Meeting with the Dean

Today I got an email from the Dean of Students asking if she could speak to me about the number of tardy slips I have been submitting to her office. I sent an email back saying I could be there on my lunch hour, would that work for her? Didn't hear back.

Went down to her office on my lunch and walked in her office. She sat me down and then shut the door. She opened the conversation by saying we needed to brainstorm some ideas because of the volume of referrals and tardy slips I have been sending her is clogging her office. She is afraid she isn't getting through them in a timely manner because I have been sending so many.

According too our Tardy Policy I received, if a student is tardy to class, they owe me a 30 minute detention on the same day as the tardy. If they do not show, then they are referred to the Dean of Students to serve the detention with ISS (In School Suspension). I thought it was a pretty easy process. Apparently I have been creating quite a stir.

What I got out of the meeting is: 1. I need to allow students more than just one day to serve the detention. What this means for me is now it is one more thing that I am required to keep track of in addition to the million other things I have to do. Whatever. Silly me. I just figured I would keep documenting the way I have been documenting and apparently make everyone else look bad.

Then, she asked me for an update on Student 295 and Student 391 and their behavior in my class. I told her everything is still the same. The only difference is I do not say a word to them. I no longer remind them to get to work or ask them why they are not taking notes. I told her Student 391 had been put on a Behavior Contract and according to the way I understood it, he should have already been kicked out of school for not changing his behavior. The only reason he hasn't cussed me out again is because I choose not to confront him. If he comes in without homework, or doesn't work, I ignore him. He does come in before school and sit there taking up space and doing nothing, but that is about it. Student 295 she told me she would be closing his classes if he did not have his mom or dad show up to school by tomorrow (since we CANNOT get in touch with the parents). In my mind I was thinking, "Where was this solution 3 weeks ago?" but again, whatever.

I left the Dean's office with about 10 minutes left in my lunch period. I was stopped by security and asked to return to the Dean's office before I reached my building. I walked in and she told me Student 295's mother was there waiting to speak with her. The Dean asked me if I could meet with her quickly. I smiled, introduced myself, shook her hand and let it all out.

I thanked her for coming down to speak with us and I have been trying to get in touch with her and her husband for awhile now. I also told her her son's behavior is unacceptable. He is coming to class late, with no binder, no paper, no pencil, no Student ID, and least of all, his homework. I told her I have to constantly remind him to get to work and to turn in work. He has a 6.4% in my class now and will not pass the class. I also told her he failed 4 out of 7 classes last semester. I also explained to her we have been in school for 131 days and he has 320 attendance violations. "That is a lot." I said while looking her straight in the eye. I asked her how he gets to school and she said his father drops him off every morning at 7:30am. I explained to her that I had proof from her son that he is consistently late to my class because the "Bus got late." (yes, "Bus got late.")

At this point, the bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period and I shook her hand telling her we would schedule a parent meeting with all his other teachers who are having the same issues next Friday. I thanked her for coming down to talk with us and left to go teach the rest of my day.

Over it.