Crabgrass by Tauhid Bondia for September 13, 2024

“Not wrong, but not relevant. This time.”

Way to far into wretched excess, Kev!

Ah Kevin, I know the feeling all too well. This was me in 3rd Grade in the early 1960s. Remedial everything, including being one of a handful in my whole school who had to go to speech class. Only then, they didn’t call it Dyslexia. You were labeled (if politely) “slow” or if not labeled politely (like my 3rd Grade teacher did) “stupid.” She was old school, near retirement age and had NO patience for the stupid and shy kid. Traumatized and self confidence destroyed? Oh yeah. Thank god my mother did not give up on me. Endured (and prospered) by after school tutoring with kindly and retired teachers, summer school, etc. To this day, I still read constantly, finished college and graduate school and have made something of myself. Dyslexia is not a death sentence.

Kevin, it’s not that big of a deal. I’ve been in these classes, too and things worked out fine from there.

In the ‘80s, there was a stigma to being in Special Ed. I remember the county opening a center for special needs kids in my high-school building. First, there was an announcement that the regular students were strictly forbidden to enter that part of the building. After that, it took roughly 12 seconds for the name of the center to become an insult to throw at people: "Yaah, you’re a [name of the center]! Hey, [name of center]!"

Wow, way to have some sympathy, teacher. You do realize that he is still a kid, right?

HA! A confession!!

Look at the bright side Kev – you get to get away from HER.

We all knew it would happen

Everyone wants to be special, but nobody wants to be “Special.”

She really does want to help you. Getting you out of her class is just a bonus.

“Well…yeah.”

At least she’s not denying it

You don’t see the problem because you probably didn’t even have special education when you were in school and don’t understand the stigma associated with it.