Thank you, Thank you to to Loring Nicollet Alternative School and Casey Wall the head teacher. Thank you to various school counsellors, teachers and anyone who encouraged us while dealing with Chaz. A Herculean effort. An ovation please. As his senior year went on he stopped going to school altogether. The threats and fights as a consequence of being the pot salesman at high school gave justification to skip classes. His anxiety was palpable. I could see it in him mornings when I would plead that he go. I implored him to continue school. He just stopped. The few days he went he would bolt from class; head straight home or skip with a friend and get stoned.

Chaz’s mom, Kim pulled a meeting together between the school counsellors a few of Chaz’s teachers. It is clear that all of us are more determined that Chaz graduate than our son. Six of us met, the school safety officer, some of his teachers. A counsellor, Mr. Lundholm has been working with our son for the four years he has been in high school. Lundholm has helped with Chaz’s IEP (independent education program), which allowed him to get extra time for taking tests and completing assignments. ADD, attention deficit disorder was diagnosed earlier. The IEP helped, along with careful selection of courses but Chaz has hit the wall. Everyone agrees Chaz is likable friendly, and polite. One of the teachers has a son living at home. His child is mid twenties and had already spent a few years in jail because of drugs. We are not alone.

Winter semester, senior year we are referred to the Loring Nicollet Alternative school. We brought Chaz to meet with the head teacher, Casey Wahl. She laid out their program, all the students there are challenged with behavior or situational problems. All given a reduced course load that target the minimum scholastic requirements of the Minneapolis School District for graduation. The school day starts late, 11 am and ends at 3pm. Group classes are held across several grade levels. It is a fresh start. There are no jocks or science fair blue ribbon winners. Just Kids with challenges. They come together at this school and move their lives forward. The teaching staff is compassionate and at times pull them along. This is the island of misfit toys. Together they help each other.  

Talia, another student from Chaz’s high school, made the move to Loring Nicollet earlier and is thriving. She is a promising filmmaker, who has shot Chaz performing his skateboard tricks and skills. Along with other briany shorts posted on her youtube sight. Her stuff is quite good and she is devoted to learning film making.

Chaz, fortunately has nearly enough credits to graduate. Just 3 more months of school here and he’s done. Light at the end of the tunnel. I am relieved, a bit. It is hard to guide someone so obstinate and self-destructive. To not complete this education would be a shame. He would feel shame. Another sorry mark for a young man with declining esteem. Though never a class leader he did show up and made his way through school for most of those years. A high school diploma, that is something, without one, it is an obstacle to get a job.  Men I know, now in recovery, regret that they bailed out of school. I see them early in their recovery start again; get a GED, a general education diploma. A high school-level certification. It is important and good to obtain. For some it is a scarlet letter, identifying one as a screw up who couldn’t finish high school. 

Chaz did.