The Bullies Just Get Bigger

Last Thursday was the first day of school and we didn't have enough money to buy Emily and Beth their shoes for PE yet, so I told them to just tell the coach that we were going to get them that weekend. They told him. So he called them out in the middle of the class and asked them why they didn't have shoes. Stood them in front of the group and YELLED AT THEM about how ridiculous it was that they didn't have their shoes for PE yet. Emily had to tell him that we didn't have the money to buy them yet. Just typing that makes me tear up. We have been through some major shit (pardon the Spanish there) in the past four years and we are literally living paycheck to paycheck. The manic spending while I was Paxilated plus the $40,000 that we paid lawyers (oh yes - that does in fact say $40,000) has put a major crimp in our financial situation. Maybe crimp isnt the right word ... crimp implies something small ... how about bend, fold, smashed all to hell and back. Yeah .. that works.

I am already hard on teachers, because I can't be one any more and this little example of how a grown man chooses to make himself feel better by belittling some thirteen year olds (my daughters were not the only ones involved) just proves several of my points about what is wrong with education. WHY DOES THIS JACKASS GET TO TEACH AND I DON'T ????

So Derek, my knight in shining firefighter uniform, went down to the school to talk to the principal, Ms. Grant. Of course her first question was "Did you talk to Coach Slate about this?". To which Derek replied, "Oh it's probably best that I NOT talk to Coach Slate about this." (Damn - I love that man of mine!) The really sad thing about all of this is that Emily begged Derek not to go talk to Ms. Grant about it, because she really feared that it would just make the coach act worse to her ... and I agree. Since there were several kids involved Derek asked Ms. Grant not to tell Coach Slate which parent came to see her, because we didn't want our daughter targeted any more than she already was. Emily is ready to quit basketball over it and I have to say that little Miss Emily is one hell of a basketball player. How dare that jackass treat my child this way and why in the world is behavior like his tolerated?

We have all sorts of programs in schools that try to educate children on the seriousness of bullying. Maybe we should have some for the teachers !