CYA as it burns to the ground

We do a thing called the CSAP when we have a student with a problem. The problem could be the classic student that doesn't stop talking but usually the CSAP is for students with profound academic, learning, or emotional/behavior problems. CSAP stands for something like Comprehensive Student blah, blah, blah. The real deal is CSAP is a nice way for people to have meaningless meetings and fiddle while Rome burns to the ground.

Let's say you have a student that refuses to speak, does no work, destroys things, eats things, and hits people. You think that something should be done because you're a concerned teacher and nice person. Start the CSAP. Begin creating the file. Get the dozen pieces of paper that need to go in the file: report cards, three years worth of academic and behavior information, medical records, ancecdoctal records, observations, discipline slips, psych reviews, and arrest records, if applicable. A meeting is held with the parents, principal, counselors, discipline teachers, and the classroom teacher about the student. At the meeting there are bold statements made like "I think there's a problem." After lots of people say that stuff and look at all the papers, there is a bit of silent reflection and then the excuses come. "We'll see if we can get some counseling...but the counselors are all booked up." "The student would benefit from special ed classes...but there's no open space here and it's too late to transfer." And it goes on and on and on.

Ultimately the CSAP process kills a lot of trees and eats toner and printer cartridges and typewriter ribbons. It doesn't result in any help for students. The CSAP should be called the CYA because that's what it's for. Cover your ass because if the kid puts another kid in the hospital or burns down the school at least you did the paperwork documenting the problems that no one was going to fix. You can't fail a kid without a CSAP but even if you go through the process, kill the trees, go to the meetings with an earnest look on your face, the principal and the parents hold all the cards. If they decide they don't think the child should fail then the teacher's grades are thrown away and the student is promoted. Bear in mind this kid could be illiterate or insane or both. This student could be a friggin' illiterate demon from Hell and he would be promoted if the parent said it shouldn't happen.

What is going on here? I'm through the damn looking glass.

I'm ranting about this stupidity because we've got a CSAP scheduled for every day this week. Two so far. They have stolen a lot of my time from more important things. They will result in nothing but it makes someone in some office feel good to see these fat folders filled with paperwork that will never see the light of day or do any good for the kids in question. They will be in class, not getting any of the services that would help them, because there aren't any services. It's a joke.

Too bad the joke is on us. What happens when these students that I can't teach hit the streets? They are angry, hungry, and deranged. They're coming and society has no place for them and has helped them with nothing.

Speaking of angry and deranged, my class was like that for the entire day. You would think that they would eventually calm down and want to try to do something constructive. You would be wrong. That never happens because rules don't apply here. I fought with the kids for the entire day. I must have said "stop talking" 600 times today.

I'm tired of kids telling me "I'm not doing that s*&$ you f%&^ing faggot!" It's demoralizing. There's so much that these kids could be learning and getting excited about and instead it's f this and f you and f off and f your Mom and suck it and kiss my ass and you name it. Mostly f*&k. They aren't even able to swear creatively. I need more. My brain is dripping out my ears after putting up with this. I need more.

******

Shout outs to the kind people who've commented on my blog. Thanks for reading my stuff; I know there's tons of competition for your eyes. It makes me happy that someone is reading my messages from the Badlands.