE DO I HAVE TO DO? I am teaching science. Not cooking, not P.E., SCIENCE. This is a class REQUIRED to graduate from high school. I refuse to de-value the high school diploma. Teachers who pass students through the system hoping to get them out of their hair should be ashamed. All they are doing is adding to the worthless-ness (if this is even a word) of a high school education. Allowing him to catch up is the extent of leverage I am willing to give him and that is all I am willing to give him. I have students who come to class everyday and do nothing, but still show up. How is this fair to allow him extra time and help to make up all these missing assignments and still pass the class?! I am already ticked that I said that to him!

AUGH! More to come after the parent conference. This will be my 5th discipline parent conference this year. It is only Week 6 of school.