M. Scott Peck Didn't Have A Seven-Year-Old

I should have just kept Al home all day, but he wanted to see his "Friends" before summer break started. It was, unbeknownst to me, Achievement Recognition Day at Al's school. Last year I was honored by the 1st grade teachers for my volunteer work at the school. This year I could barely bring myself to sign my name when I was checking him out early. I totally opted out after the treatment of my son by the administration at the begining of the school year. I will say this much about my present frame of mind regarding my son and his education. Today solidified some things for me, that had previously been vague or wishy washy at best.
I'm going to overlook the fact that my precious child was not given any type of public acknowledgement during the ceremony, because in the real world there are always going to be others who are better than you at something, who will get the recognition. Real life stuff. If educators go around giving all these little human beings awards for what they each do well, they would be in for a huge disapointment when they got out in the real world ya know. I mean it would just be wrong to give Bobby an award for having the nicest smile so his self esteem would remain somewhat intact, when Suzie had to actually work on that science fair project! But I must draw the line regarding what I saw when I walked in to Al's classroom this afternoon. I look over and across the room, isolated from the rest of the class, but near the teacher, sat Al's little desk positioned so his back is to everyone else. She isolated my child. She separated him from the pack. She turned him out from his peers. She excluded him physically in the only way she could.
Al say's he's had to sit that way since the first of May. Not for anything other than talking to his neighbors. I'm so sad for my child. I want to tell him that life isn't supposed to be this hard... but he'd know I was lying.