Let the Graduation Commence

Last week's big news was all about discrimination. I was hacked. Mostly because discrimination is wrong no matter what, and specifically because it was directed against my son.

Micah is in Life Skills, and his class has eleven students ranging from kindergarten to third grade. He was assigned to a mainstream kindergarten class for the graduation ceremony just so he'd have an assigned place on stage. I suggested that they move him to a side instead of front and center, to minimize the distraction. I envisioned the teacher in charge of the ceremony to go ballistic because either Micah would have to be reassigned or the whole class would have to move. Obviously someone so inflexible as to allow a special needs student to sit when others were standing would not go with drastic changes like the aforementioned.

The day after the confrontation with his teacher, I had to call the principal in our district on an unrelated issue. While we were talking, he asked if there was anything specifically that he could do to help with Micah. (I love that new principal.) I was reluctant to bring up the graduation mess, but he asked, so I spilled. I was adamant that I didn't want to be a problem, that I was waiting to see if my diplomatic suggestion would resolve things, but just please be aware of what's going on. He said he completely understood where I was coming from on this, and to let him know if I needed his help.

I was informed that Micah had graduation practice Monday morning at 10 AM. I debated showing up unannounced to watch, but Sam and I decided that being low-key is best. I would stop in the next day and ask how things went, and take it from there. I had every intention of driving to the school for the express purpose of casually dropping by on Tuesday, but early Monday morning the school called to schedule an IEP meeting for Wednesday.

I was a bit frustrated that I wasn't given more notice on the IEP meeting (because my life is so busy *ahem*)but then I realized that his teacher and both principals would be in attendance at said meeting. It might be the perfect time to address an ongoing problem. My plan was to talk to his teacher Wednesday morning before the meeting and go from there if I needed to.

Monday morning I kept an eye on the clock. When ten o'clock rolled around I prayed in earnest. For an hour. While I sewed to distract myself. I prayed that Micah would be cooperative, that the teacher in charge would be patient and understanding, that the problem would be resolved by moving Micah. I prayed for an hour, and then I waited. My God is big enough to take care of trivial problems like this without any intervention on my part, but sometimes He wants to teach me about faith and perseverance instead. Would this be a faith lesson, or would this be a test of my endurance?

Tuesday's teacher correspondence contained the note "Micah will be in the graduation ceremony. He was placed at the side yesterday and he did very well. He ran off the stage once or twice though."

Have I introduced you to my God? He's small enough to handle trivial things, and big enough to erase discrimination out of the hearts of those who come into contact with my son. Running off stage is a worse offense than sitting when others are standing, but now it's no longer a problem. Perhaps the principal called and casually mentioned something. Perhaps my mentioning that I really wanted Micah in the ceremony made a difference. Perhaps Micah's teacher realized that it was discrimination and told the teacher in charge to deal with it. But it's my God that orchestrated these events. Prayer does wondrous things.

Micah will be included. He just wants to be like everyone else, and next week he'll show the parents of all kindergartners that he is. Behind that extra chromosome, there is no difference.