Should be Graduation Tomorrow

Life. Life continues moving forward. Almost too fast. I feel as if the days are flying by in record speed. To nowhere really. They just go.

It’s a struggle. For sure. I’m tired. Worn down. Burnt out. Yet another day comes. Another repetitive day. Cleaning. Working. Dealing with assholes. Repeat.

I’m still exhausted with my child. Exhausted with his life choices and the way it’s all went.

Tomorrow he should be graduating. But he’s not. He isn’t enrolled in his HiSet. He quit the job he just got.

A normal graduating class here is 90+ kids. I was informed 48 will get diplomas tomorrow. That’s almost 50% lost. 50% of children who have flunked out or dropped out this year. That number isn’t okay. It’s depressing. It’s showing a huge lack in our district. In our overall education system. I’ve realized it isn’t just my kid. It’s almost half the town’s kids. That’s not okay. Online learning didn’t work. Covid plans didn’t work. This is an awful, horrid outcome.

The new job. I can’t overly blame him. I had no idea until last week he was being paid under the table. No workers comp should an accident occur. No unemployment insurance or social security being paid in. I work under DLI and know these rules. Know that’s so far from legit. Then his boss said he could become a subcontractor. Umm, no. It doesn’t quite work like that. He doesn’t meet the criteria. You are employing him. You set the hours. You set the tasks. Thus, he’s an employee and that means you have to pay him and withhold as such.

That wasn’t happening and the guy was just a dick. So he quit. Which was for the best but it just sucks as it sounded so good and promising before you knew the whole story.

I have no idea what he will do now. He needs a legit job with legit people. He needed that stupid diploma but a HiSet will suffice. He’s just got to do it, schedule the appointment to begin the process, make it happen.

Frustratingly, I can’t MAKE him do anything.  All I can do is sit here and watch the train wreck daily. I hate it. Every second of it. Hopefully, it gets better but I’m learning not to hope, wish or dream.

Yet, I can’t help but be angry at the school. They’ve failed these kids. They’ve failed parents. They’ve failed society. I felt so alone. I felt like it was all my kid. Until I saw the numbers. Numbers don’t lie. Smallest graduating class since 1929. You can’t just blame the kids with that.

The worlds failed them. They’ve failed themselves. It’s all just a mess. But gosh, I’m angry and sad and so unhappy with it all.

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