There was a line in his email to me about the note not being intended to be offensive, just blunt. Here's my reply:
"I disagree with just about everything that you have said here. If this has been a problem for several years, you have chosen a very inopportune time to address it punitively. The message that it is sending D12 is not that there are consequences for "chronically not being on time," but that she faces consequences for issues beyond her control, and that it's a far more serious offense to be 2 minutes late than to bully and exclude other students, to disrupt class repeatedly, or to cheat on tests.
I was not offended by your email. However, I do find it offensive that you ignored a previous email requesting assistance from me for almost 3 weeks, then replied to it with this complaint. I find it offensive that you have not even acknowledged--let alone implemented--a strategy I suggested to help D12 be more organized. I find it offensive that you are aware that she has an identified LD which impacts her organization skills, and you have chosen to punish her rather than helping her in that area. I find it offensive that you are aware that H drives D12 in from across town and you punish her for being tardy on those mornings when she has no control over that issue--and I find it even more offensive that you have not addressed this with H but have been more than "blunt" with D12 and with me. I find it offensive that when you called me at work to make me aware of your "strategy" earlier this year, you didn't have the courtesy to ask if I was free to talk with you at that moment; in fact it was a highly inconvenient moment for me but you asked in a condescending way if I had heard you. I find it offensive that the first time D12 passed the ISTEP, your emphasis was on her tardy and you ignored this success for which she worked very hard all summer. I am offended that you trivialize the challenges that D12 and I are facing as "excuses." I find all of these things very disrespectful. I know there are dysfunctional patterns of interaction left over from my time as a staff person; however, those patterns are even more inappropriate now."
YEAH BABY!!!! Who IS this woman???!!
Look out, world -- mama bear's protecting her cub!
