She Better Be Good...

...otherwise it back to ROTC!

I went into the high school last Wednesday to see about getting Shelby out of ROTC. Shelby asked if I was nervous and I told her I was a little bit because I didn't want to disappoint her. Her reply was that she didn't want me to disappoint her either.

After dropping Jed off at school, I went to the Guidance Office with no appointment. I waited in the hall as she fixed this kid's schedule. He need to get out of Algebra and asked to be moved to Driver's Ed which was full. After awhile the finally magically found a spot in Driver's Ed (after all he couldn't take Spanish because this would be his third time trying and had failed it 2 times already.)

Finally it was my turn and as soon as I sat down I heard:

Counselor: "I know you just watched me change another student's schedule however there really isn't anything I can do for your child. The previous student was in an overcrowded class".

You want to bet? You can change an athlete's schedule (basketball or football was my guess) from first period Algebra to Driver's Ed (which was his first choice!) but you can't get my child out of an elective she never chose?

ME: I am sure you can find someplace for her. I really don't care where. It could even be Underwater Basket Weaving.

COUNSELOR: Ummm... I don't think we offer that.

ME: I am sure there is something you can do. I refuse to let her stay in an elective that she didn't choose and that will make her entire semester miserable. As a matter of fact I am afraid that she will be so unhappy in that class that it will start affecting her other classes and I refuse to let that happen.

COUNSELOR:Well we really aren't supposed to do class changes after Tuesday. She should have come to see me then.

ME: She did and you told her that you were sorry but you couldn't do a thing for her.

Counselor prints out a few things, pulls Shelby's record, leaves the office and comes back in...

ME: It's not that I don't have a deep respect for the military. I do. My dad is a retired colonel in the Army. Some people do well in that setting, others do not. This is not the environment for her.

COUNSELOR: Oh our ROTC program isn't all that bad. It's pretty much like PE.

ME: PE does not require uniforms. It also does not require government documents to be signed. My husband is as against this as I am and neither one of us are going to sign the papers for her to participate...

Counselor stops shuffling papers, looks up and says "Oh...". Then gets up and leaves the office. She comes back in a short period later...

COUNSELOR: Here is what we can do...Move Spanish 2 from 2nd semester to 2nd period. Then in 2nd semester move Geometry here and put in Ecology.

ME: Thank you very much.

Granted her Spanish class is so full that she started out sitting in the back of the classroom on a wooden chair but she is happy. She is excited. She is very interested in focusing on her academics now instead of dreading every day. As a matter of fact, Spanish is her favorite class, right behind Chorus. And I am relieved....relieved that I didn't have to work my way up the channels and relieved that I didn't disappoint her.

(Of course we have already told her she had best behave otherwise we will get her put BACK into ROTC.)