Thursday, August 19, 2004
Why I'm A Dropout
I'm going to do something very uncharacteristic and rant about school. So sit back and enjoy the ride! (For the 1,456th time.)
Does anyone remember how Robinson kicked me out of the FCPS system for missing fifteen days of eighth grade when I actually missed fourteen? Does anyone remember the insane shit I had to go through to get back, not only into advanced classes, but into school? Does anyone remember when I flunked out of school for actually missing fifteen days and had to spend the next month being rushed in and out of hospitals? Does anyone remember that when I came back I wasn't allowed into Art I because it was full, wasn't allowed into creative writing because they were "too far ahead," and so had to take chorus instead? Where they made us give each other BACK RUBS? Does anyone remember how after getting kicked out a third time they made me sit through hours worth of testing just to see if I would be eligible for ED services? Does anyone remember how they then assigned me an at-home counselor who I met with three times a week for months? Does anyone remember how I had to take summer school courses at Robinson because my Woodson IEP was scheduled for August?
Well I do, but apparently the school system forgot, because there isn't any IEP in August. In fact, says the school system very matter-of-factly, the IEP was supposed to be in the early spring, which was when we (by "we" I am referring to the loathed-by-God/Isis/Buddha/Allah couple that is my mother and I) originally tried to set it up... and when they told us that it would be in August.
That in itself totally screwed me over, because during the IEP I was actually supposed to meet with different representatives from different schools to decide where I wanted to go. Since the IEP was scheduled for August, however, I didn't really have a choice about which school I wanted to go to, because there are less than three weeks left until school starts and the only schools that (possibly) know I exist are Woodson and Robinson. And I don't think Robinson really cares about the fact. But there are a few things that Woodson neglected to mention to me....
Yes, it is true that I went to Woodson for a tour and had the opportunity to ask them every question I wanted, and some people (like Kelsey) are going to tell me it is all my fault for not knowing any better. Well I did sit through hours of talk on the school's ED center, extra-curricular activities, classes, etc. etc. And I did ask questions. I asked if I had to take all my courses in the ED center; they said no, I only had to take three. I asked if I could skip the mandatory ninth grade Basic Skills class so that I could take Art -- a center course -- instead; they said that with my grades, it was highly possible. I asked if there were any advanced center courses; they said no, but that I could take two classes in the center and two advanced ones outside of it.
But I didn't ask whether I had two choices out of four or one choice out of two, because I didn't realize any school could have a program so stupid!
I intended to take history and social studies in the center, because who really gives a shit about either? I don't have a future in science, and I'm just plain lousy at history (probably because it's boring as hell and I have the attention span of a three-year-old child). So I would have my three center classes and be free to take advanced English and geometry (yes, I do have to take it over, so don't say a word about it) in mainstream Woodson classes.
But no-o-o-o-o-o, that would make wa-a-a-a-a-ay too much sense. In actuality, I can either take a combination of English/social studies or math/science to be my center courses. Why? Because the two sets of classes are paired together, the way our GT English and science classes were. But that was a much different situation; GT only applied to English and science, and there was only one GT class per subject per team. Forgive the redundancy. Am I the only one who finds this TOO UNBELIEVABLE for words?
At the risk of sounding like Angela Hobart, I do not exactly suck at math, nor do I suck at English. In fact, these are the only two classes I care about... at all. How can they expect me to choose? If I had a girl in my GT science class ask why penguins don't fall off the bottom of the earth, what am I supposed to expect from a class full of "average" intellect hospital-junkies? (I know from experience that we are not exactly the brightest bunch.) I'm depending on math to give me a future working behind a computer screen for some nameless corporation, but at the same time, English is my very life! THE WORD FICTIONPRESS MAKES ME SALIVATE!
(Which is sad because it's actually true.)
Anyway, my point is that I hate school. No, I hate Fairfax County School Systems. And I hate Fairfax County for paying for it. And I hate Virginia for being a confederate state. And I hate the U.S. for breaking away from Britain. And I hate the world for being an economic, nuclear machine. And I hate God/Isis/Buddha/Allah for creating it all!
Although actually Isis had no part in the creation of the earth and I don't know jack shit about Buddha... but the point is that I am pissed. Seriously. Pissed. Maybe I will go off to live at that ranch in Montana where they shear sheep and raise livestock to be processed into meat products.
This is somehow supposed to help with depression.
But quite frankly I am not sure how slaughtering animals you secretly named would help deranged minds like mine become sane again. I am actually quite sure that Hitler hated God, went to Montana, and then decided to kill all the jews because those bastards at the ranch made him eat hamburgers after watching his precious calf Buttons be sentenced to the slaughterhouse. And somehow kosher and rabbis were involved.
I can't even think properly right now. Surely it can't be natural to be both this unhinged and hated by Moses.
Does anyone remember how Robinson kicked me out of the FCPS system for missing fifteen days of eighth grade when I actually missed fourteen? Does anyone remember the insane shit I had to go through to get back, not only into advanced classes, but into school? Does anyone remember when I flunked out of school for actually missing fifteen days and had to spend the next month being rushed in and out of hospitals? Does anyone remember that when I came back I wasn't allowed into Art I because it was full, wasn't allowed into creative writing because they were "too far ahead," and so had to take chorus instead? Where they made us give each other BACK RUBS? Does anyone remember how after getting kicked out a third time they made me sit through hours worth of testing just to see if I would be eligible for ED services? Does anyone remember how they then assigned me an at-home counselor who I met with three times a week for months? Does anyone remember how I had to take summer school courses at Robinson because my Woodson IEP was scheduled for August?
Well I do, but apparently the school system forgot, because there isn't any IEP in August. In fact, says the school system very matter-of-factly, the IEP was supposed to be in the early spring, which was when we (by "we" I am referring to the loathed-by-God/Isis/Buddha/Allah couple that is my mother and I) originally tried to set it up... and when they told us that it would be in August.
That in itself totally screwed me over, because during the IEP I was actually supposed to meet with different representatives from different schools to decide where I wanted to go. Since the IEP was scheduled for August, however, I didn't really have a choice about which school I wanted to go to, because there are less than three weeks left until school starts and the only schools that (possibly) know I exist are Woodson and Robinson. And I don't think Robinson really cares about the fact. But there are a few things that Woodson neglected to mention to me....
Yes, it is true that I went to Woodson for a tour and had the opportunity to ask them every question I wanted, and some people (like Kelsey) are going to tell me it is all my fault for not knowing any better. Well I did sit through hours of talk on the school's ED center, extra-curricular activities, classes, etc. etc. And I did ask questions. I asked if I had to take all my courses in the ED center; they said no, I only had to take three. I asked if I could skip the mandatory ninth grade Basic Skills class so that I could take Art -- a center course -- instead; they said that with my grades, it was highly possible. I asked if there were any advanced center courses; they said no, but that I could take two classes in the center and two advanced ones outside of it.
But I didn't ask whether I had two choices out of four or one choice out of two, because I didn't realize any school could have a program so stupid!
I intended to take history and social studies in the center, because who really gives a shit about either? I don't have a future in science, and I'm just plain lousy at history (probably because it's boring as hell and I have the attention span of a three-year-old child). So I would have my three center classes and be free to take advanced English and geometry (yes, I do have to take it over, so don't say a word about it) in mainstream Woodson classes.
But no-o-o-o-o-o, that would make wa-a-a-a-a-ay too much sense. In actuality, I can either take a combination of English/social studies or math/science to be my center courses. Why? Because the two sets of classes are paired together, the way our GT English and science classes were. But that was a much different situation; GT only applied to English and science, and there was only one GT class per subject per team. Forgive the redundancy. Am I the only one who finds this TOO UNBELIEVABLE for words?
At the risk of sounding like Angela Hobart, I do not exactly suck at math, nor do I suck at English. In fact, these are the only two classes I care about... at all. How can they expect me to choose? If I had a girl in my GT science class ask why penguins don't fall off the bottom of the earth, what am I supposed to expect from a class full of "average" intellect hospital-junkies? (I know from experience that we are not exactly the brightest bunch.) I'm depending on math to give me a future working behind a computer screen for some nameless corporation, but at the same time, English is my very life! THE WORD FICTIONPRESS MAKES ME SALIVATE!
(Which is sad because it's actually true.)
Anyway, my point is that I hate school. No, I hate Fairfax County School Systems. And I hate Fairfax County for paying for it. And I hate Virginia for being a confederate state. And I hate the U.S. for breaking away from Britain. And I hate the world for being an economic, nuclear machine. And I hate God/Isis/Buddha/Allah for creating it all!
Although actually Isis had no part in the creation of the earth and I don't know jack shit about Buddha... but the point is that I am pissed. Seriously. Pissed. Maybe I will go off to live at that ranch in Montana where they shear sheep and raise livestock to be processed into meat products.
This is somehow supposed to help with depression.
But quite frankly I am not sure how slaughtering animals you secretly named would help deranged minds like mine become sane again. I am actually quite sure that Hitler hated God, went to Montana, and then decided to kill all the jews because those bastards at the ranch made him eat hamburgers after watching his precious calf Buttons be sentenced to the slaughterhouse. And somehow kosher and rabbis were involved.
I can't even think properly right now. Surely it can't be natural to be both this unhinged and hated by Moses.
christopher @ 11:39 PM