email to the principal

Hi J—

Ed drove C. to school for Extra Help last Friday morning, a day listed on Mr. X’s homework sheets as designated for that purpose.

Bringing C. in early isn’t easy for us, because Jimmy and Andrew, both of whom have autism, meet two different buses in two different places. But we managed.

When C. reached the school, the guard turned him away. The reason? He didn’t have a pass. C. has had one detention in two years at Irvington Middle School, but I suppose one can never be too cautious when it comes to the safety of our children.

As it happens, the pass didn’t matter anyway, because, as the guard told him, the teachers were in a meeting. There wasn’t any Extra Help, pass or no pass.

So here we are. C. is coming out of two years of ineffective mathematics instruction. The school has provided no diagnostic testing as he enters 8th grade, nor has the school displayed the slightest interest in identifying gaps in his knowledge and remediating those gaps.

Instead, it’s business as usual. Passes, rules, guards.

We would very much appreciate a responsible adult taking it upon himself to provide C. with a dozen or so passes he can keep on his person at all times, so that we can avoid miscues like this one in the future. Or perhaps you might consider compiling a list of students known to be Extra Help Seekers and providing it to your guards. We are eager to work with you in finding a solution.

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation.

Catherine Johnson
Irvington Union Free School District
$22,000 per pupil spending
school size: 450 students